Photo Credit: the world game
We have the latest happening in the field of football news in Malaysia and its related soccer issues, activities, press releases, etc. and aim to keep you always updated every day. Brad Maloney, a former Socceroos midfielder denied the offer of assistant coaching positions at the two A-League teams to still remain in Malaysia to focus on the rising country’s’ U-20s club. With his standing amplified by managing Malaysia into a 3 – 0 against Gary van Egmond’s Young Socceroos in August’s AFF competition held in Vietnam, wherein Malaysian team reached the final, Brad has been making remarkable performances with the Tigers as both squads a senior club and U-23s top 2 within five years. His conclusion to remain in Kuala Lumpur is evidence of assets flowing into the Malaysian younger system at a level important enough to generate cash insufficiency FFA blush. Brad’s unmatched achievement since managing the U-20s that has acquired him a new regiment of admirers, both in the corridors of power and at home in the FAM or Football Association of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
At this moment in Sydney, where Maloney has been on secondment at the Sydney FC finishing his Pro Diploma, Brad rejected the A-League advance, choosing to continue to improve his craft before one day coming back as a head coach, compared to an assistant. Obviously the proposals both came over the last three months. Maloney has acquired six Socceroos caps before he retired at the age of 34 following the NSL career with Marconi, Perth Glory, and Newcastle, Brad is on the cusp of an agreement of two-year extension with the purpose of qualifying Malaysia for 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the nearest Indonesia. Malaysian team eventually give away 1 – 0 to the Australian squad within the final in Ho Chi Min City in his 1st competition under his management. However, they have a remarkable performance at November’s AFC U-19 Championship in Cambodia, becoming the 1st Malaysian team ever to dominate their group by winning the entire matches to get in the next stage of the qualifiers in October in Uzbekistan to give Brad’s stocks soaring. The assets being guided into the sport played a vital part in Maloney’s conclusion to stay in Malaysia, in which at the entire levels excepting the under-achievement of the U-23s at the recent SEA Games within the Philippines. Brad Maloney’s message to Australia regarding Malaysia’s uprising and he stated:
“We can match them technically and tactically these days, though it’s fair to say Australia are still very adept physically, We say it all the time (in South East Asia) the gap is closing. A few years ago Australia would be favorite to dominate tournaments in the region but the margin is closing. We weren’t outplayed in our games against them at the AFF tournament and right across southeast Asia the standards are rising quickly. At times, the Australian mentality was that these countries were easy bears but that’s definitely no longer the case. Every game is tough as southeast Asia is catching up. Cambodia is getting better, Thailand has been strong for a while now and Vietnam is the same. Myanmar is also catching up fast. If Australia doesn’t really focus on development and invest heavily in the game (at youth level) we could quickly fall behind. It’s vital to stay on top of that.”