Kick it to me! Kick it to me!

Wow – judging from its behaviour over Mark Viduka’s no show in Caracas, the new Soccer Australian Soccer Association (or whatever it calls itself these days – I may have missed another name change overnight) really has no idea.

For me, threatening a player with suspension for not turning up for a friendly, when that player’s club must get maximum points to avoid relegation (and extinction), is really really really daft (even for Australian Soccer, and that’s saying something).

Surely they must have contemplated that this would result in Viduka retiring from international football (or otherwise making himself unavailable). Surely they must have considered that with World Cup qualifiers coming up in the next 18 months or so it would be best to try and foster some kind of good will with the players. Especially given the history of strained relations between the ‘governing’ body and overseas based players. Hmmm?

I don’t know how the new ‘governing’ (not my choice of word) body thinks it has enough credibility to start up with these shenanigans. No one loves watching the Socceroos lose more than I do (I keep going back for more), and I have had my fair share of sprays against Leeds in the past for its dubious treatment of Australian youngsters, but this is just stupidly undiplomatic. The results speak for themselves.

In 6 or 12 months time when Australia lines up for some hot World Cup qualifying action, no one will remember the result against Venezuela, but everyone will notice if Viduka is not there.

Sheesh!