Melbourne, home of Australian soccer

[OutKast]

It was talked about on this board last week, and today it has been announced - the Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the home leg of Australia's World Cup Qualifiers against the 5th placed South American team. The date won't be confirmed until our opponent is known (although late November - early December seems likely), and whether it's the first or second leg is yet to be decided by FIFA.
And if that isn't enough, well our last friendly before the qualifiers, against the best team in the world, France, will also be played at the MCG on November 11. I guess this further enhances what we already know, Melbourne is the sports capital of Australia...and arguably the world.
On a side note our only other friendly at this stage is a OFC/AFC Champions match between Australia and Japan, to be played on August 17 at the Shizuoka Stadium (one of the venues for the 2002 WC in Japan).
Go Aussies!

 

[GOALden Hawk]

It's gonna be HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Very excited about both matches...though I'm not happy they haven't announced when the Qualifier will be, I'm planning my holiday around it! It had better be the 2nd leg as well...FIFA have screwed us over enough...and I want to be there when we make it through!

 

[dees01]

Pleased to hear its at the G but I would have thought it would have been at Stadium Australia. Newer stadium, bigger crowd. Anyway good luck Aussies.

 

[GoEagles]

Home or Hoodoo of Australia soccer after the last world cup qualifier loss against Iran at the G?

 

[Chris_23]

It HAD to be in Melbourne. I can't wait for it, i really hope it's the second leg so we can celebrate after kicking some South American ar$e and finally making it back to the world cup.

GO AUSSIES!

 

[Jars458]

The game should be in Adelaide

Better 20,000 SA people see it than 95,000 Victorians

Will almost certainly come over for the game though.

 

[Same Old's]

I heard that since Australia is a winner of a confederation they get to chose to either play the first leg at home or away.

I also heard the 1st and 2nd qualifiers will take place on the 24th November and 1st December respectively. However, it depends on who we play.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Who told you that Same Olds? It's really annoying how they didn't give the exact dates the matches will be played...because I wanted to go away but I'm not going anywhere until the game!

I heard we may have the 1st leg, but I hope we get to choose, I reckon we should.

MCG currently holds more than Stadium Australia due to renovations going on there.

 

[sbagman]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Hmmm yes but is Melbourne really the home of Australian soccer? If so, why does Melbourne have only two teams, and one Melbourne team went belly-up last year?

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Re: Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Originally posted by sbagman
Hmmm yes but is Melbourne really the home of Australian soccer? If so, why does Melbourne have only two teams, and one Melbourne team went belly-up last year?

I believe we still have 2 more teams than Brisbane do!!

The NSL is a joke competition, and I take no interest in it anymore. How can you call it a "national" competition when 7 of the 12 teams are in NSW - and there isn't even a team in the fastest growing city in Australia!!

The game should definitely be at the MCG though - biggest and best stadium in Australia. The Brazil games last year proved Melbourne is a bigger soccer supporter than Sydney.

The real problem is they only play 1 game every 4 years that really counts for anything here. Maybe if we make the World Cup a few more friendlies will be played in Australia, especially with the World Cup been played reasonably close to us.

 

[sbagman]

Re: Re: Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Originally posted by GOALden Hawk


I believe we still have 2 more teams than Brisbane do!!

I don't think so. I think we'll see a team in Brissie next season... whether it's the Strikers or not isn't clear (I reckon it won't be). Anyway, I'm a Melbournite, so there.

The NSL is a joke competition, and I take no interest in it anymore. How can you call it a "national" competition when 7 of the 12 teams are in NSW - and there isn't even a team in the fastest growing city in Australia!!

The game should definitely be at the MCG though - biggest and best stadium in Australia. The Brazil games last year proved Melbourne is a bigger soccer supporter than Sydney.

The real problem is they only play 1 game every 4 years that really counts for anything here. Maybe if we make the World Cup a few more friendlies will be played in Australia, especially with the World Cup been played reasonably close to us.

