Socceroos and Australian Football

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Craig

Didn't he start off a riot or something similar some years ago when he went made a Croatian victory signal (after scoring) at a bunch of Serbian fans?

Vice versa actually, Despotovski has Serbian folks & made the three finger salute Serbs gave after brutalising Croats during the civil war. He was playing for Perth Glory against the Melbourne Knights (formerly Melbourne Croatia, of course).

[Cloete]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Vice versa actually, Despotovski has Serbian folks & made the three finger salute Serbs gave after brutalising Croats during the civil war. He was playing for Perth Glory against the Melbourne Knights (formerly Melbourne Croatia, of course).

Dale knowns his NSL history

Surpised no one's really mentioned the huge crowd from Melbourne.

Originally Posted by A-League Website

A-League up with the best
Saturday, 9 December, 2006 - 1:12PM
Bren O'Brien, Sportal

The stunning crowd of 50,333 that turned up to watch Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at Telstra Dome is a sure sign that the Hyundai A-League is up there with the best club competitions in the world, according to Sydney coach Terry Butcher.

Butcher, who represented England at three World Cups, played in front of big crowds in England and Scottish club football, but never thought when he took up the helm at Sydney earlier this year that he'd be in charge of a team playing in front of more than 50,000.

"I was completely knocked back by the crowd the first time down here (more than 39,000), I think it really hit home to people what the A-League could be and I think it's even better, it's getting better and bigger and stronger and I'm really pleased to be a part of that," he said.

"If you've got 50,000-odd people coming to games, it's up there with a lot of leagues around the world. That's just an incredible achievement. The standard of football and the quality of football is getting better all the time."

"The aim and ambition is to reach those levels, we're not quite there yet, but it will get there. What it does do, it sends out signals around the world that the crowd and the occasion of what's happening, people want to come here."

Victory skipper Kevin Muscat agrees that sell-out crowds and high-class football will encourage more Australian players to return home to play in the Hyundai A-League.

"You'd do well to find an Australian abroad this weekend that's gonna play in front of a bigger crowd than that. I understand you can say stadium sizes and circumstances, but the fact is you'd be pushed to find that," he said.

As a measure of the popularity of the Victory, and the Hyundai A-League, the previous time an AFL match was played at the ground in front of a bigger crowd than 50,333 was in 2004.

For Mark Rudan, the veteran defender who played for Sydney United and Northern Spirit in the old NSL, as well as having stints in China, Malaysia and Germany, the sight of a near-capacity Telstra Dome was almost beyond belief.

"Just before we walked out in the tunnel (referee) Mark Shield turned around and said, 'Mate, can you believe this?' From Sydney United to 50-55,000," he said. "Every time we had a goal kick I had to look around and just take it all in, it was something special tonight."

"I think today goes down in history and I think it will be one of the biggest crowds. I don't think it will be beaten for a long time, I must be honest with you. So put this day down in history, because that's what we've got to rejoice in."

The attendance shattered the previous record for a domestic football match in Australia set at 43,292 at the NSL final in Perth in 2000. Rudan said the popularity of the Hyundai A-League is fitting reward for those fans who have waited a long time for Australian domestic football to capture the nation.

"All the football lovers in this country, who've been waiting a long time. I've been waiting for a long time. In '93 I made my debut, playing in front of 500 sometimes, 5000 sometimes, but now we've got 50,000. I've been playing when the chips were down … but now the A-League's here, this is what it's all about."

Anyway we got a great Asian Cup draw. I really think we should win it, because then we push for a spot in the confederations cup which is always an interesting, though perhaps pointless, competition. I'm pretty disappointed about Fox Sports' exclusive TV rights though, it means alot of people will miss out. It won't help the sport broaden its appeal IMO. Because the Socceroos are still by far the game's biggest drawcard here and we need to continually increase their appeal. Moving all their games to PayTV won't do that.

[Cloete]

Originally Posted by AFC Champions League

Aussie clubs face tough debuts
Dec 22, 2006
afcchampionsleague.com

KUALA LUMPUR – Australia’s representatives in next year’s AFC Champions League – Sydney FC and Adelaide United – face baptisms of fire in Asian club competition after being handed tough-looking draws for the group stage of the 2007 tournament.

At the official draw for Asia’s premier club competition, held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Friday afternoon, A-League champions Sydney were placed in a difficult Group E with reigning J.League and Emperor’s Cup champions Urawa Reds, China Super League runners-up Shanghai Shenhua and Indonesian league champions Persik Kediri.

