The World Game with Stefan MaukFrom the A-Leagues to the EPL, Adelaide United star Stefan Mauk brings you the latest results, news and analysis from the World Game.
This is the World Game with Stefan Moore thanks to football Essay bringing South Astralian communities together.
Thank you for joining us seven minutes after six. Lots to get through tonight on the program The World Game with Stephan mork Our very own here on five Double A and Cherry you can pick your own Tigo four pro from Southern cherry More Vale from just twenty three nine to ninety drive away. Great partners on the show, Stephan more good evening.
Good afternoon or good evening. Here we read Dad Javo. Yeah, it's it's six o'clock now, isn't it.
Yeah at dinner time. It's been a long week. It's been a long week. It's been a long nine weeks, I think for us. So happy to be on the show again, happy to be playing at home this weekend, and excited to kind of get out there.
I'm going to get all the really heavy stuff in the moment because there's lots to go through in tonight's show. We'll talk to Michelle Smith later on the program. Here to referees Essay, they're putting a call out. They want more refs, so we'll talk to Michelle later in the show. She's our guest. We'll talk some MPL, some EPL as well, but we do want to start with the A League and I do want to start with Adelaide United. Yet again, unable to get a victory when we really needed one. Melbourne victory was the big rivalry we built it up last week and a five to three loss at the full time whistle. How did you take that all in?
Yeah?
I think we obviously the result is not what we need, not what we wanted, and I think the one thing that's guaranteed, it seems with us, is that where the match of the round. If you want to watch an exciting game, tune into Adelaide United because you kind of get a lot of bang for buck and that's great for the neutrals, not great for ours supporters.
So I'm sure for this game we're either in the.
Stands made the trip over or they're at home, probably cursing at the TV the same as what we were doing on the field and in the change rooms. Just disappointed afterwards. And I think we went out there. We started extremely well, we scored, we kind of were a little bit more structured in our.
Press, a little bit more.
I'm not going to say tame, but just not going gung houndred percent sprinting.
You know, trying to press all the time.
We were something that we had tried to really work on was you know, keeping our compact shape pressing from that moment and and you know, not having to go if we don't need to go, and we did that really well.
Their first goal kind of came through, I guess, a little bit of brilliance this. We needed to do.
Better in different aspects of that goal, and I think Alagich and Barnett kind of got beaten with the pass in the middle and then the ball out to our Zani, who we know is so dangerous when he's on it, cut inside and puts it away, which is a great finish.
But you know, we needed to do better and.
Saying that, you know, most of the teams probably don't score from that situation. And then I think we were pretty comfortable again we lost the ball. Kind of something that we keep doing, I guess is making silly mistakes in our own half. And Kianus, you know he's so good on the ball. He made a mistake, he lost the ball, but he actually won up back in the next pass. Intercepts it falls to their player. They played a blue fat on the edge of the box, probably needed to be a bit tighter, and they put it away.
And you're going in a halftime thinking this is this is disaster.
We start it so well and from these two actions really besides that, I didn't have too much. It was a couple of shots, you know or there, but you know, there were two one up, and you know their crowds, you know, unbelievable, So you're thinking, oh, this is going to be tough. And we came out second half, scored straight away, got a penalty, scored again, and we're three two up, and we're thinking, all right, we're on here where you know, And I think that shows the group, the fight that's in the group. You know, if you're in a team that I've been in before, and you know, if you're in a bad moment and you you know, you go from being one li'l up, you're two one down, you end up losing three to one four one. You know, if there's no fight in the team, there's no belief. But the belief is there because we keep coming back. It's just that then it turns again. And in this game here obviously they got a bit of a contentious penalty that VR stepped in and.
Got the referee to come and have a look at.
He obviously didn't trust his decision, which was probably, you know, something that I didn't agree with. I didn't really understand if he if he said that, you know, our player won the ball and got to touch on the ball, then he got to touch on the ball either. Yeah, it wasn't reckless. There was nothing to it. He's now saying that he still thinks he got a touch on the ball, but it wasn't enough and it was a reckless challenge where I don't really understand that because you know, the ball went out for a corner and that was a massive turning point in the game because before that they had nothing, and then eighty eighth minute, you know, they score again, and then the fifth one was really you know, we're committing so many players forward to try and get the equalizer, and I guess it's just another week where it was a missed opportunity. You know, that was a six pointer because now victory go to thirty six, we're still on thirty three, and now we're only three points above Sydney FC.
In seventh spot and we played them this week.
So ten goals conceded in the last two games, does that concern you most?
