Hiddink Gets Down To Business
Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink will ramp up the training for his players, with two sessions a day over the next three days planned, as he fine tunes tactics for the first play-off leg against Uruguay in Montevideo next Saturday.
Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink will ramp up the training for his players, with two sessions a day over the next three days planned, as he fine tunes tactics for the first play-off leg against Uruguay in Montevideo next Saturday.
With some players only arriving in Buenos Aires as late as Monday night, Hiddink plans to get down to serious business from Tuesday, before heading to Montevideo on Friday.
With the players arrivals staggered over three days, Hiddink-s plans have somewhat being disrupted and left him only three days to work with the full squad.
“The first two days are meant to recover from the tough weekend games,” said Hiddink, when ask the players are feeling. “From there on the team will focus on the Saturday game.
“We know the circumstances, we know the quality of the opponent, we know our qualities and in improving in our own game, which we have worked hard on in previous camps.
“It-s necessary (to remind players of this), because we are opposing a very tough opponent, and that-s why we have to work well and be organised.”
The only concerns for Hiddink are injuries to key midfielder Marco Bresciano (ankle) and Archie Thompson (heel) although the Dutchman doesn-t feel they present too much of problem.
“We have a slight problem with Bresciano, who came injured out of the game this weekend. He (Bresciano) got his ankle a little bit twisted.
“Archie Thompson is the other one, who came with a bruise on his heel, but I think in one or two days he should be good. We don-t have big, big problems I think.”
Hiddink remained coy on what role key midfielder Harry Kewell (pictured training in Buenos Aires) will play in the first leg, having only just returned from a serious groin injury in the last month.
“He is here, so he is a chance to play,” Hiddink said in response as to whether Kewell was likely to play.
“From the starting point of view, I don-t know yet, but he is here and bit by bit he is going better. We must not forget he still has not had much game fitness.
“But these are exceptional circumstances and if necessary, if we have to go on or across the limit we will see,” in reference to Kewell playing a major role in the match.
Despite the off-field shanigans from Uruguay over the refereeing appointments, Hiddink has no qualms with the late change of appointed for the Australian leg with three Spanish referees now in control of the game.
Quizzed on how he thought the referees would handle the first leg, Hiddink remarked “as normal.”
“I have been involved in a lot of international games and also in Europe and I think the level of referees has improved a lot.
“I don-t have any inconvenience with any of the referees that have been appointed for these games.
“It will be tough, but played within the spirit, rules of the game.”
The first player to arrive in Buenos Aires was Hyundai A-League and Melbourne Victory star striker Archie Thompson, who has had a chance to soak up some of the footballing culture in Argentina-s capital.
“Excited,” was how Thompson summed up his feelings at being in Buenos Aires. “I am in the heart of football at the moment, in the Boca area and the colour and the kids are playing football, it-s unbelievable.”
Asked if he felt this is the time for the Socceroos to finally make the World Cup, Thompson it was.
“Definitely, the way we have prepared for these games is better than what we did four years ago. I think we have learnt a lot from four years ago, so we are definitely on the right track.”