The World Game with Stefan MaukThe World Game with Stefan Mauk - 21 November 2024
From 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 Australian communities together.
Great to have you tonight.
It is all thanks to Football Essay and the all new Cherry to Go four Pro. It's landed at Southern Cherry just in time for kickoff twenty three nine ninety drive away. Great deal there, Sam Tugwell with Stephan Mork who joins us every Thursday night on five to play Gay to you.
Steph, how goes?
How are you? Wow?
Big week Ahead? It's your night round. We'll get into all that very shortly.
So you fly out tomorrow with the reads we do.
Yeah, tomorrow. I think it's a two o'clock flight. So we were in Sydney a couple of weeks back on Western Sydney Wanderers, so I don't mind. It's a short trip. Obviously. It's great to get all the teams there, the men's and the women's so it's exciting. It's exciting to go there. Last year they had it, it was the first time I wasn't here Adelaide United then, so I'm excited to see what it's all about.
Yeah, I'm excited to sort of get your take on it once you come back, because it's a bit like the Actually you've been here for AFL gather Around, so you've seen what the festival atmosphere is like.
For that, we actually had a way. I was signed here when there was the gather round on, so I actually missed it because we weren't even here. I think we left. I think we left Saturday morning, so I didn't even really see it. I didn't get the buzz, so I was disappointed. I couldn't couldn't watch any of the games. But I think to be honest, I think they did a three year agreement with the new South Wales government. The first year was the Grand Final, which they made a bad decision on definitely we won't going through that. Then they've changed it to the Unit Round, which is I think is a great concept similar to the gather round. Next year, I think the Essa government should put their hands up. I think adelaide for the gather round because there's such a small city here, you can really I just get the vibe about the whole city because whether you're down at the beach, you're in the city, you're in the hills McClaren Vale, you still kind of can get around very easily. I would love if. I don't know if they're going to look to do it again, but if they do put the tenders out, I hope the the SA government, Peter Malanascus puts his hand up to get another event here.
I like the thought of that.
All right, we could workshop that the over the summer'll get in some sort of proposal to CNBA League.
Hey, lots to get through Tonight.
We have a couple of grandstand tickets to give away, a couple of double passes to the next Adelaide United home game, which we're excited to give away all thanks to City Discount Tigres Port Adelaide. We've got a sixty dollars Goods Money Gomez voucher as well. So Coolly eight double two to three double O double O lines are open un till seven o'clock. You can win a couple of prizes for just contributing and having a chat with Stefan. So let's go through the week in the World Game. And first we'll start with the Soccer US our Asian qualifier which was for the World Cup.
And again it just.
I don't know about you, but it just felt like one of those results where it could have ended in a total disaster. Australia a tool draw against Bahrain.
Yeah, well, I guess going back to last Thursday, we were just announcing the lineups. We're excited for this saturdier Aba game. At zero zero in that game was probably I wouldn't say it's a great result at home, but you know what, it's a pass mark we didn't conceive. We probably had the better chances, no worries, but then going away to Bahrain, especially scoring in the first minute, you're going one nil up in that first half, we had chances to kill the game off and I don't like, I don't I'm not blaming the players at all. I think it's one of those games where you know, you get one nill, it's a tough place to go. You kind of think we're happy with one nil. We can win one nil, we get the three points, that's all that matters. And and maybe there was that little bit of complacency thinking we will just take one because bah Rain in the first half didn't really offer much. And that's where I think if they had their time again, the players, they probably would have thought, you know what, let's go for the kill here, let's get the second and the third and you completely do kill that match off. Then they get a freakish first goal, which ridiculous. Oh of course, yes, it's a poor touch from Camburgess, but you know, you take a poor touch near the halfway line, you don't expect the guy to shoot first time. And love Matt Ryan.
I was.
