First hit out after World Cup: Belgium 2 - 0 Australia

For most national sides post World Cup friendlies are just occasions to get together, have some fun and reflect on the tournament that was, an "after party" so to speak. Australia though has no time to waste, the Asian Cup is just around the corner and time is precious. It was always going to be tough to play against a side which is going through a golden generation and are on a high after just reaching the quarter finals at Brazil 2014. The Socceroos were outclassed, out-muscled and outplayed but once again we didn't embarrass ourselves and kept the scoreline respectable.

TACTICS FOCUS: The Re-emergence of the 3-5-2 Formation

Formations and tactics in football seem to come in and out of fashion in an almost cyclic manner. It is difficult to pinpoint how long each of these cycles last but there are certain characteristics that trigger a formation to be used again or to stop being used. In the 90s the 4-4-2 came into fashion due to the tendency to play more direct football using strong, tall strikers. It became less prevalent once players were coming through in the mould of Messi, Robben or Hazard, small but technically gifted. The 4-3-3 became the standard in the last ten years as teams were looking to dominate possession and play attractive football at the same time, highlighted by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. In the last few years the 3-5-2 formation has been making a comeback, which hasn't been widely utilised in nearly fifteen years. The 3-5-2 uses three central defenders, five midfielders (two being "wing-backs") and two forwards. We'll take a look at why the formation is becoming popular again, it's strengths and weaknesses and why it probably won't work in the Premier League.

Why FIFA should use a reduced calendar leading up to the World Cup

The Brazil 2014 World Cup was one of the best and most entertaining in recent times. It had close to the highest amount of goals for the tournament, it had great teams that made it a very open competition and it produced matches that will be remembered as classics. However, it didn't have two things that come hand in hand with most World Cups, an outright outstanding player and a completely dominant team. When you think of great World Cup players you think about Rossi in 82', Maradona in 86', Romario in 94' or Ronaldo in 98', all FIFA Golden Ball winners. When you think of dominant team performances you think about Italy 34', Brazil 70', Germany 74', Argentina 78' or Spain 10'. In 2014, it was Germany who won the trophy and Lionel Messi who won the Golden Ball, two facts that the stats and figures don't support. Most fans were satisfied with Brazil 2014 but I think it could have been even better. I believe that player fatigue hampered both team and individual performances at this year's World Cup and that FIFA should consider a change to its calendar for the season before the tournament.

Australia's World Cup Campaign: A look back at Brazil 2014

It has been just over a month since Australia was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and it's time that we look back on a tough but exciting campaign for the Socceroos. Australia went into the World Cup as the lowest ranked footballing nation of the tournament but after some strong performances and exciting individual efforts, the Socceroos left the competition receiving plenty of plaudits. Although Australia weren't able to win any games, they were far from being the worst nation at the World Cup. New coach Ange Postecoglou walked away satisfied and excited by the prospect of what is to come in the next few years, the transition process was well under way. The squad landed in Brazil with a weakened side due to the many injuries that occurred in the months leading up to the start of the tournament but like Australia has done so many times, the team rose up to the occasion and delivered performances that the fans could be proud of.

World Cup 2014 Group H Analysis

Group H at the 2014 World Cup contains Belgium, Russia, Algeria and South Korea. Although it's a group without a traditional super power, this group is extremely interesting. Both Belgium and Russia are going through a golden period with their squads, developing good young players and have established world class teams. Algeria continues to improve while South Korea still plays an exciting and free flowing style of football. However all the talk seems to be about Belgium where some people are even saying that it would not be a surprise if they go all the way and become world champions. In every world cup there is one team that surprises everyone, in Brazil that team looks likely to emerge from this group.

World Cup 2014 Group G Analysis

Another exciting group at World Cup 2014, group G contains Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the USA. A famous World Cup quote about Germany said by Gary Lineker goes, "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.". That quote might have rung true at the 1990 World Cup as Germany lifted the trophy but they will find it a lot tougher in 2014 from the get go. Portugal with an unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo will have self belief that they can snatch top spot in the group. While Ghana and USA continue to grow and improve, they will put up a good fight and could cause an upset.

World Cup 2014 Group F Analysis

In a World Cup having a relatively "easy" group can often help a good team get into their groove and gradually improve until they hit top form in the latter stages of the tournament. On the other hand, it can also have negative effects when a team gets too complacent, is surprised by the quality of the opposition and is eliminated much earlier than expected. Argentina has had the pleasure of experiencing both of these extremes in the past. In 1986 they had a fairly easy group and advanced to the knockout stages, Maradona got stronger and stronger as the tournament went on and they were crowned champions. In 2002 however, going into the tournament as favourites and being drawn in a group they were expected to get through from comfortably, they were eliminated. This time around they once again find themselves in a relatively "easy" group which consists of Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria.

Australia 1 - 1 South Africa

Australia took on South Africa last night at ANZ stadium as more than 50000 people turned up to farewell the Socceroos before they depart for Brazil. Unfortunately a shaky performance and an underwhelming result left more questions than answers by full time. One thing is for sure, there is still a lot of work left to do before our first World Cup group match. Brazil 2014 will undoubtedly be our toughest World Cup tournament to date. Here's my analysis and thoughts after last night's match...