Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar to join Fowler at Roar? Elizabeth Downs’ FFA Cup history bid, ex-Red steps up in Danish Cup final
Will Bruce Grobbelaar join fellow Liverpool legend at Brisbane Roar as he hinted in Adelaide? Plus, an amateur club on cusp of FFA Cup SA history, and an ex-Red steps up in Danish Cup final in this week’s 90 Minutes local soccer wrap.
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- Soccer team romps to 21-0 victory
- Minnow eyes FFA Cup victory
- End nigh for legend Fyfe
- Verbeek talks and Adelaide hides
A claim from Bruce Grobbelaar that he would be the goalkeeper coach if fellow Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler got the gig at Brisbane Roar is gaining more traction among world soccer circles.
Grobbelaar, 61, according to sources, told more than a few people the same line at the Arkaba Hotel in January when he was here on a speaking tour for three days in January.
A Roar official said he was unaware of the Liverpool legend being by Fowler’s side at the club next season.
Grobbelaar was brought to Adelaide to speak about his Liverpool tales by Matthew Selby, a member of the Liverpool official fans forum.
Born in Durban, South Africa to ethnic Afrikaner parents, Grobbelaar moved to Zimbabwe as a baby before winning caps for the nation.
He signed for Liverpool in March 1981 and was retained by three of Liverpool's arguably greatest managers — Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish until 1994 making 440 appearances.
WHY IS ALOISI UNLOVED IN OZ?
IT’S a blight on Australian sports stars when critics turn on their own to the point of being vile.
South Australia’s Socceroos legend John Aloisi is a prime example.
The former Adelaide City attacker was the man who propelled the Socceroos to a first FIFA World Cup appearance in 32 years when he scored the winning penalty against Uruguay in 2005.
He was also the first Australian to play in the top flight European leagues in Spain, Italy and England after heading over to Belgium alone in search of a pro soccer dream when he was just 16.
However, for some strange reason he was maligned when he came back to the A-League as a player and then a coach for Melbourne Heart/City and his latest gig Brisbane Roar before stepping down after Christmas.
Not so in Spain where he is adored at both his old clubs Osasuna and Alaves.
Optus Sport have also booked Aloisi for UEFA Champions League expert sideline comments during his sojourn in Spain and England.
Watch the video, above, of Aloisi at his old stamping grounds in Spain.
DOWNS ON CUSP OF FFA CUP HISTORY
ELIZABETH Downs will hope for a happier outcome than its previous visits to the latter stages of state knockout action when it bids to make FFA Cup SA history.
The reigning Sunday Premier champion hoped to become the first amateur side to progress to the last four when it hosted top flight MetroStars in Tuesday’s quarter-final at Argana Park.
Downs life member Mark Swann recalled the club’s 2006 adventure in the competition, then the Federation Cup, when it was forced to forfeit a game.
The northern suburbs outfit dumped out federation side Noarlunga United 5-3, before being drawn to face top-tier Birkalla, known as Adelaide Galaxy, in the round-of-16.
But a clash of league and cup commitments meant Downs top talents such as Tony Reeves, Matt Blackwood, Mark Kelly and current coach Steve Hughes missed out.
“The federation insisted we play the cup game on the Saturday and the amateur league were insisting we play our league game on the Sunday,” said Swann, then club chairman.
“At that stage we were pushing for the league (title) for the first time and we figured we would give that a nudge, rather than the Federation Cup.
“It was disappointing because we actually went out and scouted Galaxy the week before.
“It was a last minute decision (to forfeit) but we just couldn’t fit both games in and ultimately we made the right decision because we won the league.”
Downs advanced deeper in the cup eight years earlier, when it progressed to the final eight.
Guns such as Burt Fuda, Alan Mottram, Richie Howlett and Rob Delfos helped it again knock off Noarlunga (4-3) and Adelaide Hills (2-1).
Co-incidentally, Downs faced Birkalla once more, but fell 2-0 to the seven-time cup-winner.
“Back then probably the federation was considered to be a lot stronger than the amateur league,” said Swann, a back-up goalkeeper during the 1998 cup campaign.
“So it was probably even more of a surprise run than this year.
“The split between the amateur league and the federation kept a lot of the amateur teams out of the cup for quite a few years after that.
“It was a bit of a gripe on the amateur side of things not being able to test themselves at this level.”
Playford Council ensured Downs would retain home ground advantage for the MetroStars meeting by paying for temporary pitch fencing to bring the venue up to competition standards.
Swann said the unfamiliar surrounds and passionate home crowd would provide a tough test for the National Premier Leagues SA giant.
“A lot of the federation teams are used to playing on artificial surfaces now,” said Swann, who began his junior career at Downs in 1972 and still played in and ran its over-35 team.
“So experiencing what’s commonly known as the Downs bounce (on the pitch) might be a bit of a challenge for them.”
“They might be surprised by the pace of the Elizabeth Downs team and by the size of the crowd as well.”
EX-RED STEPS UP IN CUP TRIUMPH
THERE was reason to celebrate for SA Socceroo Awer Mabil on the weekend when he secured his first piece of European silverware.
The former Adelaide United winger played an important role after being introduced as an extra-time substitute in FC Midtjylland’s Danish Cup final triumph over Brondby.
A tense 1-1 draw was decided on penalties, during which Mabil smashed home a crucial spot kick to secure a 4-3 shootout success.
The honour added to the FFA Cup the former refugee won with the Reds in 2014.