I was half asleep still watching this whole game, and then when that happened, I was like, what is going on here? And then to concede the second straight afterwards from across from the left hand side, takes a deflection, loops over, Matt Ryan, hits the post and they get another tap in and you're just kind of thinking to yourself. I literally was on my phone just before that looking at the table, thinking, wow, we're gone and the nine points here. Yeah, we're in a great, great position from the rest of the group. And then all of a sudden you're looking at it and you're like, we're back on six points and everyone's pretty much on six or five points in that group. And I think we showed good character to actually draw that game after after conceding two goals in two or three minutes. Doesn't matter the opposition you're play against, because Bahrain aren't easy, especially away from home, to come back to score in the you know, the ninety six minute Yange showed I guess he showed why he should be the starting number nine. There was a lot of hate towards Mitch Duke, which I think is very ill informed. And yes, you know you want you want to win games, but you can't just blame one player. And yes, your striker scores goals, but he's not the only one that's that's obviously doing it. He doesn't really ever put a foot wrong, I think, and people love to have but I'm really glad on the other side of a casino Yankee, an Adelaide boy had his chance. He played i think the last game against Bahrain and got sent off with the red card, so he's kind of redeemed himself here. Scored two goals and we're still in a really good position on the table. If you look at it.
We could be in a much better position, though, Is that Is that a fair take?
Like?
We yeah, as a nation who prides themselves on being a better football nation, we were maybe a decade ago. We feel like we're slowly progressing and getting better. There's a better population rate, ratio of players participations.
We look for. So it's it feels like we shouldn't be.
Going backwards, yeah, and I feel like we are. Do you feel that Yeah?
I think there's it's probably something that's been going on now for probably since two thousand and six, that Golden generation when we did And it's funny because that was the first World Cup we qualified for, Yet everybody refers to that as our golden generation, how good they were. It wasn't about you know, the World Cup's previous to that when we never made it. Now we've made it every single time and we're not as good. So I think there's the expectation of, yes, we did really well, then we got out of the group and that's the standards. Now we should keep improving as as you should as a nation. I think what we're really forgetting about here is though the amount of money that these other countries are spending, and we still need to get better football Australia. You know, it's their job to create the best possible pathways and curriculum for you know, these state federation and for junior clubs. So we do have players because as much as we're making excuses. Now, you look at Japan, they're on sixteen points. They've got twenty two goals scored and two goals against. That's the benchmark. We were on par with them, if not better, at the two thousand and six World Cup. Yes, their population is bigger, but I think they've just probably got a better process in place because you look at the amount of players that are playing in Europe, even the ones that don't get selected in the national team could easily, I think, walk into our team, So it shows the depth of the created. There's sixteen points, Like I said, twenty two goals, we've scored six goals five against them more on seven points. So if we beat Bahrain, which we should be beating bah Rain, we're on twelve points. We're in a great position having played really well. Probably not, but it's just about winning. You look at Japan, they've played extremely well, They've scored a lot of goals and they've got the results. So as much as you do want to make excuses, there's still a lot of room for improvement.
We've drawn our last three games, so it's definitely a situation. With tiny Popovich now at the Helm he's going to have to really pull some strings. In March next year, when we resume our campaign with qualifiers, we will have a few months off from seeing any of our soccer rules in action. Just before we get to your calls and your texts, because there's a few coming in. Andy Harper from Channel ten, I'd love your response to this. This is how we assist the game on Wednesday morning.
It was bad. Pencils were sharpened, obituaries were being prepared. So this quite disastrous performance was like blood drains are out of your cheeks. Band it was like the whites of your eyes just go. It's a cringing yellow color. Watching beetlejuice on steroids.
You know what the hell is going on here. It's too cautious, cautious for me, and you get yourself into this position where in football and like no other sport, the game can turn from nothing and you're on the customers losing the unlosable.
Pencils sharpened, obituary is being prepared.
Yes, that's dark stuff. He does like to go on tangents sometimes even during the matches when he's commentating. I'm live, but I guess can you really argue against him? With that like it's it's and that's I think the ange pasta conglu eraror was probably the only time when we he didn't care who we had as players, and that was his style of plays. He's been like that his whole sole journey as a coach, where he thinks, I don't care if it's the ninety fifth minute, if we're one mill up, we go to score the second. We don't defend, we don't play safe. I'm not saying Tony Popovitch did at all. I guess it maybe came across like that potentially, and obviously Andy Harper thought so. But I think we've we've still got, you know, a good amount of games to get automatic qualification, which we haven't been able to do in the last couple of World Cup cycles. If we do qualify, Tony Popovic has got a long time to actually prepare the players, and then I think you'll see a much better, much better I guess organization are much better, cohesion between the players, because it's not easy when you're traveling from Europe to Australia the time zones. You then travel to Bahrain. A lot of the you know, the players from Bahrain are playing in there, so it's not excuses, but you know there's a lot of travel time zones. It's not easy, but we do need to be better.