Adelaide, winners of the premiership title during the inaugural A-League season, face an even more challenging task in Group G where they will be joined by China league and cup double winners Shandong Luneng, Korean league champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Vietnam league champions Dong Tam Long.

The third east Asian group comprises Korean FA Cup winners Chunnam Dragons, J.League runners-up Kawasaki Frontale, Thailand League champions Bangkok University and Indonesian cup holders Arema Malang.

In the west, 2006 AFC Champions League runners-up Al Karama of Syria have been placed in Group C with Uzbekistan league runners-up Neftchi, Qatar league champions Al Sadd and Iraq league runners-up Al Najaf.

Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates, the inaugural winners of the AFC Champions League in 2003, will be looking to extend their record of reaching the knockout stage in every edition of the continental competition. However, they face a tricky road to the last eight after being drawn in Group D with Iran’s Hafzi Cup holders Sepahan, Saudi league champions Al Shabab and Syrian cup winners Al Ittihad.

The toughest-looking of the western sections is Group B which includes Saudi Crown Prince Cup holders Al Hilal, Iran Pro League champions Esteghlal, Uzbekistan double winners Pakhtakor and Kuwait Emir’s Cup holders Al Arabi.

Group A features Kuwait league champions Al Kuwait, UAE league runners-up Al Wahda, Iraq league champions Al Zawra’a and Emir’s Cup holders Al Rayyan of Qatar.

The group stage of the 2007 AFC Champions League will take place from March 7 to May 23 with the top team from each section advancing to join defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of Korea in the quarter-finals.

The home-and-away quarter-finals are slated for September 19 and 26 while the semi-finals will be held on October 3 and 24.

The two-leg final is scheduled for November 7 and November 14.

AFC Champions League 2007 groups
Group A: Al Arabi (Kuwait), Al Wahda (UAE), Al Rayyan (Qatar), Al Zawra’a (Iraq)
Group B: Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan), Al Kuwait (Kuwait), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Esteghlal (Iran)
Group C: Al Karama (Syria), Neftchi (Uzbekistan), Al Najaf (Iraq), Al Sadd (Qatar)
Group D: Al Ain (UAE), Al Ittihad (Syria), Sepahan (Iran), Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia)
Group E: Urawa Reds (Japan), Sydney FC (Australia), Shanghai Shenhua (China), Persik Kediri (Indonesia)
Group F: Bangkok University (Thailand), Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), Arema Malang (Indonesia), Chunnam Dragons (Korea),
Group G: Adelaide United (Australia), Dong Tam Long An (Vietnam), Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (Korea), Shandong Luneng (China)

Interesting. Will really be able to see where the A-League team is at given the stiff draws. Group F looks very favourable though. Pity the Victory aren't playing however.

[Matteh]

How does the group system work? First 2 go through? etc

[Samuel_Vimes]

Originally Posted by Matteh

How does the group system work? First 2 go through? etc

Winner goes through to quarter-finals, along with Chonbuk Hyundai Motors who have qualified for the QFs by winning this year's cup.

Suppose the Aussie sides had to get tough draws because they're not seeded. Should beat the Vietnamese side, though, that country's not exactly known for footballing exploits.

[Matteh]

Can't see Sydney going through tbh, Adelaide stand a better chance.

[chaminda_00]

Both have pretty tough draws, but hopefully if these teams go ok then we will get a few more Brazilians and top Asian players coming to Australia. Might try and get down to as many of the Sydney games as possible. Could be a while before we are in it again, if we don't stop playing so crap.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Winner goes through to quarter-finals, along with Chonbuk Hyundai Motors who have qualified for the QFs by winning this year's cup.

Suppose the Aussie sides had to get tough draws because they're not seeded. Should beat the Vietnamese side, though, that country's not exactly known for footballing exploits.

Is there something you don't know about?

Will these matches be showed on Fox Sports?

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Craig

Is there something you don't know about?

Will these matches be showed on Fox Sports?

Im pretty sure Fox Sports has the rights to the Asian Cup and ACL.

I think the Australian teams were seeded, well sort of. They took two spots from South East Asia, so they were always going to play two sides from East Asia and one from South East Asia. Im i don't think they work it out like the these that win the championship, get a seeding or a top eight seeding. Its all based on regions, but im not 100% sure.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Im pretty sure Fox Sports has the rights to the Asian Cup and ACL.

I think the Australian teams were seeded, well sort of. They took two spots from South East Asia, so they were always going to play two sides from East Asia and one from South East Asia. Im i don't think they work it out like the these that win the championship, get a seeding or a top eight seeding. