Go behind the scenes of Australia’s hi-tech preparations for World Cup in Brazil

THE Socceroos are hoping an app that helped players report to medical staff through the season will give them an edge at the World Cup in Brazil.

THE Socceroos “need to be the fittest team” at the World Cup to be able to execute Ange Postecoglou’s high-tempo game plan.

Planning for the team’s pre-tournament camp began in January when 50 or so players identified by Postecoglou started reporting daily to Socceroos medical and coaching staff via a phone app, telling them how they were physically feeling each day.

That information will be “used as a weapon” over the coming weeks according to national team football analyst Peter Cklamovski, who is one of the men responsible for making sure the players are in the best possible shape when facing Chile in Cuiaba on June 14.

National team physiotherapist Les Gelis has also racked up the frequent flyer points, visiting players across the world to address any injury concerns they might have.

“Basically it’s an application on the phone that players wake up and then log in and go through their subjective measures — sleep quality, muscle soreness, fatigue levels — and give a rating,” Cklamovski told the Herald Sun from Socceroos camp in Gosford.

“It also logs in their training time and their RPE, which is how hard they felt the session was that they did that day.

Socceroos physio Les Gelis (L) has a wealth of experience in the role.

“Technology has advanced a long way within the sports science field so therefore we can monitor players thoroughly and that’s what Ange is big on, getting the information and keeping tabs on the players, just knowing how they’re doing when they’re not with us.”

With all that information at their disposal, Cklamovski said the coaching staff had “already got a headstart” on preparations before players started filing in to camp from last Thursday.

Likewise, when the last of the latecomers arrive this week, plans for those players will have already been mapped out based on their previously reported physical condition.

Predictions of pre-season style boot camps are off the mark, with Cklamovski saying “we can’t just flog them” unnecessarily without relating any work back to the way Postecoglou wants the team to play on the pitch in Brazil.

That said, Cklamovski insisted the players would be worked hard in the coming weeks.

“The information that we’ve gathered is so useful, it is a weapon, and it’s then up to us how we use it,” Cklamovski said.

“No doubt about it, Ange wants to train with intensity so the more information we get helps us to get the training content right.

Peter Cklamovski is confident the Socceroos will be fit enough in Brazil. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

“There’ll be an element of physical preparation for the boys, but it’ll all be done in the playing style that we want to put out there.

“We definitely need to be the fittest team in the competition. We’ll be training as hard as we can, with as much intensity as we can, within our playing structure.

“It’s important because Ange is big on that playing style that is a high-tempo game. Everyone needs to know their role out there and be fit enough to execute it for 90 minutes.”

For the players to know their roles inside out will also require an element of “classroom work”.

Postecoglou’s game plan is different to the one implemented by Holger Osieck and then Pim Verbeek before him, but the new coach has only had limited time in camps before the Costa Rica (last November) and Ecuador (March) friendlies to start bedding it down.

Massimo Luongo in action at the Socceroos training camp in Gosford.

In terms of opposition analysis, Cklamovski said “we don’t want to give them information overload”.

“We’re not going to look at Holland until we get past Chile.”

But when it comes to addressing their own style of play, work has definitely begun in earnest.

“Players will be delivered key messages with video analysis. We’ll have team video sessions, group video sessions — be it with defenders on their own, or midfielders, strikers or goalkeepers — and one-on-one video sessions for individual players as well.

“Over the next few weeks before the Chile game there’s a clear plan where we’ll role that out and every player will know Chile thoroughly and then we’ll turn the page to get in to Holland.”

Originally published as Go behind the scenes of Australia’s hi-tech preparations for World Cup in Brazil