Absolutely right, great assessment. Let's get your thoughts out there. Eight double two three double O double O from Andrew's farm.
Get a nick.
Hey, go on, guys, we're good.
My opinion is I think a lot of these A League players are looking at big clubs that are offering in contracts like Bayer Munich, Jo Gauci, Aston Villa and ground Qual is a great example where there looking at these big clubs thinking you know what, I'm going to play for the biggest club in the world. I'm going to play games. Ever not getting enough game time, which is hurting their success. Like irun Quole, he's gone to a bit who was meant to be the latest sensation and he's not even getting a soccer's onm worried. Irik Kunda is going to go the same way he's not. He's playing in the Division four Bundesliga. He's not getting game time. Joe is I think an outstanding goalkeeper. I absolutely love him, but he's not getting game time now because aston Villa are not playing Cup games, and I feel a lot of our kids a league keeps are going too early to over to Europe. And I know you, I think, Am I right, Stephan? You went to the Netherlands and c early. Yes, sorry, but then he came back to the Alan Did you think well, in your personal opinion, you went to early and that's why he came back to the England then found that you got the form and you've got confidence and then went to Asia.
Yeah, it's it's a really great one. I think. To be honest, I guess to get a bit of kind of player's opinion on this and not saying there's one right or one wrong way to do it. I think each individual case is different. But I remember when we were presented. I think it was Paul Reed and ex a United player. Actually he was at the Australian Institute of Sports speaking to us we were the scholarship holders there at the time, and he said, the statistics show the first club that you go to when you leave Australia is normally the biggest club and you only go down after that. So I think from that the advice was almost if you can go to the biggest club, you can always go down where if you go to a smaller club and struggle over there, it's very hard. As an Aussie, you go over there and straight away you put at the bottom because Australians, you know where the laughing stock over there? Do you even play football? You know what's the standard like all of that sort of stuff. So you've got to prove yourself again where if you're coming from Denmark or Sweden or you know, a country that's probably similar level to us and the league is, they don't have those same court sort of questions at them. So I think going to a big club, someone like a Nessa, and I think they had a really big plan for him, And I think we have to remember the kid is eighteen years old. For him, yes, it would be great if he's playing for the Soccer US right now and scoring goals, but you know, he's got a ten to fifteen year career ahead of him. And I think going to buy in Munich the plan they have in place for him playing in the second second team, which is in the fourth division, training with the first team, understanding what it's like in Europe, and then they'll probably loan him out, you know, maybe in January or next year they'll loan him out. I think that's the right move. The garran Quoh one, Yes, you look at it now and you think it's the wrong move because he's gone to Newcastle, he's had two or three loan moves that haven't worked out. I think you also have to put it on the player. They've had the chances to go somewhere and play. And this is probably what comes back to your point of me leaving and other players I think mentally where we're not resilient enough here and that's just coming down to the fact that you know, when you're a good young player in Australia, you don't have a lot of competition where you know there's you know, another ten to fifteen players let's say my age in Australia that you know, get a professional contract. In Europe there's thousands.
You know.
Each year they're competing against players that are just as good as them. So they're scrapping, they're fighting. I spoke to Bruno fauna Oly about what it's like in Uruguay about this. You know, every year, every every player in Uruguay wanted to come to the team that he was at. So he's fighting, he's understanding what it's like to make it to have this resilience where us in Australia I don't feel as if we have that. How you build on that is very difficult one thing for me. And again you can't just click your fingers and it changes. But promotion and relegation that changes it because if you're losing, you know, you can't just say, oh, well next year, next year. If you're a young player, you have to understand what it's like. Your livelihood gets turned upside down. You lose money, players maybe you know, lose lose their house. They can't put food on the table, so in training the intensity is different. That's what I noticed in Europe and the reason why I came back from Europe is because we did get relegated. I didn't want to stay in the second division, but every player there, like we had the change rooms barricaded in before the last game because if we lost that we were relegated. They knew that they were going to smash the windows in so we were stuck there for two hours. I'm not saying it's ever going to be like that here, but that's the level of scrutiny they're under over there. As players. South America is even worse. So how do we teach that to these young kids when we you know, it's a beautiful day today, the kids are down at the beach, they can go to the park. Everything's easy here in comparison to that, that's where I think we struggle with that mentality and probably maybe the you know, the last generations of the two and six points they were different because they went over to Europe. They didn't have the A League to fall back on. It was the NFL, which wasn't full time. Then that obviously failed. So I don't know's there's a lot to unpack there. They're a great, great question. I think, Yeah, the young players need to make the decision they think it's best and hopefully they've got good advisors, yeah, telling them what to do.
