Source: Team_Talk
Verbeek unhappy with Australia duo
Pim Verbeek criticised Vince Grella and Tim Cahill after both men were guilty of being reckless in Australia's 2-1 win over New Zealand.[LNB] New Zealand manager Ricki Herbert was also quick to condemn Grella and Cahill, arguing both men should have been sent off for two separate tackles on Leo Bertos in the space of three minutes in the first half which resulted in the Wellington Phoenix winger being carried from the field with a leg injury.[LNB]Herbert revealed after the game that Bertos had suffered some "bad contact" to his shin area as a result of the tackles and would undergo scans to ensure he has not suffered any structural damage before being cleared to play in the World Cup.[LNB]"I am probably a little disappointed with those tackles and I think in a normal game we would have been up against nine (men)," Herbert said.[LNB]Verbeek added: "I think in the World Cup (as opposed to a friendly) that would have been two red cards.[LNB]"I cannot accept this (type of tackle) of course and the players know you should not play the game like this because you cannot afford to go into whatever game and make tackles like that."[LNB]Verbeek substituted both men at half-time but said he thought about taking them off straight away as he feared the visitors would seek retribution on two players he cannot afford to lose to injury so close to the World Cup.[LNB]"I was ready to take them out of the game immediately to protect them," he said.[LNB]"If I was on the field with the other side I would have been angry so you could expect them to cop something back and that is what they deserved.[LNB]"But you can only give compliments to the New Zealand players and the way they behaved themselves.[LNB]"They were professional, my players were not."[LNB]The challenges added to a disappointing night for Australia.[LNB]Although they won the game 2-1 thanks to Brett Holman's last-gasp strike, it was a wholly unconvincing performance.[LNB]Dutchman Verbeek was not panicking afterwards though.[LNB]"I know we trained hard during this week but you expect more from the players and they started very rusty," Verbeek admitted.[LNB]"There was no confidence, no communication and the things they normally do very well were not there.[LNB]"But if we were to play in the World Cup in three or four days I should get worried but we still have three weeks (to get ready) so we are still on track."
