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Sacrifice is necessary for the benefit of Australia's Olympic qualification
The Olyroos will only be allowed a maximum of three players per Australian club for their upcoming qualifiers. Former A-League defender Beau Busch argues against the decision
Feb 5, 2012 9:00:00 AM
Getty Images
COMMENT
By Beau Busch
Much has been made of Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) decision to restrict the number of players who can be selected from each A-League club for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers but those who still see the call-ups as too much of a sacrifice for the league are underestimating the importance of qualification.
When FFA announced the decision to limit the number of players who can be picked from each club for this month’s London 2012 qualifiers to three the rationale was that this would reduce the impact on A-League teams. For the likes of Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Heart, who would have been expected to provide more than three players each, this decision would have been welcomed. With their priorities understandably lying with their own club, the wish to hang on to as many of their players as possible is understandable.
What is harder to understand are those who are dismissing the importance of qualifying for the London Olympics and see it as causing too much harm to the A-League. Some of the comments have stated that few nations actually care about the tournament and that almost nobody in Australia is bothered about qualification. The public’s appetite may not be the same as it is for the World Cup but that does not mean that the football community does not care.
And the argument that many nations see no benefit is far from true. International heavyweights such as Brazil, Argentina and Spain take the tournament very seriously and see it as an important part of their young players’ development, and the high regard in which many nations and players hold the tournament was demonstrated in Beijing by Lionel Messi.
With his club, Barcelona, initially unwilling to release him, the Argentine superstar spoke to coach Pep Guardiola individually to explain why it was important for him to go to Beijing. Guardiola agreed and allowed his most prized asset to attend, despite it causing him to miss important Champions League matches. The rest was history, with Messi leading Argentina to the Gold Medal before returning to Camp Nou where he went on to win La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey that season. He described his Olympic experience simply as “beautiful”.
If the best player in the world sees the Olympics as important, both personally and for his country, then it is obvious that Australia would benefit from qualifying for the London Games.
In comparison, England have been notorious for neglecting most international tournaments with the exception of the World Cup. There is no doubt that this has hindered the development of their young players who, by the time they go to a senior World Cup, have very little tournament experience, which is very different to regular club football.
The experience that young Australian players could gain at the Olympics could be vital for the future prospects of the national team. This is especially true with much of the current crop of Socceroos moving towards the twilight of their careers, making it imperative that the next generation are as prepared as possible. It is also important that the nation’s young talent come up against the best in the world as this is an essential part of assessing player development in the country.
For them to get this experience some A-League clubs may suffer for a few weeks during qualification and there is the possibility that this could derail title aspirations. However, this is why it is important that A-League clubs invest in strong squads and player development to make sure that youth team players are ready to make the step up.
The Olympics are not something that should be neglected; any chance for the best young Australian talent to experience playing against the best under-23 players in the world should be seized, even if it requires some sacrifices.
By Beau Busch
Much has been made of Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) decision to restrict the number of players who can be selected from each A-League club for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers but those who still see the call-ups as too much of a sacrifice for the league are underestimating the importance of qualification.
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When FFA announced the decision to limit the number of players who can be picked from each club for this month’s London 2012 qualifiers to three the rationale was that this would reduce the impact on A-League teams. For the likes of Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Heart, who would have been expected to provide more than three players each, this decision would have been welcomed. With their priorities understandably lying with their own club, the wish to hang on to as many of their players as possible is understandable.
What is harder to understand are those who are dismissing the importance of qualifying for the London Olympics and see it as causing too much harm to the A-League. Some of the comments have stated that few nations actually care about the tournament and that almost nobody in Australia is bothered about qualification. The public’s appetite may not be the same as it is for the World Cup but that does not mean that the football community does not care.
| "The high regard in which many nations and players hold the tournament was demonstrated in Beijing by Lionel Messi ... he described his Olympic experience simply as 'beautiful'" |  |
And the argument that many nations see no benefit is far from true. International heavyweights such as Brazil, Argentina and Spain take the tournament very seriously and see it as an important part of their young players’ development, and the high regard in which many nations and players hold the tournament was demonstrated in Beijing by Lionel Messi.
With his club, Barcelona, initially unwilling to release him, the Argentine superstar spoke to coach Pep Guardiola individually to explain why it was important for him to go to Beijing. Guardiola agreed and allowed his most prized asset to attend, despite it causing him to miss important Champions League matches. The rest was history, with Messi leading Argentina to the Gold Medal before returning to Camp Nou where he went on to win La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey that season. He described his Olympic experience simply as “beautiful”.
If the best player in the world sees the Olympics as important, both personally and for his country, then it is obvious that Australia would benefit from qualifying for the London Games.
In comparison, England have been notorious for neglecting most international tournaments with the exception of the World Cup. There is no doubt that this has hindered the development of their young players who, by the time they go to a senior World Cup, have very little tournament experience, which is very different to regular club football.
It is important that the nation’s young talent come up against the best in the world as this is an essential part of assessing player development in the country |
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The experience that young Australian players could gain at the Olympics could be vital for the future prospects of the national team. This is especially true with much of the current crop of Socceroos moving towards the twilight of their careers, making it imperative that the next generation are as prepared as possible. It is also important that the nation’s young talent come up against the best in the world as this is an essential part of assessing player development in the country.
For them to get this experience some A-League clubs may suffer for a few weeks during qualification and there is the possibility that this could derail title aspirations. However, this is why it is important that A-League clubs invest in strong squads and player development to make sure that youth team players are ready to make the step up.
The Olympics are not something that should be neglected; any chance for the best young Australian talent to experience playing against the best under-23 players in the world should be seized, even if it requires some sacrifices.
Follow Beau Busch on 
Beau Busch is a former A-League defender with Sydney FC and North Queensland Fury who currently plays with Arbroath in Scotland's Second Division
Beau Busch is a former A-League defender with Sydney FC and North Queensland Fury who currently plays with Arbroath in Scotland's Second Division
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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