Joel Griffiths
Joel Michael Griffiths ( born August 21, 1979 in Sydney ) is an Australian football player. Griffiths played in the course of his professional career already for clubs in Switzerland, England, Japan and China, and came, as his two brothers Adam and Ryan, for the Australian national team for use.
Club career
Career start in Australia (until 2003)
Griffiths played in adults range from 1997 initially for the reserve team of Sydney United in the NSW Premier League and advanced to the 1998/99 season on the first team. Right away he established himself in the team and was a regular on the side of same- Mile Sterjovski to operations in the National Soccer League. After No. 1 in the regular season came in the play-offs of entry into the championship finals. When there 2:3 defeat against South Melbourne Griffiths came on as a substitute just under 30 minutes to use.
In the summer 1999, he moved with almost the entire team of the newly founded and is also based in Sydney Premier League rivals Parramatta Power, in which he was eleven season hits together with Sterjovski top scorer of his team, a place in the play-offs as Tabellenelfter but clearly missed. After 2000/ 01 once again the play-offs were missed and Griffiths brought it only to a disappointing four goals this season, he moved within the league to Newcastle United. Griffiths, who was the top scorer of his team in the next two seasons, moved with the team twice in the finals, but missed the championship finals respectively. In the summer of 2003 he decided to move to Europe one and signed a contract with the Swiss first division club Neuchatel Xamax.
Inconsistent years in Europe (2003-2006)
His time at Xamax was mixed. While the club was allowed to start by his 3rd place the previous season in the UEFA Cup 2003/ 04 and there failed Auxerre in the first round at the French club AJ, one avoided in the championship in the Barrage games against FC Vaduz barely escape relegation in the Challenge League. The following season, the team was able to hold in midfield and managed to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2005, in the Griffiths scored three goals in a 9-1 aggregate win against Armenian Ararat Yerevan representatives before again using the AS St. Etienne a French Club for withdrawal made . In Australia, used as a striker, he arrived in Switzerland usually the right of midfield for use, which is also noticeable effect on his goal rate. Until his departure in January 2006, when the club was again in a relegation battle, he had scored in 72 league games only four hits.
After yet failed to change from Griffiths to Leicester City to the release requirement Neuchâtel in summer 2005, also came to be changing sonorous English second division club Leeds United to transfer Posse since Neuchâtel despite the international transfer of financial statements released refused. Leeds was only after a complaint to the world governing body FIFA, the game released for Griffiths, who signed a contract for 18 months. In Leeds coach Kevin Blackwell, the Griffiths later accused of a lack of confidence in his abilities, the striker came only two brief appearances and broke his contract after only half a year back on.
Return and guest performances in Asia ( since 2006)
He returned to Australia to Newcastle, which now as Newcastle United Jets in the A-League, created in 2005, successor to the League in 2004 set National Soccer League, played. Under coach Gary van Egmond he gradually found back to its former strength and reached with the team in the season 2006 /07 play-offs. There they sat down first in Minor semi -final against Sydney FC by then but failed in the Preliminary final on penalties to Adelaide United.
After the departure of offensive trio Nick Carle, Milton Rodriguez and Vaughan Coveny the Jets were given little chance in the championship season of 2007/ 08, but superior in particular by Griffiths offensive performance, which was constructed by van Egmond to key players, the team managed to Jade North, Matt Thompson and twin brother Adam Griffiths of making the play -offs. There is first the Central Coast Mariners lost the major semi -final, managed a 3-2 win over Queensland Roar but still reach the finals and could win their first league title the club's history there by a 1-0 victory over the Mariners. Joel Griffiths was previously elected by the players in the A-League the best player of the season and has therefore been awarded the Johnny Warren Medal, with twelve goals this season, he was named top scorer. Here Griffiths ' season would have been almost completed in October 2007, when he rejoined a line judge after a free-kick denied a blow to the groin. Surprisingly, he was awarded by referee Matthew Breeze only a yellow card and thus escaping one more month ban.
After the championship he let himself give for a few months to the Japanese club Avispa Fukuoka, before returning to pre-season training in June 2008 on the Jets. The 2008/09 season was a disappointing one for the reigning champions and ended up on the bottom of the table. Griffiths was there confer with seven season hits still the top scorer of his team and settled after the season again to Asia, destination this time was the Chinese club Beijing Guoan, in which his brother Ryan loan was under contract. Other than at the loan to Avispa, he remained throughout the season at the Chinese capital club and should return to the Jets in January 2010.
His debut for Beijing he gave to his regular club Newcastle on Matchday 1 in the AFC Champions League 2009. Griffiths The two brothers get in the course of the season eight league matches and helped Guoan thus to the first championship in the club's history. Joel was there in addition to his athletic achievements on by Unsportsmanlike behavior. Already in the early stage of the season he has been locked because of an elbow strike against an opponent for five games, three games before the end of the season was followed by a lock for seven games after the home fans with both hands showed the middle finger after a late equalizing goal of his team against Championship rivals Henan.
In January 2013, he moved back to Australia for Sydney FC. Already in mid-2013 he went to China again, this time to Qingdao Joonon. After one season, he returned to the Australian home and now plays again for the Newcastle Jets.
National
Your benefits at Sydney United brought Griffiths and Sterjovski a nomination in the Australian U-20 squad for the Junior World Cup Nigeria 1999, after both have not been taken into account during the qualification. At the World Cup finals Griffiths came in all three group games as a substitute use, but remained without their own hits and could not prevent the early departure of the Australian team.
2005 Griffiths made his debut under coach Guus Hiddink in the Australian national team. In a friendly match in London against the selection of Jamaica, he came after 70 minutes Archie Thompson of the square. In the 85th minute he scored the goal for the 5-0 final score and then celebrated his goal by imitating a hopping kangaroo. For his second he came in August 2006 under Hiddink's successor Graham Arnold in a qualifying match for the Asia Cup 2007 against Kuwait. He had his third and so far last international match in May 2008 in a friendly against Ghana.
Achievements
At club level:
- Australian champion: 2007/ 08
- Chinese Master: 2009
- Australian runner-up: 1998/99
Individual:
- A-League top goalscorer: 2007/ 08
- Johnny Warren Medal: 2008