Good. Australia didn't belong in the WC anyway.

[danger zone]

They play six lousy games against some of the worst nations in the world and think they can just step up and beat Uruguay. Well good riddance. The Aussies would taint any WC. Until they have to play world class teams to qualify they dont deserve to be there. Look at New Zealand, the last Oceania team to qualify in 82. They played eight Oceania games, then seven games against Asia's best. That's a deserved spot. Maybe Aussie should do that in the future. But for right now, justice is done. Aussie are still a third world football nation. When it comes to the big one, they cant hack it.

 

[Dirlewanger]

I disagree mate...

The Aussies r on their way to becoming a competent national outfit.

They have the talent & by all acounts Oz football is on the rise.

Watch this space

 

[danger zone]

Nah they dont have it. They are pretenders.

 

[Dirlewanger]

I think the plan is for Australia to play many games in europe .

This will be a big help

 

[galah]

Unfair Draw

You must remember, no other confederation has a stupid entry system like Oceania's. Uraguay had 18 matches against the other South Americans to gain their spot. Why then does Australia (and other Oceania teams) chance for a birth come down to two matches. It is a joke. At least we should get both the two matches at home!

Why should Uraguay get the advantage of a home game when they were not good enough to make the top 4 in South America.

We get punished just because of our location in the world.
It does not matter how good we play, it will still come down to two games, against a side that has had its chance (why does Uraguay get a second chance when we don't).

Vote 1:
Oceania for direct qualification in World Cup 2006!

 

[IceBlu]

Aussie Soccer is definaterly on the rise and soom they will be a for ce to reckon with , like all the sports the mem from down under take part in.

Tell me one sport that the aussies play and are not good at...

Swimming - Great
Cricket - Great
Rugby - Great
Tennis - Great


Aussies are not pretenders....They are world beaters.I can't think of any nation that dominate soooo many games.

Its a shame that they did'nt qualify for the WC but i'm happy for Uruguay.

 

[a_johnson82]

danger zone

"They play six lousy games against some of the worst nations in the world and think they can just step up and beat Uruguay."

Did we have a choice? No - FIFA makes that decision and as hard as we may try, we always get a screwed deal with them. Also, don't forget that Australia have also played France twice this year, beating them 1-0 at Confederations Cup, and then drawing 1-1 the week prior to the first qualifier, against A FULL STRENGTH TEAM, so that really just blows your case out of the water. I haven't seen the US come close to beating France or any other top level nation recently!

"The Aussies would taint any WC. Until they have to play world class teams to qualify they dont deserve to be there. Look at New Zealand, the last Oceania team to qualify in 82. They played eight Oceania games, then seven games against Asia's best. That's a deserved spot."

France? Brazil? Australia has played both these sides and been able to win in recent times, and with players like Kewell and Viduka who play big time matches each week in the Premier League, and others such as Moore at Rangers and Emerton at Feyernoord, they have the capability to beat anyone on their day. I will say though, I would personally prefer for Australia to qualify how New Zealand did in 82 - the more games and more chances for Australia to make it the better - then we might get a second chance playoff as well if we do not make it automatically!

I can only say 2 things about you danger zone:
1. You do not know anything about Australian football
2. You are a typical American who goes and blasts his mouth off before he even knows what he is talking about!

To sum up - yes we choked on the big day, but that doesnt mean we could not have won, nor does it mean we are a disgrace to our nation or the game - we failed to qualify but we did not disgrace ourselves!

AJ

 

[Parra Power]

Originally posted by danger zone
They play six lousy games against some of the worst nations in the world and think they can just step up and beat Uruguay. Well good riddance. The Aussies would taint any WC. Until they have to play world class teams to qualify they dont deserve to be there. Look at New Zealand, the last Oceania team to qualify in 82. They played eight Oceania games, then seven games against Asia's best. That's a deserved spot. Maybe Aussie should do that in the future. But for right now, justice is done. Aussie are still a third world football nation. When it comes to the big one, they cant hack it.

All of this coming from someone in the US. Who did you have to play against. Honduras? Jamacia? Trinidad and Tobago? Guatemala? Barbados? Hell, your best score was 4-0. You didn't even come 1st in your zone. Comepare those teams to Uruguay.

Oh, and on the subject of history, look at the last world cup. We drew against Iran in Iran, then drew again at home, only to be knocked out by away goals. 6 months and 27 days later, June 21,
IRAN KICKED YOUR ASS 2-1.
We're a third world footballing nation. HAHAHAHAHAHA

(Note: This wasn't meant to offend anyone, except danger zone.

 

[Gareth]

Australia's major problem is definately the lack of top class games we play.

We played 1 game against France, wow a lot of experience there (sarcasm intended there).

Australia have played 11 full internationals since March 2000 and Uruguay have played 24, that includes WCQ games. How can you call that a build up 11 lousy games.

