World Cup qual - Viduka Australia future in balance

Eurosport - Wed, 27 May 10:43:00 2009

Australia coach Pim Verbeek has given former captain Mark Viduka a week to decide whether he wants to continue playing internationally.

FOOTBALL Australian striker Mark Viduka, seen here playing in the 2006 World Cup. Viduka, 33, was left out of the Australia squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, signalling the possible end of his international career. - 0

Verbeek named an expanded 30-man squad for the Socceroos' remaining three World Cup qualifiers against Qatar (June 6), Bahrain (June 10) and Japan (June 17) but Viduka's name was missing.

Verbeek said he had decided to give the striker an extra week to make up his mind whether he wanted to make a full commitment to the Australia side.

"I still have one spot open and that's a spot for him, so it's up to him," Verbeek said.

"He is not on the list because I had a deal with him that he has this week to make up his mind and to decide if he will be part of the Socceroos for the upcoming games.

"For us, he is more than welcome, and if he makes the decision not to play any more then we have to respect his decision."

Australia need just a single point from their remaining matches to ensure their place at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa and will have all their European and English-based players available.

Viduka, who captained Australia at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but has not played in any of the qualifiers this campaign because of injury, was expected to return to the side after his English club Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League.

Australia squad - Mark Bresciano, Jacob Burns, Tim Cahill, Nick Carle, David Carney, Scott Chipperfield, Chris Coyne, Jason Culina, Bruce Djite, Richard Garcia, Vince Grella, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Brad Jones, Josh Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Adrian Madaschi, Scott McDonald, Mark Milligan, Lucas Neill, Jade North, Michael Petkovic, Mark Schwarzer, Matthew Spiranovic, Shane Stefanutto, Mile Sterjovski, Carl Valeri, Dario Vidosic, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams.

Reuters

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  1. p.s I recognise that picture of Viduka,wasn't it­ taken just after that nasty incident when he ate one of­ the linesmen?

    From jack torrance, on Fri 29 May 12:37PM
  2. yeah I had a look when I got back but decided to wait­ until the dust settled a bit,some of the vitriol a­ little bit heavy for my liking.Taking the p1ss is one­ thing,but the ammount of hatred in some people­ transends partisanship and enters a whole­ different,very irrational place,a lot of insecurities ­ and frustrated lives become apparent on these­ pages.Sirstevejones "keep Britain white" what­ a complete head the ball.

    From jack torrance, on Fri 29 May 12:24PM
  3. I know jack, i even gave you the thumbs up mate; what a­ nutter, and as for that sirstevejones one, i've­ seen his comments around the doors - another prize­ cuckoo.
    Hey jack, did you see the stuff immediately­ posted following our relegation?
    Some of the threads­ had over a thousand comments, some real, real nasty­ stuff - puts the stuff our little bantering team gets­ up to, right in the shade!

    From cameron w, on Fri 29 May 9:58AM
  4. Cameron you should check out the 'taylor slams­ stars' 'thread,checkerboard starting to lose­ containment and on our Dwight Yorke thread we've­ got sirstevejones our very own white supremisist,you­ couldn't make it up the misfits that these sites­ attract,it just scares me that they live freely to walk­ ammong the same people that my kids do.Then there's­ the muppet on the boxing site who thinks it's no­ big deal that tyson's daughter died,scarey days my­ friend.

    From jack torrance, on Fri 29 May 8:14AM
  5. Anyone have a brain in the North East, god this forum­ is full of comments from idiots or people booking­ places for the summer at Rampton Lunatic­ Hospital.
    There again living in the North East would­ ensure any sane of person would be driven to insanity.

    From , on Fri 29 May 7:46AM
  6. I admire your interpretation of my IDentity JojO..­ However, I don't think 'Pacoderm Rock' ­ would of been as successful for The Stone Roses 20yrs­ ago!
    You seem to be missing the point my­ far-from-friend, It is: 'Bell-End' ..­ Singular, Non-Plural.. YOU!
    Now, listen-in and learn..­ In the late 19th Century, there were actually TWO­ football teams in the City of Newcastle (We have a­ Cathedral too..!).. namely 'East End' and­ 'West End' - who amalgamated in 1892..­ Credit-Crunch then too! Newcastle United wore Red­ Shirts and White Shorts until the more recognised Black­ and White strip was chosen in 1894.. Which, opens a­ whole host of discussions/arguments/probabilities...­ However, this is apparently a 'Football­ Forum'... So, let us remain loosely in it!­
    Reverting to 'dragging' incorrect slander from­ Two Centuries footballing history is quite pathetic..­ especially regarding cotton material... Why not­ 'rub our faces in it' about the 9 - 1 SAFC­ victory in 1908 ..?
    I'm bored of you, and my­ finger-tips seem to be bleeding from all this­ extra-informative typing.. I hope we (NUFC) welcome­ you back to Tyne - Wear derby's .. In the­ Championship... Hopefully that might mute you!

    From Mark, on Fri 29 May 12:47AM
  7. Jo the not funny Joke:
    Blaydon in Durham, please­ behave?
    Your argument comes apart at the seams, just­ like your defence, when you state, and i quote:-
    '­ Blaydon is in what was Durham­ '
    You see JokeJo, It­ is the word . . . 'W A S' . . . . that kinda­ does for you!
    WAS, meaning as past tense, not now, used­ to be, no longer.
    Like us at NUFC; we used to be a­ Premier League side but now we are not.
    Starting to get­ the picture?
    Oh and yes, do you think we are all­ amnesiacs here or something?
    WE KNOW we are a­ Championship side Jokejo, we aren't ashamed of it -­ in fact, many of us are looking forward to the­ challenge. Just be happy that you got a rich­ benefactor; what's the matter, are you more­ interested in the goings on of our small little club­ than those of your own. Get back to the safc pages,­ they really do need the input; nobody's taking much­ notice of ellis short-sightedness' takeover i see.­ Small club equals zip interst huh? The decent folks of­ safc like jack, patrick, heslop et al came along, gave­ their obligatory digs and left it that - they­ aren't boring us to death with the same old, same­ old. Either think of something original, or just jog­ along ok . . JokeJO?