Definitely.
I think if you're conceding ten goals, there is problems and it's something that you know, over the last seven eight weeks we've really struggled with.
But I actually felt on the weekend.
Sounds a bit silly and almost stupid to say, but it was probably one of our better defensive performances. Besides, these five moments were actually defended really well, and even watching the.
Videos backlate, we're so compact. We did exact what we needed to do.
But I guess it shows you know that, you know, small lapses in concentration or individual errors or you know, moments of brilliance from the other team, you know you have to be better.
You have to be I think, just more.
More tough defensively as a unit to break down because at the end of the day, scoring goals is the hardest thing in football. You know, a lot of games is not many goals. That's why some people say it's boring, it's a Neil Neil game. But you know, it's so hard to score sometimes and we're just conceding too many goals and you know, we scored three away from home, we should be coming away with the victory. The week before we scored four at home, you should be getting the victory there. So it's something that we worked on again this week and it's something that the emphasis been on that is that desperation to want to defend, to want to win these tackles, to get numbers behind the ball. So another tough test in Sydney FC are pretty similar to us, to be honest.
They love to score.
They concede a lot. So you know, if you're not sure about coming to the game or not, and you love seeing goals, I probably recommend coming because I don't think this is going to be a new Neil game. I can't see that coming. And they've got a lot of firepower up front. But you know, obviously Cole's going to go out there, is going to pick the best team possible to you know, to get the win because this is a massive game. We win this, we get six points clear of Sydney and kind of we just get a little bit of that breeding room. There's still only you know, five points to second between us and I think if we win five games, which I know sounds silly because you know, we haven't we haven't won too many one in the last nine, so it doesn't sound like it's possible. But we believe as players, we believe it. So if we win five, which is our aim, I think we get second spot and we get that Champions League spot and you get the first week off. But it starts with this Saturday, and you know, we can't worry about the other four game if we just have to worry about you know, the first one in front of us.
Well, if you want another reason to hit out on Saturday night to watch the reads, is as gets to celebrate his two hundred and fifty games for Adelaide. You not a first A League player in history to represent Adelaide United for that many games, So congratulations is That's a great reason to get out and support on Saturday night. With just a handful of games five to go in this season. However, as the heat goes up in terms of performances and how Adelaide United is going on the field off the field, there's a little bit chat as well around the senior coach in Carl viet We played this on the Sports show A couple of nights ago and Steph and I saw you on ten News do a little bit of a piece to this as well around your coach in Carl and Robbie Thompson on the A League Off Air podcast had some news around his future.
There's plenty of rumblings coming out of Adelaide that Ernest Faber has ruffled a few feathers, that there are changes afoot, and to put it most clearly, we have heard from an exceptionally reliable source that Carl Viet may have five games.
Left in the job at Adelaide and that Ernst.
Faber and the PSV influence could be ramping up as of next season. By understanding of what's happened over the last few weeks is that out of the blue Carlvitt was called in for a meeting with Ernst Faber and was told you may not be here next year.
Carl.
The results are not acceptable and certainly maca we can understand that argument because they missed finals last year and here they are again on the.
Cusp of missing out.
Perhaps it could change in the next few weeks if Adelaide rediscover their touch at the moment, but certainly Ernst Faber is looking to make his influence felt, and Carl Viert it looks like could be on the chopping block.
So Stef and I know you're obviously current player underneath CARLVI it, so it's tough.
For you to speak.
So I want to be respectful around this situation for you, but I do need to ask around what the week has looked like with Carl. Has it been spoken about inside the club? Has this been approach now that it's public?
Yeah, well, I guess firstly, you know, when I rocked up to Channel ten on Monday for my normal segment that I do, and the report or had that news that it was going to get leaked on obviously the off air podcast with Robbie and and Maka, and you know, it was a pretty awkward thing for me to kind of comment on and to kind of get told it did catch me by surprise, obviously, because you just don't expect to hear that, But you know, we kind of as players, obviously everybody talks about it.
You know, that's the problem.
Once he gets out into the media, every single player is going to hear about it. As the leadership group, we obviously did speak to the powers above about it and said, I think this does need to be addressed, and Cole spoke to us as players this morning.
I won't repeat what.
He said, so he didn't say that he's leaving nothing of the sorts, just that he's hit until the end of the season and we've put a job to do. We need to we need to win five games, we need to finish second. That's what we set out to do, you know, quite a few weeks ago, and we want to win a championship. So we all believe in him completely. At the end of the day, as players, we don't make these decisions. You know, we're playing for Cole because you know, he's been a tremendous coach and that's why he's been given this job and that's why you obviously signed the extension a few years ago. So whatever happens, that's that's completely out of our control. But you know, for this season, you know, there's no player that's not believing in Cole.
I don't think that's the case.
And like I said earlier, if that was the case, we wouldn't be losing games five to three and being one nil or two one down and coming back.
We would be losing five nil.
You don't have this fight if there's not belief and if there's not trust obviously with the head coach obviously, and that's something that you know, we stand by. All players believe in that, and I think this is just the nature of sport, you know, the same way there's going to be players at the end of the season that are off contract at the club no longer wants to keep coaches, you know. And Cole's obviously been a player, he's been a coach. He understands it's a ruthless business. And sometimes the people above they have to make the decision they think is best. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they get it wrong, but a decision does need to be made. And obviously for Adelaide United, for all the fans out there, I think, you know, they just want probably the best decision possible for this club, and I think that's up to Ernest and the powers above to make that decision.
This might be a hard one for you to answer, but I want to put it into a way that might help you better answer it is. The partnership with PSV started about a year ago now, and they're obviously from over in Europe. They've come to South Australia, which is a very unique space when it comes to building the culture for the World Game. In this state, we're trying to still build the participation numbers and the support for the team and the sport in this country. And I think for South Australia, carlvit couldn't have been more of a unifying person for not just the team. He's obviously bleeds for the club as he was an initial player as twenty odd years ago when the club started, so he's been there through the whole way and built a culture and knows the culture of the club. Do you think for South Australia and the benefit of the sport and for the benefit of the club and the club's needs and culture, I suppose you know that really well. As a long term Adelaide United player, PSV recognize that and losing car would you be disappointed because it would take a large slice of that culture out.
Of the club. I think that. Yeah.
Obviously the partnership is unbelievable because at the end of the day, you know, we can get these resources, we can get these connections from a club of PSV stature, which is massive.
They play Champions League football.
They're one of the biggest clubs in Holland or if not the biggest, you know, probably rivaling with I X. And you know, the resources are great for the academy, for understanding, for giving networks.
You know.
I think they did an event here a few months back with the local clubs here, so you know, giving back not just to Adelaide, you knowed, but the local clubs in South Australia, I think, which is amazing. But I think the biggest thing is, you know, you need to have a lot of people from South Australia involved with.
The club, and I don't think that's going to change.
Obviously there's a few people that have come in from from Holland and from PSV, but I don't think the change will be dramatically that they're going to a Dutch coach. If they choose to not obviously continue on with COLD I don't think they will be the case. I could be completely wrong, and you know, I'll come on here with my tail between my legs and say I got it wrong.
But I think you know, they understand that.
I think they've seen that and hopefully they will you know, obviously, you know, it's a tough decision because they want to choose the coach they think that can can continue on to give this club success. I think, you know, Cole's obviously shown what he can do. Whether they like that or not, that's obviously up to them. But if it's if it's not, I think they need to stick with someone local. I think they understand the game here in South Australia and we've built so much momentum in that culture that you talk about, and someone that's you know, not from South Australia won't understand that as much. And obviously Cole he understands it because he went through the state system obviously coaching there and now is here, so you've got that connection. And that's where I think it's as a club, we need to stick by our values and obviously that is being local.
You know, it's the people's club.
It's having as many people from South Australia involved as possible is best as long as they're still the best candidates. But it's it's obviously not just the Adelaide United. We saw that Robbie Stanton from New Arsenal Jets getting told he's no longer going to be the coach for next season or he doesn't have a contract and they're not renewing it, which I always find a really difficult thing because you know, when you announce it during the season, what happens now as a coach do you want to stick on? Do you want to stay there? Because you know, I think you say that, and you know, if I'm him, I'm thinking, well what am I sticking around for? Because they can't make funds, they can't really win anything for this season.
If someone else will go.
So the rumor is that Mark Milligan's got the job. I don't know if that's true or not.
Obviously he recently left US and when I joined Pete Klamowsky in Malaysia national team coaching set up there. So it's a pretty quick transition where you know, these opportunities come up, they come up very quickly, and yeah, exactly. And you know he's someone obviously that was in our program for a couple of years and you know, we gave him the opportunity as a club to kind of progress and now he's got this opportunity, probably mainly on the back of an assistant coaching role here with Adelaide. So it's great for him, but you look around the league and at Perth Glory David's lich he's under a lot of pressure.