Yeah the NSL is a joke. Not a very funny one mind you, but nonetheless, my point is if Melbourne was really the home of Aussie soccer they could support more than two teams. Getting a bumper crowd once every four years is not enough, IMHO.

Yeah the problem of 1 game every 4 years that really counts for anything is a problem, but if we joined Asia, we could participate in their continental championship....

 

[Cats2001!]

Yep - Melbourne is the capital of Australian Sport. So much so, it should of been the Olympic City - we had just about all the venues all along whilst Sydney had to build everything from scratch - and now all just gathering cobwebs as Melbournes venues continue to be packed week after week.

Great decision to hold the World Cup qualifier at the best sporting stadium in the country - the MCG. Watching that Stadium Australia qualifier and seeing it only half full made me cringe - if it was in Melbourne it would be packed to the rafters!

Cant wait for it!

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by Cats2001!
Yep - Melbourne is the capital of Australian Sport. So much so, it should of been the Olympic City - we had just about all the venues all along whilst Sydney had to build everything from scratch - and now all just gathering cobwebs as Melbournes venues continue to be packed week after week.

Great decision to hold the World Cup qualifier at the best sporting stadium in the country - the MCG. Watching that Stadium Australia qualifier and seeing it only half full made me cringe - if it was in Melbourne it would be packed to the rafters!

Cant wait for it!

Oh come on lets not get ridiculous. Australia vs New Zealand, the winner still having to play off to get into the WC, and with a lacklustre NZ team would have filled the MCG? Please.

 

[mud n blood]

I heard that Melbun missed out on the Olympics because there were simply too many Victorians living there ......

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by mud n blood
I heard that Melbun missed out on the Olympics because there were simply too many Victorians living there ......

Must've been different in '56 then eh... perhaps Brissie would have had a chance in '56... if it had existed then....

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Originally posted by sbagman


I don't think so. I think we'll see a team in Brissie next season... whether it's the Strikers or not isn't clear (I reckon it won't be). Anyway, I'm a Melbournite, so there.



Yeah the NSL is a joke. Not a very funny one mind you, but nonetheless, my point is if Melbourne was really the home of Aussie soccer they could support more than two teams. Getting a bumper crowd once every four years is not enough, IMHO.

Yeah the problem of 1 game every 4 years that really counts for anything is a problem, but if we joined Asia, we could participate in their continental championship....

Well the problem is Melbourne don't have a club they can call their own. Despite the hopes of Soccer Australia - South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights will always be predominately Greek and Croatian clubs.

The two clubs set up in Melbourne with non-ethnic bases (Collingwood Warriors & Carlton) have both failed dismally because they were too closely associated with the AFL teams.

Joining Asia is definitely the best option, but FIFA would never allow it as we are in a different region. What should happen is we win Oceania, like we have now, and THEN join the final group stage in Asia - ie Top 5 Asia teams and us. The top 3 from this go through to the World Cup. Obviously the numbers could change a bit with Japan and South Korea having to qualify next time but it would still work.

Australia would get to play around 10 important World Cup qualifiers, including 5 at home (which could be played in different cities) and would have plenty of match practice. It would also prove beyond a doubt we deserve to be there, rather than relying on one result every 4 years.

 

[Sydneyfan]

All the vacant areas on Sunday's match at Stadium Australia, most of the lower bowl and the end tiers were not opened to the public because of the stadium's reconfiguration. They're getting rid of the end tiers and moving the lower bowl closer to the field and making it movable (oval shape for AFL, rectangle for rugby league, soccer, etc.). So the gorund would of only been able to fit around 60,000 - 70,000 at most with these areas closed off, so a crowd of 42,000 against New Zealand was a good effort.

I was at the game and it was a great atmosphere, form the seats I had you could get a good view of the plays and set-ups during the match which you largely miss on the TV.

The best part, apart from the match itself, was the samba players and their drums though they didn't play much during the second half, they might have been ordered to stop.

