There's five weeks to go before the Socceroos kick off their 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Qatar in Melbourne on February 6
It's a frantic race against time as most of home grown talent is three games short of the finals. On the other side of the world our elite players are going through the intense work load of the Christmas period like the English Premier League.
If Guus Hiddink had a tough job taking five months to gel a squad good enough to go to the World Cup in 2006 then spare a thought for newly appointed coach Pim Verbeek. He's frantically travelling to as many of the A-League games as possible in order to better understand his home based squad.
But, it's one thing to build a team with the best players and another thing entirely to build the best team.
I'd have to start by understanding the style of football they play. At the moment it tends to be slow in it's buildup ending in the loss of possession often without a strike on goal. Our technique with the ball can always be improved but whether it will be good enough for Pim only time will tell. One thing's for sure, the A-league players are for the most part honest.
If there is out and out speed in this league, it belongs to very few.
Adelaide's Travis Dodd and Newcastle's Joel Griffiths closely followed by Melbourne's Archie Thompson and the Queensland Roar pair of Michael Zullo and Robbie Kruse seem to be the only players with both the inclination and speed to attack defenses at any worth while opportunity.
The aging Tom Pondeljak would keep any team honest breaking from midfield but does he have the engines to get back as well as forward as often as required?
I'm spoilt for choice in the middle of midfield.
A fit Nathan Burns of Adelaide United would be a very good option but hey, his body packed in after the Olympic Games qualifiers. The Simon Colosimo that is playing under David Mitchell at Perth Glory is a certainty if Burns is injured. He's one of the best passers of a ball in the competition and doesn't mind coming off covered in blood either.
Out wide, I'd seriously consider the youthful boys from the Roar, Zullo and Kruse. Sometimes it's that willingness to take a chance in that final third that makes the difference. If they tire I can always throw on Pantelis and Travis Dodd.
The strikers are a tough one too. I'm thinking I'll go with John Aloisi and Joel Griffiths making wonderful runs for midfielders to hit and alternately hold the ball for the midfield to support. Joel can take any free kick outside the area that's for sure. There's no guessing who I'd put my money on to score a penalty as well; yep John (Uruguay) Aloisi.
This team is a 442 Formation. (Alternative in brackets).
Goalkeeper: Michael Theoklitos (Ante Covic)
Defenders: Mark Milligan (Iain Fyfe), Sasha Ognenovski, Craig Moore, John Hutchinson (Jade North)
Midfielders: Robbie Kruse (Lucas Pantellis), Stuart Musialik (Matt McKay), Nathan Burns (Simon Colosimo), Michael Zullo (Travis Dodd)
Strikers: John Aloisi (Alex Brosque), Joel Griffiths (Archie Thompson, Paul Agostino)
If I had a full compliment of players from Europe to choose from (now that won't happen) I'll have a think about it for next week.
Maybe you could put a squad together from this lot by then too.
Brett Holman, Mark Viduka, Jason Culina, Mark Bresciano, Brad Jones, Michael Petkovic, Vincenzo Grella, Michael Beauchamp (Nurnberg, Germany), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Nick Carle (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), David Carney (Sheffield United, England), Scott Chipperfield (Basel, Switzerland), Nathan Coe (Copenhagen, Denmark), Brett Emerton (Blackburn, England), Adam Federici (Reading, England), Josh Kennedy (Nurnberg, Germany), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England), Scott McDonald (Celtic, Scotland), Lucas Neill (West Ham, England), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Mile Sterjovski (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), Michael Thwaite (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Carl Valeri (Grosseto, Italy), James Wesolowski (Leicester City, England), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Netherlands)