Nick, we're going to give you the sixty dollars.
Guzmani Gomes about your outstanding question and Steff an outstanding answer with some great insights there eight double two to three, double O, double O. Keep your calls coming in and you can get out to Guzmani Gomes. They've got the Cali burrito and Nacho fryes going at the moment, Pot lay season fries with sour cream, jack cheese, fresh pico de gallo and guacamal.
Outstanding stuff. It's quarter to seven.
Very shortly we're going to speak Adelaide United they head a unite round this weekend and chat to Ben Wallen the World game with Stephan Mark on five double A and all thanks to Football Essay and the all new Ry Cherry to Go four Pro which is landed at Southern Cherry in time for kickoff from twenty three to nine ninety drive away. Of course Stephan Mark is here taking your calls eight double two to three double o double. Oh. Let's talk about this weekend, so unite round, you head the Sydney All the clubs in the A League get involved and it's a very very exciting weekend. And for your mob, Adelaide United we take on the Brisbane Row on Saturday afternoon.
How are you looking forward to this?
Yeah, I'm very very excited to think the whole concept is great. Obviously when you straight away you look at the fixtures, if you're a fan, they're looking all right, Brisbane and Raw of the Adelaide United in Sydney. What do you mean? This seems so many times this week? Why are you playing in Sydney. So maybe they need to advertise the unite around a little bit better. But I'm excited. Like like I said, every single team's there. We're kind of going to be in the hotel with different teams, not with the Brisbane or all players. Luckily, I think we were going to be, and then we said this isn't this isn't right because you actually saw the Sydney and West Sydney players this week. We're playing golf with each other and that's blown up because they're playing each other this week and I don't know about that one. Very strange, but we didn't want to be in the same hotel as him because especially you know a couple of the players, and we'll get to a guest later who we definitely know. You don't want to be mingling with him. It's before the game. You want to be focused. It's just strange. So we've changed hotels. I think a few weeks ago they said, listen, put us in a different one. I'm excited though. There's the girls that are playing Tomorrow night for us at five o'clock and then we play Saturday at four point thirty, which will be a really good game against Brisbane rong.
All right, well let's get to your special guests and let's go through the games ahead.
Yeah, we do have Ben walland the x Adelaide United player. He's a bit of a trader after going to Brisbane or all, but he's still welcome back here at any time.
Hey guys, Hey you going? Thanks having me?
No, really good Benny? How are you going? How you enjoying the sun up in Brisbane?
Oh, last few days haven't been too sunny, been rain and rain, So it's been a welcome, welcome weather change for me because the humidity he is killing me.
It's tough, isn't it. I think that's one thing that you you don't realize obviously when I was there as well. The humidity. It's just you having six hours a day every time you leave your house. Even when you're in your house you're sweating somehow.
So yeah not all the time?
Yeah, not not great, is it? But how have you found the transition? Obviously? You know, in my eyes it was disappointing that you you left Adelaide United, but you've got to do what was best for you going up to Brisbane. Or how's the adjustment been obviously moving the family up there as well, obviously on the field, off the field, what's it been like these first few months.
Yeah, it's been really good, so doing very well. As you probably know, there's few familiar places from your time Brisbane that are still here kicking around, jacking it and all that sort of stuff. So it's good. Good group of boys have made me feel very welcome, and obviously you gave me a recommendation of like the Blimbia Blimba area to go and live, so I'm enjoying that at the moment. So it's some sort of laugh. It's really good. Wife and kids are really loving it.
Great place, great place, and I think, like you said, a few a few old faces that I know from up there. It's a really good club to be honest. Obviously the group of boys, they've had a few issues with different things in the past, but I think the players that have always been there have been really good. Similar to Adelaide United. But getting onto the game, which is the most important thing. It's normally like this, isn't that when you play against your old team you have a point to prove. Obviously I don't want you to play too well, but you can, you can have a decent game. You guys haven't won yet this year this season. Sorry, so I'm sure you guys are really excited for it, but you personally was it one that you looked that straight away and thought, you know what, I can't wait to play against these guys and to show them how good I am.