You know they keep losing games. Brisbane Raw have.
Got Zadkovic who's under pressure. Italiano Chiefy at Wellington is under pressure. The bottom three you'd say, you know those three teams, you know whether they keep the same coach, whether they go with something different. Mark Jackson I think is pretty safe at the Mariners because of the success, but maybe he doesn't want to stay there because he's done so well. Then you've got the Jets, they've lost their coach, MacArthur. Zazowski's resigned. There's a lot of pressure on OFFI tale with Sydney with the squad they've got, obviously us with Adelaide United. I think Alan Stagic at West Sydney only signed the one year deal, so he's under pressure. Dealers at Melwurn Victory took over. He's safe, and you think vidmar Aurelio at Melbourne City and Western United with Alouissi and Coreka are probably safe, even though I think Aloysi is coming off contract and.
Was rumored to be interested in the Matilda's job.
So I think this is the year where there's going to be a lot of coach turnover and it's never really happened before it's and sometimes it's good, but sometimes changing isn't always better. And that's for the people in did the clubs that obviously are behind the scenes.
They need to make the right decisions.
And us as players, we don't get a lot of saying this stuff, and you know, we just kind of sit there and get told what's going on and react off that A.
Double two three double O double off courses the number if you want to get involved.
In the show.
Just before we go to the break, Vinnie from Grange.
Ti, Vinny, did they look You're right that one thing? When the assistant coach left, things went backwards a little bit. And yeah, like I think when him and and Carl were together, they're working as a good little team. But then I look at Adelaide United when they played that first tip. That look great, but then they go slat, they don't attack, they fumble. Sometimes I think what's going on at the beginning to look great? What I think myself the players sometimes I think their heart's not with it. I mean, they they've just got to try a bit more harder, just slack in the back line so it's not the same United when they started. Something's wrong somewhere. I have to put my finger on it.
Killer instinct. Is that what you're trying to say, VINNI, Yeah, that's.
Why the killer instinct a teck a tech when you is that always a tech.
That's why I say, thank you, Vinny, appreciate that. We will give a quick thirty second reply on that. Do you think, yeah, angry enough.
I think I think the hunger is there. I think maybe the I wouldn't say killer instinct. I would say the desperation to want to defend. Maybe the edge of the box blocking shots potentially is not is not.
At the level that it needs to be.
You could say obviously conceiding that many goals there has to be something in that, But I'd say not having the heart in it. And I know not GPS doesn't mean everything. But you know, we look at our stats from when we were winning at the start of the year to now and our numbers are the exact same. It's nothing to do with work ethic, it's nothing to do with that. I think maybe a few players are low on confidence and that you know, we're a bit reactive on the back of that because you are lacking. But I hope you'll see a different, different Adelaide lineup, not lineup, but set up this weekend and that desperation, that killer instinct that you're wanting. So make sure you get along to the game at Cooper Stadium on Saturday night and we'll get you the result.
Well, here's an opportunity for you to get there. Two grand stand tickets to give away right now to our first call of three eight double two to three double O double five, all thanks to City Discount tires Port Adelaide. So call in if you'd like to win those tickets. You'll always get the best advice and price on tires and mechanical at our friends at City Discount tires Port Adelaide. Twenty six after six, we'll take a quick break, come back with more Necks.
The World game with Stefan Mork.
On five Double A.
Cherry. You can pick your own Tigo four Pro from Southern Cherry, Morpha Vale from just twenty three to nine to ninety drive away. We'll speak to Michelle Smith, whos head of Referees are saying in just a moment, but Stephan, let's get into our national Premier League here in Esay we have seen a month's worth of.
Football we haven't and obviously last weekend was the hard Australia Cup, so we kind of had a bit of a break from the NPL fixtures.
But this week going into it.
You've got Metro Stars, Adelaide Comments and our very own Adelaide United youth team top of the table nine points and you know, going down to the bottom.
With Modery Jets.
We're probably the surprise to be bottom of the table on three points. But I was with actually that club the other night doing a presentation with my in a game program and Giorgio Dougherty, who's one of their key players, is the technical director. He said, you know, they've got a few players coming back from injury, so they'll be all right. And they won their Australia Cup game that they were playing into their through.
To the round round five.
I believe it is, so he's assured me they'll be back. They'll be firing. But the big fixtures this weekend, i'd say the biggest one tomorrow night Adelaide United, Metro Stars.
I think they will be spicy.
