Everyone needs playing time to stay sharp, but you don’t risk key people unless you can win, and you certainly don’t do it if you think you can win without them.

I would like to post a comment about why Aus didn’t field Harry Kewell. The problem was his fitness level and in particular his stamina to play a full 90min’s after his injury. It was felt that his fitness wasn’t 100% and not worth the risk of loosing him for the next two games. He will play the next match.

I feel for Pim. He’s really damned whatever he does. *shrug* I thought he answered his naysayers well actually. 🙂

…
“I didn’t take him to have a holiday over here,” Verbeek said.

“He’s fit, he has no problem with his injury — the question is if he can play for 90 minutes and if I’m willing to take a risk with a player.

“Harry is special for us — we know that. I think he’s a great professional football player, but it’s now time to find out if he’s good enough to play in the World Cup.”

Verbeek said it was only natural that Kewell, Bresciano and Kennedy were angered by being overlooked for the match against the Germans.

But even with the aid of hindsight, the Dutchman said he would not have done anything differently, believing that a lack of organisation, not a change of personnel, was the reason for the Socceroos’ capitulation in Durban.

“They (Kewell, Bresciano and Kennedy) are good professionals,” Verbeek said.

“They all know I’m the one who’s making the final decision. They all know they have to show they are better than the players that are on the field, and if they were, they should have played — it’s that simple.

“I explained why they were not playing. Then it’s for them to react and if they show me this week they are better than the players I have in mind, then they are starting. That’s the way it works in football.”

Under fire for his tactics against Germany, Verbeek urged disgruntled Socceroos fans to keep the faith.

“If we didn’t have faith, then I would not be sitting here, I’d be taking an aeroplane to go and see my family,” he said. “You can lose against a team like Germany — you cannot lose 4-0.
…

Pim challenges benched superstar Harry Kewell to perform against Ghana

Reading that article, I can see his strategy. He knew they would lose against Germany, so decided to keep his best players rested for the next two matches. I hope his strategy works. 😉