http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4435400.stm


I must admit, pom and all, i'm not half chuffed to see Australia finally get to the world cup.
For you Yanks unfamiliar with the real football world cup. There are groups in each Football federation (i.e continent) The group australia is in, is composed of Australia, New Zealand and then a bunch of islands nobody has ever heard of. Australia usually beat everybody in the group 8-0 10-0 etc but aren't given an automatic qualifying place for the world cup, (which considering Europe has 13-14 depending on Grouping is ridiculous.) They have to playoff against the 5th placed team in South America. A much stronger footballing continent. This playoff is almost always against Uraguay, Equador etc. Australia usually put up a good fight but are outclassed by the other team due to the fact that the Aussies are still fairly new to the game. Thankfully they've come on by leaps and bounds. I hope to see them do a South Korea and go a long way.

What could we call the Ashes in football  ;D

heehee....I though this had something to do with the "World Series of Poker" in which the Aussie *Something* Hachem (I think that's how you spell it) won.  He had a "cheering gallery" that would do the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy" chant every time he won a hand ;D



I was thinking the same thing. lol




Cat

heehee....I though this had something to do with the "World Series of Poker" in which the Aussie *Something* Hachem (I think that's how you spell it) won.  He had a "cheering gallery" that would do the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy" chant every time he won a hand ;D


Nah, i find it hilarious that there is a world series of poker though.

Could we have Olympic arse flashing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4435400.stm


I must admit, pom and all, i'm not half chuffed to see Australia finally get to the world cup.
For you Yanks unfamiliar with the real football world cup. There are groups in each Football federation (i.e continent) The group australia is in, is composed of Australia, New Zealand and then a bunch of islands nobody has ever heard of. Australia usually beat everybody in the group 8-0 10-0 etc but aren't given an automatic qualifying place for the world cup, (which considering Europe has 13-14 depending on Grouping is ridiculous.) They have to playoff against the 5th placed team in South America. A much stronger footballing continent. This playoff is almost always against Uraguay, Equador etc. Australia usually put up a good fight but are outclassed by the other team due to the fact that the Aussies are still fairly new to the game. Thankfully they've come on by leaps and bounds. I hope to see them do a South Korea and go a long way.

What could we call the Ashes in football  ;D


Thanks Man - you have described the circumstances very well.

Imagine how *I* feel  :o  The last time we were in the World Cup Finals was in 1974, I was 12 then.  Since then it has been one last gasp qualifying disaster after another, and yes, set against the backdrop of what is certainly considered here to be a very unfair qualification path.

We HAVE been coming along leaps and bounds in the last dozen years or so, but particularly of late.  Apart from anything else, the more important thing apart from finally qualifying is the it will give the game the presence in the country that it has long since deserved.  It has been suffering from the "couldn't qualify since 1974" stigma for too long (since 1974 ha ha)  ;D

I will tell you, sitting through 90 minutes, then 30 minutes extra time, then penalties, was not good for the nerves  :o

I have been like this all day >>>  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

(As a matter of interest, as at 1 January, Austrlia is no longer in Oceania from a FIFA persepctive, we will be part of the Asian confederation.  That gives a direct qualification path if we are good enough, which is a much better option)  :)

Thanks Man - you have described the circumstances very well.

Imagine how *I* feel  :o  The last time we were in the World Cup Finals was in 1974, I was 12 then.  Since then it has been one last gasp qualifying disaster after another, and yes, set against the backdrop of what is certainly considered here to be a very unfair qualification path.

We HAVE been coming along leaps and bounds in the last dozen years or so, but particularly of late.  Apart from anything else, the more important thing apart from finally qualifying is the it will give the game the presence in the country that it has long since deserved.  It has been suffering from the "couldn't qualify since 1974" stigma for too long (since 1974 ha ha)  ;D

I will tell you, sitting through 90 minutes, then 30 minutes extra time, then penalties, was not good for the nerves  :o

I have been like this all day >>>  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

(As a matter of interest, as at 1 January, Austrlia is no longer in Oceania from a FIFA persepctive, we will be part of the Asian confederation.  That gives a direct qualification path if we are good enough, which is a much better option)  :)


Your right there mate.

Being in the Asian group will give em a chance to face some half decent oposition - S.Korea, Japan, Saudi etc but still have a right good chance of qualifying. I can't imagine most of the Premiership Managers being too chuffed about it. The asian qualifying groups have a fair few more matches i think.

Eh? I don't think Australia has had to face an unfair qualification path. In fact, they've had it pretty easy. They get an easy romp over all their opponents in the Oceania group. The only real challenge they face is in the two-leg draw after that. In contrast, teams in North and South America have to play close to 20 gruelling matches to qualify for the World Cup.

Anyway, it's good to see the Socceroos finally make it. They've suffered a few heartbreakers in the past, like when they lost out to Iran on away goals in the last few minutes in 1998. For all Australian soccer fans, this is what they've been waiting for. Good for them.

Eh? I don't think Australia has had to face an unfair qualification path. In fact, they've had it pretty easy. They get an easy romp over all their opponents in the Oceania group. The only real challenge they face is in the two-leg draw after that. In contrast, teams in North and South America have to play close to 20 gruelling matches to qualify for the World Cup.

Anyway, it's good to see the Socceroos finally make it. They've suffered a few heartbreakers in the past, like when they lost out to Iran on away goals in the last few minutes in 1998. For all Australian soccer fans, this is what they've been waiting for. Good for them.


Allow me to clarify.  You are right, in as much as Australia have a very easy "Group".  The likes of Fiji, Vanuatu and the quickly improving Solomon Islands aren't much of a problem.  Even New Zealand have gone by the wayside. 

But all that then "qualifies" us for is half a chance at qualification, against a strong South American country, or Asian, or European country as it has been in the past.

You argue that "In contrast, teams in North and South America have to play close to 20 gruelling matches to qualify for the World Cup" and you are right, yet in the process, those teams get battle hardened.  Australia has little to no chance to experience the tough opposition we need to have been competitive (until now, apparently)  :P

We have been arguing for two decades to either have one qualifying place for Oceania (the only confederation not to have one) or to be allowed to join a confederation where we had that 'privelege'.  Well, we are now (as of January) in Asia.  Ask anybody in Australia, and you would find that they  are in favour of this option, which gives us the chance to qualify directly, on the basis of consistent performances in a group, rather than what is presently the lottery of a 'grand final' to qualify...

A quick look at Concacaf reveals that from the final qualifying group there, the US and Mexico were runaway qualifiers.  Of the other four, we saw Costa Rica power their way into third spot (Automatic qualification  ::) :o :o :o) with the outstanding record of one more win than they had losses out of their 10 qualifying matches.  When we consider that the final group had the powerhouses of Guatemala and Panama making up the numbers....this is what Oceania has been whinging for years about  :)

In regard to the qualification, thanks  :)  It has been a long loooong wait.  The Iran debacle was our own fault, I have never seen a side throw away a game as we did that night.  It still makes me sad  :o