We've had Danny Greyston on you kind of heard the passion, the excitement that I guess, the level of commitment that he puts into you know, a semi professional league you can call it. But he was excited about this season, about the three competitions they can be in, and then coming up against Adelaide United youth team, who you know it's you know they're not professional, but you know they're close to it. He'll he will definitely want to get one over them, and I'm sure Anton Will will want to get one over Danny as well. And the other one, I guess. You've got Campbelltown City the Adelaide comments. Friday night great, great to get down to some local football. If you're not sure what you're doing. You've got four games on and the rest of them on Saturday, so it's a big weekend of football. And obviously we play Saturday night as well, so if you're not sure what to do this weekend, plenty of.
Games to get to.
And I guess more importantly and something that we all love to speak about, you know, match officials and the poor job they do because everybody's always everybody's always disappointed, aren't they because they're never celebrated. They give them their decision do they you win a penalty, they never say oh so good by the referee. Yep, they never talk about that. But if they get it wrong against your team, you think that was a terrible decision. But at the end of the day, we do need match officials.
We need referees. The game in this.
Country, in this state specifically, is growing and we need to understand that we.
Need match officials.
And after speaking with the team at football Essay this week, it was all about, okay, well, how can we get this message out? So we've decided to get Michelle on the Head of the Referees South Australia to talk about I guess her experiences of being a referee now the head of the referees and I guess why, you know, young people out there or even experienced people that want to be involved in the game, why being a referee has been so special for her?
Hello, Hi Michelle, how are you going good?
Thank you? How are you? Thanks for having me on?
No, very good, very good.
How's how's it going in Obviously after speaking on on Monday, I believe it was what I guess for you, you know, what what have you seen as to why potentially referees the number numbers are dropping or not growing as significantly as you know, players playing the game.
Well, I think overall, like the game is just going ahead in leaps and bounds and we've got exponential growth, and the referee space just isn't keeping up at this stage. So I think getting it out there and letting people know what an amazing option that it is for people, I think that's you know, probably one of the really big things everyone wants to play, but there's also a real path for those who want to take up officiating.
Yeah.
No, and there's obviously been four thousand new players in the past year, which is unbelievable, and we need that to kind of be reflective in the match officials. So I guess you know, when you started involved with football, what was it that kind of attracted you to becoming a referee that maybe someone listening into the call, It could be you know, someone thinking that their son or daughter actually might be interested. What was it that kind of attracted you to get involved with this aspect of the game.
Well, I did actually start as a player, and then I had a period of time where I couldn't play and I was coaching, and you know, I was I played as a keeper, so you know, everyone has a personality type who plays as a keeper. I was rather mouthing as many are, and I actually got called out by a referee one day and he was very very polite to me as I came over and said, you know, you're doing a great job, but you'll do a better job if you learn the laws of the game. And never stepped down from a challenge. So went off and did the laws of the game and then took to the field as a referee with the whistle in my mouth. And I just loved it. I loved it, and some of the things that I really loved about it, and the things that I think is really important for young people is so much personal development. It helps you with your leadership skills, communication skills, decision making, problem solving. You've got your physical and your mental benefits of fitness, mental resilience. There's also the community and social aspect to it. Giving back to the games also fantastic. I think that's a thing that our probably an area that we really love to be able to be promoting is people who may have finished their playing career or their coaching career or not going to make it as a top level coach or top level player, but there's still a career option there for you as a match official.
No, for sure, And I think you've you've summed that up brilliantly. We really appreciate you taking the time to come on here and talk about that. And if you're out there and you want to be involved in the game in a different way, a different capacity, head to footballesay dot com dot I you sign up today and it could be you know a son or a daughter, or a niece or a nephew, or you know someone that you know that you think you know what. They've lost that passion of playing the game, but they want to be involved somehow or physically they can't keep playing the game, which might be the case for a lot of the older people.
But refereeing is still a great way to be a part.
Of it and we do need them, and it's something that maybe in my off season maybe I'm going to have to do because I definitely love love talking.
To the match officials.
Maybe I need to get the whistle around my neck and give it a go and see how well I do. Because it's I'm sure it's not as easy as what it looks on TV, so thanks so much for jumping on and head over to Football Say and sign up because we do need match officials.
Excellent work Michelle Smith joining us there from Footballer is so I thank you so much for the head of referees in South Australia. We have come to the end of the show tonight, but we have course plenty more coming next week and because of gather Around on Thursday night, we're gonna be moving our World Game program to the Wednesday at six o'clock, so make sure you're tuning in then because that's where you will find us, and of course we're on the podcast as well.
