Soccer

Verbeek Undecided On Team, Future

Thursday 14th January 2010

Author: LMSC

Photographer:

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek is still yet to decide on the make up of his squad that will partake in the final Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia on 3rd March.

The Australian side needs a point from its last game to guarantee Asian Cup qualification after a team of mainly of A-League players drew 2-2 against Kuwait last week.

Verbeek is still undecided as to whether he will call on international stars to ensure the Australian’s get the result they need.

"One of the things I have to think about is it better to have a (A-League) player for a week in camp preparing for the 30- to 35-degree climate Or do I bring a player over and take the risk after 30 hours of flights added with the 10-hour time difference," said Verbeek explaining his dilemma on which players to select.

"We should not underestimate what it is to fly from Europe arriving here on Tuesday and playing Wednesday then playing on the weekend again."

"We are going to bring and try to get those players who are available and those players who can handle trips like this."

"But if I feel we have a position that we definitely need a player from overseas and there is a position where we don't have a good enough player then I'll have to pick someone."

But Verbeek is still likely to field a similar make up against the Indonesians after being impressed with their efforts during the squad’s training camp held in Dubai.
 
"I think our camp in Kuwait and in Dubai showed us that the players were probably good enough to do the job also," Verbeek  said.

"I was very pleased with the camp in Dubai and I was very pleased with the combination of European-based players and the players playing in here."

But while Verbeek is preparing for Asian Cup qualification, he is yet to find out if he’ll be leading the team into the tournament.

The Football Federation Australia is still undecided what to do with the World Cup qualifying coach.

Having taken the Socceroos successfully through the 2010 qualification period, to earn the country only its third World Cup birth, Verbeek’s position as head coach is still in doubt beyond the World Cup in South Africa.

Verbeek said he was still unsure whether he would be leading the team into the 2011 Asian Cup should the squad earn qualification in its final match against Indonesia.

"As far as I know my contract is still until the World Cup," he said.

"We will have some discussions in the upcoming weeks there is no doubt about that."