Mile Jedinak

Wednesday, 22 October 2008 Central Coast Mariners

He may well hold the key to the Central Coast Mariners’ chances of derby bliss on Friday night and Mariners Members and supporters can be assured that Mile Jedinak is primed for battle in one of the Hyundai A-League’s glamour fixtures. Arguably the form player in the Hyundai A-League at present, Jedinak looms as a central figure to the Mariners’ chances of success against derby rivals the Newcastle Jets at Bluetongue Stadium on Friday. Not only has Jedinak’s all round contribution from midfield been an outstanding one thus far in season four, but the Qantas Socceroo has engineered a free-kick facet to his game that provides the Mariners with an unparalleled threat from set plays. Jedinak so nearly scored from unfathomable distance against the Wellington Phoenix last Sunday after landing bombs against the Queensland Roar and Perth Glory in previous rounds. However, most immediately, Jedinak craves a telling contribution against the Mariners’ fiercest Hyundai A-League rivals on Friday. "You always expect a tough game against Newcastle, they’re a good side and it showed last week, they played all over Melbourne and it’s going to be a tough one on Friday," said Jedinak. "Because it’s such a local derby, the rivalry is always going to be there and it shows with every game that we play against them, they’re always tight battles, no one holds back and I’m sure Friday will be no different." Jedinak has been a cornerstone contributor to the Mariners’ early season successes, which up until last Sunday’s loss to the Wellington Phoenix at Bluetongue Stadium had included a five-match unbeaten streak that coincided with Jedinak’s return from an early season groin injury. Aside from last Sunday’s opponents, the Phoenix, the Jets are the only Hyundai A-League opposition that Jedinak is yet to score against, though the Qantas Socceroo did net a brace against the Mariners’ northern rivals at Canberra Stadium in an exhibition fixture ahead of the current campaign. One of only two Hyundai A-League players to appear on the team sheet for Australia’s recent 4-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying triumph over Qatar, Jedinak will be hoping to carry his recent form into Friday’s blockbuster at Bluetongue Stadium, where the season three Mariners Medallist has showcased the majority of his most of impressive Hyundai A-League displays. "I think that it’s very important that we get a result on Friday because the sooner we can put the Phoenix result behind us, the better," said Jedinak. "We’ve got to go back to where we were a few weeks ago, working together, working as a unit and just being switched on from the get go. "Hopefully we can set the tempo, put pressure on them and hopefully that will get us over the line."

 

