Comments on: Would you keep this guy?

By: Karlo Dunatov

Karlo Dunatov — Sat, 27 May 2006 00:24:55 +0000

send him home, and send him home now!

By: Soze

Soze — Fri, 12 May 2006 00:53:13 +0000

Doesn’t C. Vieri have a brother who might be playing for the Socceroos? I thought I red that somewhere.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 May 2006 00:31:43 +0000

That’s fair enough Crno Gorac… but why then, doesn’t everyone complain and moan about Christian Vieri playing for Italy – a Sydney rasied boy? Shouldn’t he “be supporting the country that raised” him?

It IS a matter of respect – you’re quite right. But in my eyes, Soccer Australia “disrespected” the ethnic clubs that got the ball rolling in Australia, and Seric got a better job offer and took it. Why not?

By: Crno Gorac

Crno Gorac — Tue, 09 May 2006 08:55:40 +0000

“Soccer Australia can sit there and lament on the thousands of Australian Croatians they had alientated.”

3/4s of these “Australian Croatians” cant even speak Croatian. They should be supporting the country that raised them. I was born in Yugoslavia, but I will still be supporting Australia (As well as Scg and Croatia). Its just a matter of respect..

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 08 May 2006 01:55:38 +0000

I don’t blame Seric at all. This all happened at the time when Soccer Australia was doing it’s damndest to rid all clubs of their ethnic heritage (Italians, Greeks, Croats, etc), and now all of a sudden when someone does really well and follows that heritage that supported them, everyone starts complaining and calling Seric and Simunic traitors. Bad luck, you snooze, you lose.

I think Seric said these things purely to silence the “tall poppy hunter” critics – not as any disrespect for the team that adopted him.

I for one am a big fan of Ante and wish him all the best in the world cup. While he is in Germany, Soccer Australia can sit there and lament on the thousands of Australian Croatians they had alientated.

By: kapcro

kapcro — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:09:37 +0000

The problem lies in the statememt ” I only dreamed of playing under the Australian flag.” Was there any credit given to Croatia for giving him a place? That makes it seem that Croatia was a secondary choice and his choice to be part of the team seems disingenuous. There are enough Croatian players that would make it a priority at this time. What his role on the team would be currently is irrelevant he is still part of a team and his alligance should be to that team. How do you represent both teams equally while wearing the shirt of one? By virtue of the fact that you wear a particular jersey there is an unequal representation. His comments are disharmonious and self-serving and call into question his role as a team player. The timing of his comments creates rankor and resentment just before the start of the WC and that is why people take issue with the statements made. He has certainly given the coaching staff something to mull over.

By: Ashton Taylor-Taylor

Ashton Taylor-Taylor — Sun, 07 May 2006 00:51:17 +0000

I think you have to understand that he didn’t mean it in a way that is going to benefit the Socceroos in any shape or form.

Rather that the game against Australia is going to be something special and that it’s not only for him but if you look at the Socceroos Viduka,Popovic,Skoko,Culina, Covic,Kalac and Milicevic all could have at some stage done the same thing and represent Croatia.

But, I think the main thing was just like the article has said Seric unlike Simunic is a fringe player for Croatia and is just simply lamenting on the fact that he never thought Australia would be in a position it finds itself now and it’s understandable he still feels in some way that he should have been more open in terms of his thinking towards representative football or is simply still an Australian(at heart).

By: Soze

Soze — Sat, 06 May 2006 13:38:58 +0000

Like Crno says, Seric is not a starter anyway. Kranjcar needs to asses this guys place on the team after a comment like that. Can you imagine a US player saying something like that. Bush would have them in a National Security Tribunal Jail within 20 minutes. And I think the people would demand it.

A list of 18 defenite players has been released by the Kranjcar camp and Seric is not on this list. So there is a chance he might not go to Germany. Unfortunately though, Rapaic is not on this list either and Kranjcar has said that he will not be calling him to germany. Rapaic may give his soul for Croatia, but his style of play s different than the rest of the recently starting squad. That may conflict with the vibe of the team.

By: Crno Gorac

Crno Gorac — Sat, 06 May 2006 12:07:29 +0000

Seric wouldnt start for Croatia anyway…..

By: kapcro

kapcro — Sat, 06 May 2006 11:27:10 +0000

Seric ends up a man without a country. Australia doesn’t want him and Croatia can see that the Australian assessment of him was correct. Any other player with dedication to and respect for Croatia would be a better choice.