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by GOALden Hawk


Joining Asia is definitely the best option, but FIFA would never allow it as we are in a different region. What should happen is we win Oceania, like we have now, and THEN join the final group stage in Asia - ie Top 5 Asia teams and us. The top 3 from this go through to the World Cup. Obviously the numbers could change a bit with Japan and South Korea having to qualify next time but it would still work.

I'm for FULL incorporation into Asia. Then we can compete in the Asian Gold Cup, the continental club comps, something to keep the interest up between World Cups. Oceania is a joke. We are by far the strongest team here, and we actually suffer because of that, as we have to beg other decent teams to play us. We need exposure on a regular basis to decent teams, and the only way we can do that is by joining Asia... I reckon there should be only 4 confederations, as the two American confederations should merge.

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan


The best part, apart from the match itself, was the samba players and their drums though they didn't play much during the second half, they might have been ordered to stop.

If that's true, that's the most f*cked thing I've ever heard. Why do they insist diluting soccer's atmosphere to nothing - to appeal to families?

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Originally posted by sbagman


I'm for FULL incorporation into Asia. Then we can compete in the Asian Gold Cup, the continental club comps, something to keep the interest up between World Cups. Oceania is a joke. We are by far the strongest team here, and we actually suffer because of that, as we have to beg other decent teams to play us. We need exposure on a regular basis to decent teams, and the only way we can do that is by joining Asia... I reckon there should be only 4 confederations, as the two American confederations should merge.

Yeah, that would be perfect. North America is a joke. I cannot believe that USA, Costa Rica and Honduras are going to qualify while we might miss out. Australia would be ranked in the top 30 easily if we played more competative matches.

The only good thing is, one day, someday, Oceania will have to host a World Cup, and given the choices are Australia, New Zealand or American Samoa I reckon we are in with a chance!!

And who knows, if we do make this world cup and do well, FIFA may have to change our qualifying path. Direct qualification will never happen though.

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by GOALden Hawk

Direct qualification will never happen though.

Incorrect. Keith Cooper, some high up FIFA dude, was quoted apparently as saying that direct qualification for the Oceania winner from the next World Cup "is a done deal". Talk's cheap though.

North America is much stronger than Oceania though. Mexico's pretty good, and although the US, Canada, Honduras etc etc aren't the greatest teams on earth, they'd piss on the likes of Western Samoa and Vanuatu.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I'll believe Direct Qualification the day we actually play New Zealand for a spot in the World Cup. After the embarrassment at Coffs Harbour, I have a feeling we will have to wait a while. Can you imagine the fuss the EUropean clubs would kick up if they lost a spot while we played American Samoa to qualify?

 

[sbagman]

Ridiculous I know. But Mr Cooper said that even Coffs Harbour wouldn't affect Oceania's chances.

The way I see it, at least the Europeans can lose a game and still win group games and make it. For us, one loss (home & away) and we're out. Not really fair.

But we don't deserve to be among the best 32 in the world for beating NZ.

 

[Westy Boy]

Judging from the interest in this thread, it'll sell out within 10 minutes..... better get in early guys! Did that article mention when tickets go on sale? From memory, think we bought them in about September for last year's match.

Just one point though- While he was still in office, Ron Walker offered around a million dollars for the game to be staged in Melbourne, so the choice wasn't necessarily on the basis of holding the game at the 'home of soccer' - but we'll accept that anyway.

Hopefully it'll be the second leg...... without hacks like Tobin, Arnold and Slater as the teams core... infront of 100,000 people ..... huge media coverage (it'll rate throughthe roof if Channel 7 covers it live across Australia)..... and fingers crossed we aren't coming back from Columbia/Brazil 3-0 down after the first leg! Can't wait!!

 

[sbagman]

Originally posted by Westy Boy
..... and fingers crossed we aren't coming back from Columbia/Brazil 3-0 down after the first leg! Can't wait!!

Couldn't be as bad as coming back from Iran at 1-1.....