 Adrian Caceres

 1 on 1: With Adrian Caceres Friday, 5 September 2008

Perhaps not as well known to the Bluetongue Stadium gallery as other Central Coast Mariners players just yet, Adrian Caceres has been recruited to the yellow and navy to ensure that the Mariners' strike-force is among the most potent in the Hyundai A-League.Combining with fellow new recruit Ahmad Elrich to roam the flanks, Caceres offers a fresh opportunity tactically for Football Manager Lawrie McKinna and provides the Mariners faithful with a genuinely exciting attacking outlet that will be at the heart of the Mariners’ creative pulse.Glowing with praise for his new club and team-mates, the Argentinean born 26-year-old is hoping to achieve the Mariners’ only missing piece of Hyundai A-League silverware – the Championship trophy, in season four.www.ccmariners.com.au caught up with the Mariners’ new recruit to see what he has to offer in 2008/09 and beyond.What initially drew you to the Central Coast Mariners?Getting the opportunity to play regular football and playing a big part in the team. The Mariners have nearly always been amongst the Finals Series and have taken part in two of the three Hyundai A-League Grand Finals. It has been a very successful club so far and it is great to be a part of that.So, it was the ideal career move for you?It was definitely the best step I could take in my career, I wanted to be a big part of a team and the Mariners have given me that opportunity.How are you enjoying your new Central Coast surrounds?Good! It’s a great lifestyle. Football wise, we are off to a pretty good start as a team, but personally I have settled in well with the boys and with the club. Everyone here has been great which has meant a smooth transition so far.How does the life of a footballer on the Central Coast compare to that of a footballer in Melbourne?The first notable difference is the lifestyle, here on the Central Coast it is much less intense and the region has a far more laid back atmosphere, but on the park everything is the same. I am here to do a job and that job is to win games so everything we do at training or in game preparation is the same and the pressure is always there to be successful.You played in the AFC Champions League for Melbourne, will the Mariners benefit from your experience playing in that competition?Having played in the competition I am sure I could be of some use to the coaching staff. I am aware of the styles of play as well as different methods to cope with the conditions in Asia; however I am sure that the coaches have done their homework and will be quite ready for the competition when it comes around. It will be just the little things here and there I can help with but nothing too major as I am sure the coaching staff will know what is best for the boys.You have played one game at Bluetongue Stadium, how did that compare with playing at the Telstra Dome, in particular the fans? You can’t compare the Melbourne Victory fans to the other fan groups around the Hyundai A-League as they are a much greater number, but to me it’s all about the club you play for. Ultimately, you play for the team and for the crowd that supports your team so any support is great and the loyal Central Coast fans certainly give you a lift when you walk out on the pitch.How do you think you have fit into the team environment so far?I think it has been great so far. The players are a great bunch of lads, which makes it easy. Getting used to the style of play of a new team always takes time and I suppose I can’t expect to gel into a team straight away – I am still getting to know the way the Mariners play and the coaching staff are still getting to know the way I play and how to get the best out of me. Hopefully soon we can get to the level where the club can bring the best out in me and I can perform to my best for them.What would you label your greatest football achievement to date?It would definitely have to be winning the 2007 Hyundai A-League Grand Final with Melbourne Victory – with a score line of 6-0, it was certainly a big achievement. To be Premiers as well as win the Championship was fantastic and was probably the best time of my life so far. I really hope I can re-produce that here with the Central Coast.Do you think you can help the Mariners get their hands on the Hyundai A-League championship trophy this season?With the team we have this season, I’m sure we have a good chance of bringing home the Championship trophy. That’s essentially why I came here; I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t think that the Mariners could win it. The recruiting for this season has been great, you only have to look at the likes of Dylan McAllister and the other signings we have this year to realise we have the quality to go all the way, we just need to start winning games consistently.You have played a bit overseas and have come back to the Hyundai A-League, do you feel settled in this competition, or do you still have the desire to achieve more overseas?If somebody came knocking with a good contract in a good league I am sure any player in Australia would take it, but given the great situation we now have in Australia, I certainly wouldn’t jump in at just any contract in any league. I have been very happy with the Hyundai A-League and where it is standing at the moment and I’m very happy to stay in Australia and help the Hyundai A-League and the Central Coast Mariners to grow.

Matt Simon-2 Goals v Melbourne.

