South Korea 4 - Australia 2

I was encouraged to see that the Socceroos showed that they had learned quickly from their mistake of the previous game at the tournament in Dubai - at least as to their response to the rather novel rendition of our national anthem apparently played by this year's intake of cadets at the Royal Dubai Army Band School. Our lads were fooled by the surprise second verse before the Kuwait game, but held their line like an Arsenal back four today, until the last notes of the truncated last line - (Advance Oz fair?) had drifted away on the "soaring" heat, as Good Ball Williams described it, of the desert air.

I wish they could learn just as quickly that, at international level at least, serious defensive gaffes often result in a sturdier goals against column.

Football is a funny old game. When we scored the second lovely goal I was thinking "Ah, Frankie has finally put his stamp on this Australian team". At the end I was worrying "Oh, Frankie may have put his stamp on this Austalian team". I agree that we need something in Caledonia or my Korean lessons will almost certainly be put on hold. BTW, some of you have given Scott Chipperfield some big wraps over the years. I know he has only had a few fleeting moments on the park, but I though he looked to be cought in a rip both times.

BTWA, is it a yellow card offence to be substituted in the LA Cup?


written by David Marshall