    From cameron w, on Thu 28 May 10:52PM
  8. Personally JokeJo Im a Toon fan but like 2 see all the­ North East teams do well but your just a tipical mackem­ scumbag. do us all a favour and post some articles­ elsewhere!!! Geordie for life and no league or­ criticizem will change that!!! so @$%# off!!!

    From handoviron, on Thu 28 May 10:51PM
  9. Pacodermic Rock ...Nothing wrong with MY geography oh­ high and mighty one. Blaydon is in what was Durham­ (Gateshead too) and Tyne and Wear no longer exists,­ except as a postal address, so Gateshead, was, is, in­ Durham. The song is Blaydon Races, not Balmbara's­ races or Scotswood Road races, so point is mine,­ methinks. As for bell-end, well, YOU lot are CCC we­ are not, you play (define play) against Peterborough et­ al, end of story. Enjoy the journey, may it end in­ Elland Road. By the way, YOUR team started in red and­ white stripes...fancy a change?

    From JojO, on Thu 28 May 10:20PM
  10. FAT VULTURE SHEPHERD IS HOVERING AROUND EYEING UP THE­ CARCASS OF ASHLEY'S NUFC. I'M NOT SAYING THAT­ SHEPHERD COULDN'T DO A BETTER JOB THAN ASHLEY, BUT­ DO WE REALLY WANT THIS DISCREDITED MAN BACK AT THE HELM­ OF OUR CLUB?

    LET NOBODY FORGET THIS.. News of the­ World Exposé

    In March 1998, Shepherd and Douglas Hall­ were the target of a News of the World exposé, led by­ the “Fake Sheikh” Mazher Mahmood. The pair, believing­ Mahmood to be a wealthy Arab prince trying to set up a­ business deal, were caught mocking the club's own­ supporters for spending extortionate amounts of money­ on merchandise, calling female supporters “dogs”, and­ mocking star striker Alan Shearer by calling him the­ "Mary Poppins of football", all while­ frequenting a brothel.

    From SHAUN, on Thu 28 May 6:35PM
  11. elephantstone
    me too pal!

    From cameron w, on Thu 28 May 5:01PM
  12. elephantstone may i say ta very much - that one had me­ in stitches - & cameron jokejo does not merit a­ reply worthy of your wit & banter

    From CARL, on Thu 28 May 4:40PM
  13. JojO.. Your Geographical Sense is as poor as your­ Common Sense... Blaydon-on-the-Tyne is in Gateshead.­ The song, versed by George 'Geordie' Ridley is­ about the events that occurred on that day from­ Newcastle, (actually, from a pub still in the Bigg­ Market today) to the Race Course in Blaydon via­ Scotswood Road. The reason NUFC is still 'being­ flagged' on this site is, that it cannot be updated­ until all the fixtures have been published for the­ coming season - whether it be Premiership or­ Championship - But still, JojO look on the bright side,­ at least SAFC still have the honour of breaking the­ Premiership Leagues worst Points Tally ever recorded, a­ title held previously by SAFC.. Now jog-on, and close­ the door after you. Bell-End.

    From Mark, on Thu 28 May 4:18PM
  14. Jojo must love NUFC, he never stops talking about them,­ mind you though, most of what he talks about is little­ kiddies talk. He is not to be scorned, he is to be­ pitied......

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Thu 28 May 12:33PM
  15. Oh ,back to the main subject...Viduka is another­ mercenary who follows his wallet, from Leeds to Boro to­ Cloontoon, he's past it and will suffer more from­ injury than goals. Where are Bowyer, Kewell and co.­ now?

    From JojO, on Thu 28 May 10:39AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Loved the Blaydon Races (by the way, Blaydon is in­ Durham , so it's a Sunderland song really, but we­ didn't want it)

    From JojO, on Thu 28 May 10:37AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    this site only for prem clubs n u f c go away

    From Ken A, on Thu 28 May 5:49AM
  18. They all went down to Villa Park, Twas the 24th May.­
    Hoping God would smile on them, Upon the Sabbath day.­
    Proud as punch in stripy shirts, Cream of the Geordie­ nation.
    Ganning along to Birmingham, To see the­ relegation.
    Oh me lads, you should've seen them­ crying, watching the shambles on the pitch, Premier­ dreams a'dying.
    All the lads and lasses there, All­ had gloomy faces.
    Ganning doon to the Championship,­ woz all of shearer's aces

    From scott, on Wed 27 May 11:00PM
  19. I don't need to stereotype you. Job already done,­ by your own fair hand.

    From JojO, on Wed 27 May 7:32PM
  20. Grow up will you jokejo!
    Or at least do as i say and­ change the record; get some new comedic material, all­ the decent Toon Relegation 'gags' have been­ milked dry and i am bored!
    You obviously haven't­ read any of my posts on this club's or safc's­ pages re: safc and relegation have you - enlighten me­ please, why would i have celebrated if safc got­ relegated? Are you stereotyping me jothejoke?
    To the­ story,
    Viduks, class player in his day - well past it­ now as far as any form of season-long football demands­ go.
    However, he may still do a job for Australia though

    From cameron w, on Wed 27 May 6:07PM
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