Lawrie McKinna, Saturday, 20 September 2008:The Central Coast Mariners have come away from tonight’s Hyundai A-League clash against the table topping Melbourne Victory at Bluetongue Stadium with a point to show for their efforts, but lamenting a heartbreaking last gasp strike that saw proceedings finish 2-2.Doubles from Mariners standout Matt Simon and Melbourne lynchpin Archie Thompson were the highlights of another gripping Hyundai A-League showcase at the Mariners’ picturesque bayside home, where Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos was also shown a straight red card with a little under an hour played.The home debut of Mariners guest player Mark Bosnich was a virtual sideshow in comparison to ninety absorbing minutes that delivered everything for the 9,010 yellow clad faithful on hand other than the three competitions points they so craved and perhaps deserved.Indeed, were it not for Thompson’s intervention in the final seconds of second half stoppage time, the Mariners would have further pressed their claims for top spot in the Hyundai A-League with five rounds played, but were ultimately forced to settle for a point that was of scant consolation come the full time whistle."You have to play until the last minute, against a team like Melbourne, it doesn’t matter if they have nine men, ten men or eleven men, you can’t take your foot off the pedal," said Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna after the match."With twenty seconds to go we just switched off and you can’t do that."Before the game, we thought that we had a lot of boys out and a point would be good against the table topping team, but we believed we could get three and going away with one is a bit hard to takeMatches between the Mariners and the Victory have traditionally delivered action by way of goals, send offs and unique sporting drama and, indeed, this evening was no different.Simon’s breakthrough Hyundai A-League goal at Bluetongue Stadium came courtesy of a superbly weighted Bradley Porter cross from deep that Simon did well to control and then slide past Victory ‘keeper Theoklitos.The match opener was the culmination of a frantic early period that saw both sides trade blows with frequency and declare their attacking intent from the outset.Such focus on attack was what brought about the Victory’s equaliser soon after Simon’s strike, with Qantas Socceroo and Melbourne marquee Thompson waltzing through the Mariners backline and neatly dispatching past Mariners guest player Bosnich.While Bosnich was far from busy, the Australian football icon was called upon to make a pair of telling stops either side of the break, on both occasions in response to efforts from Danny Allsopp.Understandably, the dismissal of Theoklitos shortly into the second half for stomping changed the dynamic of the match.Melbourne’s prime creative outlet, Costa Rican international Carlos Hernandez, was immediately withdrawn for reserve goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak, thus commencing a sustained period of domination from the home side.At the heart of the Mariners’ attacking advances was former Victory player Adrian Caceres, who appeared hell bent on netting against his former club and was largely responsible for a glut of chances on goal for the yellow and navy.Not least, Caceres looked to have done enough to net the Mariners their match winner, only to have his goal bound shot unwittingly deflected to safety by team-mate Sasho Petrovski.It would be first half hero Simon that looked to have secured the points for the Mariners when heading home another pinpoint delivery from Porter with eight minutes to play, only for Thompson to again strike a blow with what was virtually the final kick of the game."Even though we got a point it feels like a loss," said McKinna"We just need to take the positives out of that – take that into the game against Perth next week and try to get three points."Match Details Central Coast Mariners 40. Mark Bosnich (gk), 4. Pedj Bojic, 5. Bradley Porter, 7. John Hutchinson, 10. Adrian Caceres (6. David D’Apuzzo 89’), 16. Nigel Boogaard, 17. Matthew Osman, 18. Alex Wilkinson, 19. Matt Simon, 22. Sasho Petrovski (11. Dylan Macallister 77’), 23. Mile JedinakUnused Subs 13. Paul O’Grady, 30. Andrew Redmayne (gk)Yellow Cards None - Red Cards None - Goals Simon 11’, 82’

 

Josh Kennedy (left) loses out to Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar gave the Oranje the lead in just the sixth minute, but the game was turned on its head when home goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was given his marching orders on the stroke of half-time.Harry Kewell converted the resultant penalty and Josh Kennedy produced the winner on 76 minutes to ensure the Socceroos a winning preparation ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST).Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk opted to start with Robin van Persie, despite his injury worries, as he sought to give the Arsenal forward some match practice ahead of their World Cup opener away to FYR Macedonia in midweek. Real Madrid midfielder Arjen Robben, however, was not called upon.The only surprise in Australia's starting XI was AZ Alkmaar forward Brett Holman's inclusion in the midfield ahead of Mark Bresciano, while Carl Valeri filled in for injured defensive midfielder Vince Grella.The Dutch wasted little time to grab the lead, converting from their first opportunity of the match after just over five minutes.A long ball down the left opened up for Ryan Babel to run on to and his cut-back into the box found Huntelaar, who struck a low shot past Mark Schwarzer.Australia responded with some good attacks on the counter, including a Brett Emerton clever cross for Jason Culina who could only head wide.Schwarzer did well to thwart Johnny Heitinga after 20 minutes with the Atletico Madrid defender put through from a quick free-kick, but unable to get past the veteran Australian goalkeeper.The home side continued to probe away with Van Persie shooting just over from a free-kick while Rafael van der Vaart did the same when well fed by Babel.Holman should have equalised in the 37th minute when a gentle header from Kewell set him through on Stekelenburg, who managed to deflect the Australian's low shot.But the real drama for the Dutch keeper came in the 44th minute. A horrible back pass from Heitinga forced Stekelenburg into a reckless lunge on Kennedy and he brought the big Australian down.Referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and then handed the keeper a red card. Kewell slotted the penalty past substitute stopper Henk Timmer and it was 1-1 at the break.Bresciano and Mile Sterjovski replaced Kewell and Emerton at half-time as Australia Coach Pim Verbeek looked to save his most influential players for the Tashkent match.Van Persie departed as well, with Dirk Kuyt on as the lone front man after Huntelaar had gone off for Timmer before the break.With both teams having more important games on their plates this week, there was no great hurry to find a winner and despite having an extra man Australia preferred the long ball.The away side's persistence was eventually rewarded when former FC Twente midfielder Luke Wilkshire provided an excellent cross for Kennedy, who jumped above Andre Ooijer and headed well to beat Timmer.Pride wounded, the home side searched hard for an equaliser, but substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed wide from a corner and then failed to connect to Ibrahim Afellay's cross.

Kuyt forced Schwarzer to save in injury-time, but the Socceroos held on and will head to central Asia full of confidence.

Harry Kewell (born September 22, 1978 in Smithfield, Sydney), is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Liverpool F.C. in the English Premier League. He is arguably the most well-known footballer ever to come out of Australia. Kewell was raised in Sydney by his English-born father, Rod, and Australian mother, Helen. He was educated at Smithfield Public School, Westfield’s Sports High School and New South Wales Academy. At age 15, Kewell and his future Socceroo teammate Brett Emerton travelled to England to trial with English Premiership football club Leeds United. Both were offered contracts but only Kewell was able to take up the offer, thanks to his father's heritage. Kewell is married to English soap star Sheree Murphy, whom he met at the Majestyk club in 2000. They were married in Las Vegas in May 2003 and have two children, son Taylor (born 2001) and daughter Ruby Heather Toni (born 2003). He has ended his lucrative football boot deal with adidas to in order to wear boots made by Brisbane Company Nomis, for free. International career King Harry, on The West Australian newspaperIn November 1997, Kewell was selected to play for Australia in the country's upcoming World Cup qualifying match against Iran. At the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, in front of an estimated crowd of 120,000, Kewell scored his first ever goal for his country and gave Australia a 1-0 lead. Iran eventually drew level and the game resulted in a 1-1 draw, which set up a tense return game in Melbourne. A then-record crowd of 85,000 - at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - witnessed the second leg of this World Cup qualifier against Iran, as well as Kewell's second goal. The Socceroos eventually stretched their lead to two goals but Iran fought back and scored two vital away goals to finish the game 2-2 and qualify for the World Cup World Cup 2006 In November 2005, Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup taking place in Germany. It was the first time Australia had qualified for the World Cup since 1974 when it was held in West Germany. To reach the World Cup Australia beat Uruguay in a two-legged play-off. Kewell was considered instrumental in the Socceroos' defeat of Uruguay, turning the course of the match when he entered as a substitute. He scored the first penalty for Australia in the deciding penalty shootout, which they went on to win 4-2. Kewell played, somewhat surprisingly given a reported groin injury, in Australia's opening game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Japan in Germany. He did not start for Australia in their second group match against Brazil but again entered as a substitute, missing an early opportunity when Dida punched the ball out dangerously. Kewell was reported to FIFA by referee Markus Merk for verbal abuse after the match but he escaped being sanctioned. In the Croatia vs Australia game Kewell scored Australia's second goal to equal the score at 2-2. Australia only needed a draw to qualify for the second round for the first time, and thus it was probably the most important goal ever scored by an Australian for his country. While the referee, Graham Poll did not notice it, later footage showed Kewell was in an offside position. Australian Prime Minister, John Howard and later The West Australian newspaper referred to Kewell as "King Harry". Due to suspected gout, (later diagnosed as septic arthritis — a bacterial infection in the joints of his left foot) Kewell was unable to play against Italy in the knockout stage, which saw Australia eliminated from the World Cup after Lucas Neill conceded a controversial penalty, which was converted by Francesco Totti in the final seconds of the game.