Yeah, well, exactly, hopefully hopefully good points to prove on the weekend. You know, we're obviously looking to pick up our first win of the season and first points for the season. Yeah, sort of been a bit of a difficult start for us, sort of stop start. We had a couple of weekends off and obviously just international break go on. So so it's it would be good to just get get into a good run of games and get that consistency going, which is what this squad really needs, I think.
Yeah, and what yeah, sorry about that guy. I was just going to say, what's what's Reuben been like? Obviously, three losses to start the season is a horrible way to start the season. Is he still trying to be really positive and upbeat, especially with you know, everyone's got a young squad now, But is that something that he's really been focusing on.
Yeah, obviously is just keeping the belief. He's had a big beliefs whole coaching staff since since day won the pre season, and it hasn't waived even since our poor starts of the season. But yeah, the whole whole squad has that really big belief. You know. I think we're making steps every week, and I think our performances have improved game by game, but yet we still haven't got the points and we haven't put a full game together. So hopefully we can do it this weekend against you.
Well hopefully not for us, but you play I'm looking at you play MacArthur the following week, so you can have a very good performance against us. You can lose, but then you can smash the bulls the following week. So thanks for jumping on, Benny, appreciate it, and I'll see you on Saturday.
I'll go for a round of golf.
Ben Wall, and they're joining us.
Of course, former read it's a shame to see players like him go, but it's of of course for their progression. So looking at the table, fifth place Reads against the Brisbane rock bottom, as you said just before, haven't won a game, which is tough for them, but they are of course going to bring them a great challenge. Any other games this weekend that you're liking the look of as a part of this unit round.
Well, I think the biggest one is the derby after US. I really wanted to try and stay and watch that. I thought that'd sort of out of corporate box for US, but hasn't been the case. They said, you've got to go back to the hotel, you've got to have your post match meal, which I thought, you know, they can get me some chips and chicken nuggets or something like that in the corporate but you know, like an event like that, it's massive. When am I going to really see that live? So unfortunately they've said no, but we'll see maybe maybe next next year. Professional. I agree, it's a professessional. I'll have a ward. I won't have any beers or anything like that, but they're probably more worried about what would happen with a lot of the other young boys. But anyway, that's that's the other one. Sydney f C Western Sydney. That's the game on Channel ten straight after US, and then probably Wellington Phoenix against Melbourne victory. I think I'm I'm excited to see this the tactical battle of chief Italiano the coach there of Wellington. He's someone that's been, you know, from last year, really really good. They've started this season well and Melbourne victory with Patrick is Norbo coming in another club that started the season well got some good players, a lot of players in form. So that's the Sunday game. It's going to be interesting to see how that goes. And then our girls, like I said, they play on Friday, Tomorrow night, five pm against Wellington, so that should be a really good game for them. They've had a positive start to the season last season, they really struggled this year where two wins and only one loss after the three games, so already, I know it sounds a little bit funny, but three games into the season compared to what it was like last year. The last game of the season, I was watching because it was before us and I think they lost might have been six or seven nil against someone, and you could just tell how deflated the girls were and even the coaching staff. And it was a long season, a lot of injuries, a lot of young players. But this year they've recruited well, even with a couple of injuries, you know, they've had players that step up and Fiona Awart's coming back. It started the season on fire, scoring goals similar to what she did before she left to go to Sydney. So fingers cross she can keep that form up and Chelsea Dublin are coming back in will be really big for them. So if they can create that striking partnership up top, I'd be surprised if they don't make finals.
All right, well that's a big call. I like it. Let's hope they can make it.
If you'd like to head along to see the Reds next home game, which is the following so next Friday, which we're looking forward to against Perth Glory, we'd love you to call in right now because we've got a couple of double passes to give away. All thanks to City Discount Tires eight double two to three double oh double five. First call us through, you can have a grandstand double pass which is going to be a great night. Of course, Friday night at Cooper Stadium. You don't really get much better. So all thanks to City Discount Tires put Adelaide where you get the best advice and price on tires and Mechanical City Discount tis Port Adelaide eight double two to three double oh double five the number we are at a time though tonight Stefan World done once again.
Good luck with your games.
Will your game on Saturday and enjoy the weekend as best you can, albeit not in a corporate box. But I hopefully have a fantastic time in sitting in and taking everything that unite round brings.
No worries, I will, and hopefully we're coming back here with the three points.
Let's hope so as well.
It's three to seven Leith foris coming up next. We're back next Thursday night.
Have a great one.
