The All Whites progress in the World Cup has proven one more talking point. The domestic league is capable of putting 11 men on the field who are ready to compete.
Pim Verbeek’s disregard for the A League as he stocked the Socceroos with overseas talent did not pay off. He has been openly contemptuous of the national league and only two players with substantial A League experience were picked, former Brisbane Roar defender Craig Moore and Gold Coast United skipper Jason Culina.
Verbeek’s overseas criteria could prove detrimental to A League growth as it would be inducement for players to leave for the big European leagues to improves chances for national selection.
This has earned the ire of Shane Smeltz who points to the All Whites success in the World Cup with a team built mostly around the A League.
“You can’t go saying that an A-League peparation isnt good enough for this level because the A-League players in our squad have proved otherwise.”
“You can’t compare the A-League to the world’s best competition’s but we’ve shown it’s decent standard and the A-League boys in our side have proved they can mix it with the best and none of us have any sort of inferiority complex.”

Truth be told, Group D was the Group of Death, and so this was always going to be a tough climb for the Socceroos. That thorough dismantling at the hands of Germany did not show off that overseas contingent in very good light. But the ultra defensive approach of Pim Verbeek did not help either. The debate will be renewed.