Michael Beuchamp says the team's real focus is Uzbekistan

MIERLO: The Socceroos arrived here on Monday to prepare for the upcoming international friendly match against the Netherlands on Saturday as a warm-up to the crucial 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on 10 September.

Qantas Socceroos Head Coach Pim Verbeek put his players through a light training session on Monday afternoon with most players coming off a weekend of action in their domestic league competitions.

“This is where it all started a couple of years back now," said defender Michael Beauchamp, referring to the Dutch training venue where Australia’s lead-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup started.

"It's definitely good to be back here and I'm looking forward to the game on the weekend."

"It's going to be another tough match, as the Netherlands has world class players.”

"But our real focus is on the match against Uzbekistan.”

"For us it's a very important game to get the team sorted and go on from there.”

"We're very focused on making it to the 2010 World Cup and this game is the first of eight matches which will help get us there."

Meanwhile, injured striker Scott McDonald (groin) and goalkeeper Brad Jones (finger) will not join the camp in the Netherlands.

Thursday, 21 August 2008 Alex Wilkinson has been a mainstay in the heart of the Central Coast Mariners defence since the Hyundai A-League started in 2005.During that time he has grown in stature becoming club captain in season three, having filled the role admirably when required in season two.Having contributed the most caps for the club, a Mariners team without Wilkinson on the team sheet is a rare sight indeed.Though injury disrupted his season in 2007/08, Wilkinson is now fresh, fit and ready to lead his side again in season four.Wilkinson tells www.ccmariners.com.au about the pre-season campaign, the Mariners’ new recruits and the expansion of the Mariners brand.How do you rate recently completed pre-season campaign?We have exhausted all options in getting to play games and to get the team right. Clarkey has been working us hard outside of the games and the boys are looking quite sharp. All the boys are looking quite fit and we’ve nearly got a full team coming back for the early games in the season. I definitely think it has been a successful pre-season.You have been playing under an injury cloud with your knee, how is it?It’s alright now, it has been a bit sore here and there which is why I have been taking training a bit easy over the last few weeks. As long as I can get it right for games, it’s been OK. It’s starting to get better and definitely feels better than it has the last couple of weeks. Hopefully it will continue to do so and I will be able to start the season injury free. The first half of last season was disappointing for me being out with that injury for about ten weeks so I’m hoping it doesn’t happen again this year.How hard was it to get over the disappointment of losing the Hyundai A-League Grand Final to Newcastle, particularly with you being the captain?Obviously losing the Grand Final was disappointing, it’s happened twice to a lot of the boys in our team now so that makes it doubly hard. We’ve got a new set of boys in here this year and as soon as the pre-season training started we all had to forget about what happened last year and get focused for the new season. I think we are over it and we are ready to go for the season ahead. Yes it was disappointing but to put it into perspective last year was by no means an average year for us, we won the Premiership and qualified for the AFC Champions League and hopefully we can do it all again.The club has made some positive movements in their recruitment policy ahead of the coming season with one eye obviously on the AFC Champions League post-season. How have the new players fitted in?Very well, a lot of the boys knew the players from past teams or from past experiences where the paths have crossed so that has made it easy for them to settle in. Dylan has had a great pre-season, he’s looking very fit and banged in a few goals so that’s great for his confidence. Ahmad Elrich has looked great as well. Last year coming back to Wellington he didn’t have a full pre-season because of a knee injury so he is doing very well as well, looking as sharp as he’s ever been. Adrian Caceres is a great attacking weapon for us and we look forward to seeing him on the pitch as well putting in some nice crosses for