After a year where some 'experts' were bemoaning a backward step from the Socceroos, it was good to see Australians putting their best foot forward on the big stage over the weekend.
Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka both starred in the English Premier League with Cahill again proving he is one of the most valuable commodities in the English game and Viduka rediscovering his best form. Even for those of us who are far from patriotic, it's hard to suppress that national pride when Super Tim and the V-Bomber ruffle the back of the net against the world's best.
It's certainly a reminder to those who think the Socceroos are on the wane that there is much to look forward to when World Cup qualifying kicks off in 2008. As recently as Sunday, one former Socceroo was describing 2007 as a step backward for the national team. That sort of opinion stems from a deluded sense of where we sit in the world game and what stage of development we are at. Let's not forget that three years ago, Australia had no national league and the Socceroos has not made the World Cup in 30 years.
The will-he, won't-he saga concerning Viduka's future with the national team should be resolved some time soon, but Australians should not be so quick to write off the big man and move on quickly to someone else. The unofficial search for Viduka's replacement has been on in earnest for six months, with all sorts of solutions suggested, including a Uruguayan who was born in Australia and has been scoring goals for fun in the local Apertura. But are we all getting too far ahead of ourselves? Is Viduka still the best man for the job of getting us to South Africa 2010?
Viduka is unfairly maligned because of his goals to games ratio for the Socceroos, and there are plenty who would say he has never brought his best when he puts on the national shirt. Whatever Viduka's future is, he has been a brilliant servant of the national team and has led it to its greatest achievement to date, the second round of the World Cup. The argument that he spends his entire time in green and gold with his back to goal, and with two men on him is valid, and in a purely hold-up role like this, he has been unable to get free and score goals like he did twice for Newcastle on Sunday.
Let's hope Pim Verbeek recognises Viduka still has a lot to offer the Socceroos and convinces the striker that he can be used as an impact player over the next two and a half years. Intelligent use of Viduka's skill and experience could be an excellent weapon for Australia. As Josh Kennedy showed late in the Japan game in Germany, size and strength can prove decisive late in matches against Asian opponents, and with fresh legs, Viduka could do some damage in the key qualifiers.
One man who Verbeek will not have to convince to play-on is Tim Cahill, that supreme competitor who constantly proves his worth against the best clubs in the world for Everton. His most recent effort, a goal at Old Trafford, which is a rare gem for any player, proved how important his jump and strength can be. His ability to get above the best defenders and knock the ball in is so valuable and he has been in awesome form this season, scoring seven goals from 13 matches.
Verbeek's challenge is to work out where the best position to play him is. He is not a playmaker, but is not, despite his ability to net often, a striker. David Moyes plays him just off the front two and surrounded by strong players like Yakubu and Andy Johnson, he is able to find space to get in and about in the box. Australia doesn't tend to play that style and Cahill's goals have come more regularly from the foot than from the head when in a Socceroos top. While Australia has a lot of talented players, Verbeek should give some thought to building an attack around Cahill, making use of his extraordinary talents. Successful international sides have done that in the past, and while the Socceroos don't want to be a one-man band, if it gets results, go for it.
That way Kewell can slot in as playmaker, Josh Kennedy can be the target man and Scott McDonald can poach around the box. Viduka off the bench for 30 minutes could then provide the impact along with perhaps John Aloisi. David Carney can also be very useful box-to-box, while Nick Carle and Brett Holman should not be forgotten.
But over Christmas, Verbeek's mind will be ticking over about the defensive midfield and defence. Does Australia have room for Luke Wilkshire, Brett Emerton, Jason Culina and Vinnie Grella in the same side? All are supremely talented, but do they match up well together. Emerton is a workhorse and should he miss out on the captaincy as expected, can be considered hard done by. His ability at both ends of the park makes him a must. Wilkshire has proven himself flexible and at 26 is one of the future leaders of the side. That leaves Culina and Grella. Culina, once an attacking midfielder, is now more of a defensive option, while Grella is the sort of hard man-marker which Australia needed against the world's best in the World Cup. But he showed in the Asian Cup, both in his on-field and off-field demeanour, that he is not as well suited to Asian football. He gets frustrated, and finds it hard when teams play Australia on the counter-attack. Verbeek's first tough call may be whether Grella is still a first option.
The defence is the other conundrum for Verbeek. Lucas Neill will be the new skipper, but perhaps he is better suited on the outside of a back three rather than in the middle two of a back four. He has not played a lot of club football as purely a centre back and Verbeek would do well to use him in his preferred position.
That, of course, leaves him needing to find at least two other defenders. Michael Beauchamp has probably sealed one place but the other is up for debate. Mark Milligan was good in the Asian Cup, but needs a bit more development plus perhaps time at a European club. Craig Moore and Michael Thwaite have both been mentioned as well. Moore has the runs on the board, but does he have the fire in the belly? While Thwaite has never been given a serious crack. Patrick Kisnorbo may have too many convictions from the Asian Cup, while Adrian Leijer is a serious player but needs first team football at Fulham.
There is also the challenge of bringing on the other talent which will play in next year's Olympics. Troisi, Ward, Burns, Djite, Vukovic and Bridge will all play the Socceroos in coming years but what can they offer the national team in the run into South Africa?
Verbeek certainly is not left wanting for choice and his greatest challenge will be trying to get the most of the talent at his disposal. But the weekend's heroics by Cahill and Viduka serve as a reminder that Australia has the world class players to make the 32 for South Africa and there is much to be positive about for Socceroos fans.