2 People you can blame fellas (maybe danger zone for his hypcritical comments):

-FIFA for being harsh on Australia (mainly because the OFC representative in FIFA dogged South Africa at the vote for WC 2006, cause Sepp Blatter wants Football Worl Cup in Africa, crazy I tell ya)
-2nd, the clubs. All the big club teams dont want to release good players for games, such as Kewell and Viduka and hence the fact they we lack match experince with a compatitble squad.

 

[Can't stop the rush...]

I say congrats to both teams and good luck to Uruguay in the WC finals.

 

[leungtl]

If I recall correctly, wasn't danger zone from New Zealand...

 

[Amika]

i still think that australia depend too much on kewell... just like leed are... if he is not fit i can't see how australia can play against any of the other top team...

 

[Parra Power]

umm... Emerton, Viduka, Okon Skoko, Aloisi, Lazaridis.

They wouldn't quite be as good without him, but I think they could kope.

 

[Parra Power]

Originally posted by Leungtl
If I recall correctly, wasn't danger zone from New Zealand...

It says USA, and what kinda person could be so disrespectful towards their country to lie about which country they live in?

 

[danger zone]

Man you can all kiss my ass because if you read my profile you would see hat I am from New Zealand and have lived here in the States for a few years. And yes I know what I am talking about. I've been watching Oceania as long as any of you Aussies and I remember when the All Whites qualified in 82. I was there and recall what a task it was for them. Talk about tough. Don't confuse me for a Yank please. Why would I state I am in New Zealand when it says location? I would be a liar because I am currently NOT located there. Am I? As for Aussie? Utter crap.

 

[FIFAfreak]

I really feel for the Aussies but let's face reality here... the Aussies play in a VERY WEAK group... YES EVEN WEAKER than the U.S. group... Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica are well above the crap teams (FIJI, TONGA, SAMOA AND AMERICAN SAMOA!!!) Australia plays in Oceania. Given that, Australia EASILY crusies through their group only to fall to a 5th placed nation from a stronger group. Since you bring up the U.S.... 2-1 is hardly an Asskicking! compared to losing 3-0! Our biggest win was 7-0 over Barbados and that was in the Semi-Final Group... YES we had to get through THAT GROUP FIRST and THEN Mexico, Coasta Rica etc... a little tougher and longer road than the Aussies faced.

Now the unfair thing that I see for the Aussies is that it ALWAYS comes down to this ONE 2 game playoff against a team from a stronger group which renders their Oceania group play MEANINGLESS. This is where they GET SCREWED every WC. It may have been a little more fair if the Aussies instead played someone closer to their level... say the 3rd or 4th place finisher in CONCACAF which was Coasta Rica or Honduras. To me this would have seemed a more balanced match... as for Uruguay if they can't finish high enough in their group then they DON'T DESERVE TO GO EITHER. There were 4 teams better than they were... so Uruguay probably shouldn't be there either but they do play in one of THE TOUGHEST groups.

The longterm and sensible solution is to GET RID of the Oceania group and have these teams compete in the Asian group. Then Australia will have a better chance of proving they deserve to goto the WC. Pity just isn't a good enough reason, they still have to prove themselves on the pitch.

 

[galah]

But are we?

Fair enough to say we should qualify through the Asian confederation, but since when has Australia been part of Asia!!!

Paul Keating (our old Prime Minister) was the last to say we should be part of Asia and he got kicked out of office so quick that Labour has never recovered.

Enough politics, Vote 1 Oceania for Automatic Qualification in 2006!

 

[FIFAfreak]

Again the quality of teams just doesn't support giving an automatic berth to Oceania... that basically equates to an automatic berth for Australia every WC.

To make things a little more fair... Australia should get a more sustained qualifying run against teams from other groups AFTER they win Oceania...

HERE'S A GREAT IDEA! Why not put all the lower place finishers from the 6 confederations into one group and let them play round robin with the top 2 finishers getting the last spots. That way Australia is not confined to ONE 2 leg encounter that determines their fate. They would get to play Uruguay and other teams home and away with a better chance to prove themselves for that last spot.

The group would contain 6 teams looking something like this...

1) Australia, Oceania Winners
2) Uruguay, CONMEBOL 5th Place
3) Iran, AFC 3rd Place
4) Honduras, 4th place CONCACAF
5) Austria, Lowest UEFA Runnerup
6) The best of the African Runnerup teams ( A group playoff between Angola, Liberia, Morocco, Cote d'Ivoir and Zimbabwe

Top 2 would get the last 2 spots.

 

[Ruben Sosa]

Now that's just crazy. It'll take shit loads of time which FIFA don't want to give (They wouldn't even push back Uruguay vs. Australia 2 days!). Round robin is totaly out of the Question. Neautral ground aybe... tou I still think FIFA won't even consider it.

Your idea looks great in theory, but terrible in practice. Just think how long that would take to be played, and how many trips the players would have to do, consider their fitness...

 

[mikasalo32]

Maybe the Oceania winner should play against the 3rd place CONCACAF, because I don't really think they deserve 3 places, but I do think COMMEBOL deserves 5.

And Dangerzone, mate your just another jealous kiwi. Jealous of how Australia beats ur ass in every sport, mate get over it,we don't give a shit about New Zealand.