our strikers.Speaking of Asia do you think there is a risk of the team getting too far ahead of themselves? Melbourne struggled last season as they came down from season two. How do you stop complacency?No, I don’t think that will be an issue. Asia is obviously still a long way off and we have the entire Hyundai A-League season to get through before we can prepare for that. The coaching staff have kept us well grounded and the focus is definitely on the season ahead. The aim is to get a fast start similar to last year to get points early in the season. When the time comes hopefully the boys will be fit and injury free and then we can start to get excited about Asia. Qualifying was obviously a big coup for the club and I look forward to some big Asian teams coming to Bluetongue Stadium and our Members and supporters getting to experience that different style of football.You wrote in a recent captain’s corner in the Express Advocate about the importance of gaining a psychological edge over your opponents before the season has begun. With only 8 teams you must be familiar with each team’s games by now. How difficult is it to gain momentum in this competition?It’s tough, twenty one games isn’t ideal. With the Hyundai A-League expanding next year the season will be longer which from a playing perspective will be great. The good thing about a small season is if you do get on a roll you can suddenly shoot up a few points on the ladder. That happened to us last year when at one stage we were seven or eight points ahead which is good because it means you have a bit of breathing space so you can drop a few games if you have a dip in form.As the club moves into season four, what traditions have you seen develop over this period of time?First and foremost we are a family oriented club, we’ve been able to create a family atmosphere at Bluetongue Stadium. I think that is a reflection of the hard community work we did from day one. We do a lot of school visits a lot of club visits, and I think that’s starting to pay off now with increasing crowds here at home. On the pitch we have developed a tradition of working hard for each other. It makes it easier knowing that there are ten other guys all working for the same goals you are. Those are the two main traditions and hopefully we can develop a few more in the coming seasons.The club has been able to attract some big name players in recent times including Tony Vidmar, John Aloisi, and Mark Bosnich. What do you put this down to?I think we’ve got a good reputation in Australia at the moment. We are thought of highly I think. I mean that’s how Johnny came last year. He spoke to his brother Ross who said if you don’t come to Wellington look at coming to us. I think a lot of it is down to the coaching staff we have and Lyall Gorman and Peter Turnbull’s ambitions to chase big name players. Having Bosnich here is fantastic for the club he is one of the best goalkeepers Australia has produced and he passes on amazing knowledge to the boys.What are your goals for the upcoming campaign?To stay injury free is my main goal. Last season being injured was very disappointing. On a team note getting into the top four again is a goal and if we can go one better then last year, well that would be the icing on the cake.

     MATT SIMONS 

Tuesday, 26 August 2008 Unquestionably the most improved Hyundai A-League footballer of the past year, Central Coast Mariners striker Matt Simon has returned from his whirlwind international experiences eager for Hyundai A-League success.Three years ago, Simon had only opposed local opposition in his capacity as a lynchpin member of East Gosford’s Central Coast Premier League charge.Now, after two Hyundai A-League seasons with the Mariners, a call up to the Qantas Socceroos FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and an extensive stint abroad with Australia’s Olympic Games representation, Simon truly has the world at his feet.After first being introduced to Australia’s Olympic Games campaign against Mexico in San Francisco in March, Simon’s cameo in Tianjin against Cote d’Ivoire at the Olympic Games proper was his tenth cap for his country.During such time, Simon has made appearances against Croatia, Togo, the Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, New Zealand, the Korea Republic and Chile on two occasions in addition the two aforementioned nations – netting five goals in such time.Needless to say, Simon’s rise through the ranks has been astonishing an