Mabil, 23, had scored six goals and grabbed 11 assists in 40 games in all competitions for his club this campaign.
The goal came days after he ended a scoring drought, also by converting a penalty, after which he paid tribute to his sister who died in a tragic accident in Adelaide’s north in January.
PANCHO ALMOST JOINED CITY
ADELAIDE United’s sole Uruguayan recruit Francisco “Pancho” Usucar has revealed NPL club Adelaide City was chasing his signature.
Now 33, the former Adelaide central midfielder who played 29 games from 2011 until 2012 said the timing of City coach Michael Matricciani’s offer wasn’t perfect.
However, he hasn’t written a return to Australia off.
“I was close, very close, Michael Matricciani from Adelaide City he called me and said, ‘I want you at Adelaide City, I know what you’re like as a person he told me in November,’’ Usucar said from Ambato, Ecuador where he is now based.
“I like Australia, it’s a beautiful country to live.
“I told him “if you wait a couple of months, I wanted to stay as a professional player, and I was waiting for a new contract.”
“We spoke two or three times”
Usucar has also had offers to head to Sydney to lead an academy after earning his coaching badges in his native Uruguay.
He is playing in Ecuador’s second division and is coaching under 16 children at Atlético Junior de Ambato after meeting his girlfriend Ana Emilia Gorillo in Ecuador three years ago.
“I’m living with my girlfriend’s grandmother in Ecuador,” he said
“I also work at CEBI an international bilingual school as a soccer coach.”
Usucar also had a different experience playing soccer in Bangladesh — a country he found to be very interesting during his six month contract.
“I closed my eyes and said OK “let’s go,” he said.
“It’s a very poor country, I spent six months there and went back to Uruguay.
“It was a hard place to be but they looked after me.”
BOZZA SPECIAL GUEST OF MAN U TV
SOCCEROOS legend Mark Bosnich played his first game for Manchester United 30 years ago and his last one for the Red Devils in 2001 but they haven’t forgotten about him.
Manchester United will play two games at Perth’s Optus Stadium in July — one against Glory and the other against Leeds United.
“I have been asked to do Man U TV during the tour when they come here this year,’’ Bosnich said.
Bosnich is also sure to ask the Man U hierarchy what it’s like to play in football’s “free world.”
He’s not a fan of the restrictive A-League salary cap which has been in place since the first season in 2005.
“Once the salary cap goes it becomes a proper league in terms of you’ll see it more spread out I think the salary cap, it’s gone way beyond its used by date,’’ Bosnich said.
“It inhibits anyone from wanting to be the best really.
“Eventually I hope it will fade out and transfer fees come in.
“Clubs can start truly developing players, they can sell them and make some money on the back of them which is what happens around the world.
“With our A-League it will also lead to longer term contracts with the players.”
COMETS STAR HOPING TO MEET NEYMAR
ADELAIDE Comets women’s national premier league midfielder Sarah Chappel is confident her street soccer team can again represent Australia at the Neymar JR’s Five 2019 tournament in Sao Paulo.
However, Chappel does have a dilemma — the team need to raise funds to get to the Sydney qualifiers on May 31 where matches will be played within the walls of the Parramatta Gaol.
“Comets are supporting us but we have to find our own way to Sydney, find accommodation and this year there’s no girls only teams, the competition is mixed,’’ Chappel said.
The winning Australian team will get an all-expenses paid trip to Brazil at the Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five World Finals in July which is what Chappel enjoyed last year, spending more than a week in Sao Paulo.
“We got really close to Neymar last year,’’ Chappel said.
“Everyone was crazy over him.”
Chappel coaches the Comets under-9 girls team and is undergoing a business traineeship.
“I have been playing since I was five or six, I’m from the Adelaide Hills and I was playing with boys until I was 17,’’ Chappel said.
“I played at Woodside and then Adelaide Hills Hawks and selected to play for the state team (SA Sports Institute).
“I played for Sturt Marion for a couple of years and in 2015 I moved to Comets and we’re in the WNPL now after working our way up the leagues.”
“In the future I want to start coaching my own academy.”
SA PLAYERS ABROAD
Brandon Borrello — SC Freiburg (Bundesliga): Played 90 minutes with the second team in a 3-1 win over FSV Frankfurt as he continues his return from a cruciate ligament injury.
Alex Chidiac — Atletico Madrid (women’s Spanish Primera Division): End of season.
Ben Garuccio — Hearts (Scottish Premier League): Continued his recovery from an ACL injury.
Meni Haralampopoulos — Acharnaikos (Gamma Ethniki): End of season.
Bradden Inman — Rochdale (League One): Season concluded two weeks ago. He is now a free agent after being released by his club.
Awer Mabil (FC Midtjylland — Danish Super League): Returned to the starting line-up in Midtjylland’s 4-1 away defeat to Bröndby IF, after being a substitute in the weekend’s Danish Cup final victory.
Osama Malik (Al-Batin — Saudi Arabia Professional League): Played 90 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to league champion Al-Nassr.
Andrew Marveggio — Macva Sabac (Serbian Superliga): Was substituted after 75 minutes in a 3-0 defeat to Radnik Surdulica.
Ryan McGowan — Dundee (Scottish Premier League): End of season. McGowan returned to Bradford City, before being released by his parent club.
Dylan McGowan — Vendsyssel FF (Danish Superliga): Off the bench in the 71st minute in a 1-1 away draw to Horsens.
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