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#1
People have asked what has made it so difficult for Australia to qualify for a World Cup, and here's the answer pure and simple.
It's not for lack of quality players. It's down to the lack of a fair and decent qualifying path that enables our players to be mentally prepared, and playing as a unit. We have no idea who our final opponents will be... until just before the games! Is that fair? In contrast, our opponents- the likes of Argentina, Iran and Uruguay- have had far more preparation when they faced us.
FIFA were set to remedy the situation by giving Oceania a direct qualifying place. But this was roundly criticised, why?
Because we hear the countless cries of "Australia will walk to the World Cup" Now, people only see what they want to- I can think a dozens or so countries, thanks to FIFA's pandering, being given a free ride to the World Cup. Now I don't doubt that the Oceania region, in terms of quality, is a disgrace. There's Australia and New Zealand, but that's about it for internationally competitive sides.
Everything is relative, and it's easy to see that the AFC and CONCACAF regions aren't particularly high quality either bar a few teams. They get 3 or 4 places in the WC, which means that if you're a half-decent team you'd be nuts not to qualify. This is done for one reason only- money. The size of these regions, population wise, makes it a gold mine for FIFA. Even COMNEBOL (South America) gets a disproportionate number of qualifying places for its membership- again to ensure that Brazil and Argentina always qualify.
This isn't to say there aren't quality teams or quality players in those regions, but that they are given favourable treatment by a governing body which really doesn't care so much about quality of play but see dollar signs in their eyes.
We know that a full strength Australia has rarely, if ever, been disgraced at the highest level- yet we've never been given a fair chance by FIFA to show it in competitive games.
In 1993, we were eliminated only by an own goal vs an Argentina side which then boasted Diego Maradona (an Argentinian mate told me that he thought their '94 side was better than the '86 and '90 ones).
In 1997, we had the World Cup in our sights, only to lose to Iran on away goals. It was heartbreaking, but can only happen in a two-legged affair. And Iran weren't a bad side either- in fact they went on to be by and far the best Asian team in France '98.
2001 saw us get beaten in Montevideo- we got dragged over the coals for this, but yet Argentina and Brazil couldn't win their either and still qualified.
So what solution could be proposed?
1) FIFA should not have reversed its decision to give us a direct qualifying place.
2) Australia and New Zealand should consider joining another confederation.
Solution number 2 is the most sensible of any of the solutions proposed, and one we've been looking at for years. I highly doubt that the AFC or CONCACAF would want us, for fear we would dominate either of those confederations.
It's not for lack of quality players. It's down to the lack of a fair and decent qualifying path that enables our players to be mentally prepared, and playing as a unit. We have no idea who our final opponents will be... until just before the games! Is that fair? In contrast, our opponents- the likes of Argentina, Iran and Uruguay- have had far more preparation when they faced us.
FIFA were set to remedy the situation by giving Oceania a direct qualifying place. But this was roundly criticised, why?
Because we hear the countless cries of "Australia will walk to the World Cup" Now, people only see what they want to- I can think a dozens or so countries, thanks to FIFA's pandering, being given a free ride to the World Cup. Now I don't doubt that the Oceania region, in terms of quality, is a disgrace. There's Australia and New Zealand, but that's about it for internationally competitive sides.
Everything is relative, and it's easy to see that the AFC and CONCACAF regions aren't particularly high quality either bar a few teams. They get 3 or 4 places in the WC, which means that if you're a half-decent team you'd be nuts not to qualify. This is done for one reason only- money. The size of these regions, population wise, makes it a gold mine for FIFA. Even COMNEBOL (South America) gets a disproportionate number of qualifying places for its membership- again to ensure that Brazil and Argentina always qualify.
This isn't to say there aren't quality teams or quality players in those regions, but that they are given favourable treatment by a governing body which really doesn't care so much about quality of play but see dollar signs in their eyes.
We know that a full strength Australia has rarely, if ever, been disgraced at the highest level- yet we've never been given a fair chance by FIFA to show it in competitive games.
In 1993, we were eliminated only by an own goal vs an Argentina side which then boasted Diego Maradona (an Argentinian mate told me that he thought their '94 side was better than the '86 and '90 ones).
In 1997, we had the World Cup in our sights, only to lose to Iran on away goals. It was heartbreaking, but can only happen in a two-legged affair. And Iran weren't a bad side either- in fact they went on to be by and far the best Asian team in France '98.
2001 saw us get beaten in Montevideo- we got dragged over the coals for this, but yet Argentina and Brazil couldn't win their either and still qualified.
So what solution could be proposed?
1) FIFA should not have reversed its decision to give us a direct qualifying place.
2) Australia and New Zealand should consider joining another confederation.
Solution number 2 is the most sensible of any of the solutions proposed, and one we've been looking at for years. I highly doubt that the AFC or CONCACAF would want us, for fear we would dominate either of those confederations.

