Wally the Fly

THE SOCCEROOS should take a bow. We have for the first time ever qualified for two successive world cups. It has been an extraordinary achievement. Thank goodness we no longer have to endure the heartwrenching last ditch qualifing games anymore (Iran circa 97, Uruguay circa 01, 05). The move into Asia has meant the team gets to play regular matches together against better opposition and place in the World Cup finals determined by a host of matches from cold Sydney nights at the Olympic Stadium to blistering desert conditions in the Middle East rather than a one-off home and away leg. the move has meant more important games at home and literally millions of dollars extra for the national body.

LOTE TUQIRI shock, horror has been left out two weeks in a row from the Wallabies squad showing a) Dingo Deans doesn’t give a Kiwi bird’s arse how much he’s being paid and b) in all honesty there are better contenders for wing spots that Lote.

 On the subject of players being left out the Tele ran a story last week about Lote and Timana playing club rugby. In this morn’s Herald mentions how Phil Waugh is one of five members of the Wallabies squad and one of 40 Super rugby players running around for their clubs today. Hmmm, can you imagine that instead of these players going to club rugby they were going to a smaller, higher level competition? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see these guys playing with and against each other while the Test season played out? Instead of some players here and there as well as a few playing in Brissy and Perth comps. Another argument for our national club comp Mr O’Neill.

 THE WALLABIES while they aren’t going to South Africa next year (well they are but not for soccer) they’re performance last week was one of the best season openers in a long while. Gits and Barnes operating as first and second five-eighths makes Australia that much better and their tactical kicking was spot on. O’Connor is truly a freakish talent and alongside Lachie Turner will electrify our backline play. Add in a few injuried forwards and we have a decent shot at the Tri-Nations.

It wasn’t circa 2005 with Aloisi’s dramatic penalty against Uruguay but it’ll more than do. Australia have put themselves into an almost unassaliable position to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

The next missoin for the FFA? Getting good games for the national team between now and heading to Africa.

We have signed up to play the Republic of Ireland in Limerick in August and have Asian Cup qualifiers in November but have four more FIFA dates to fill in September and October.

The FFA have two things on their mind; firstly getting good sides that we’re not used to playing against (i.e. non-Asian) that we may come up against in the WC and secondly to get big enough sides to generate enough interest to get punters through the turnstiles.

There’s talk of the Dutch coming over which would be huge but who else should be on the hit list? The Sideline Eye has one name on the list: ENGLAND.

Australia playing England at home at football would surely get the media into a frenzy and sports lovers of all codes would have at least one eye on the contest.

Is this being pursued at all by the FFA? It definitely should be. The only other side that would turn the heads of non-soccer infidel here would be Brazil, which would be another huge coup for the FFA.

Both matches would tick both critera for the national body; its in the Socceroos interest to play against them and their style of football and it will get plenty of attention from the public.

Ok ok this might be pie in the sky stuff but its worth a shot.

Why would they want to come over here you say? Tell them Australian conditions are similar to South Africa and teams like England and the Netherlands should get out here to get used to it.

The next thing is getting decent World Cup warm up games in May 2010 which will be a lot tougher. Firstly, we won’t have a snow balls chance in hell in getting European teams over here because they’ll want to stay in the similar time zone that Africa shares with Western Europe.

Asian teams as I said above aren’t really in our interest to play against.

While South American sides could come over to base themselves in Australia where weather conditions are similar to South Africa and it is a more ’comfortable’ environment. It’s the long way to South Africa but you never know, its worth a shot! 

So get busy FFA, get us Joe Public some serious opposition. Let’s bring out some heavy weights and bring on the World Cup! 

WHILE Fyfe’s head slap on Adrian Trinidad was dumb stuff what’s even more frustrating was Trinidad’s pathetic milking of the penalty.

The absolute worst aspect of the game of football is the widespread tactic of diving to get a penalty.

This should never have become an accepted part of the game.

It is simply a form of cheating.

The FFA need to stamp it out because in a country of sports fans used to Aussie Rules and rugby and league, people watching the theatrics just think it’s a soft, pansy, poofy soccer sport.

Bugger waiting to see what FIFA do or say or what they do in Europe, let’s lead the charge.

Getting rid of the dive is actually really quite easy. Allow a judiciary committee to watch every game and if they see what they think may be a dive then they can charge the player and have a hearing. If the player is found guilty then they can be suspended.

It’s too hard for the referee, during a fast paced game to be able to accurately determine whether the player was legitimately tripped or they are in fact cheating through theatrics.

In some cases it would be hard to conclusively determine that a player has done a dive, fair enough but in others it would be very obvious.

If this system was put in place players would instantly get hte message that cheating isn’t ok and they know they’ll be caught out.

How grand it is that as Europe’s best fight it out Australian football fans are no longer playing the ‘whose your adopted team’ game.

When Australia qualified into the World Cup it meant we no longer had to live vicariously through England, Republic of Ireland, Italy (shudder) or anyone else. 

Fact is while a lot of Aussie football fans are watching Euro, most would be more concerned about the Socceroos getting through the second last stage of Asian qualifying.

It shows just how crucial it was changing from Oceania to Asia.

Not to mention the fact that the Socceroos are facing tougher opposition and playing more often which is of course means Australia is improving dramatically.

Not to mention that there are four more home games to be played in Australia in the final round of qualifying which means four more sell-out stadiums and plenty of revenue for the FFA.

When O’Neill joined the FFA he said he wanted three things; new domestic comp, qualify for Germany and join Asia. We did those three things and look at the success.

So I guess the question remains; what’s next? Answer: Winning the hosting rights for the 2018 world cup.

Sounds easy enough…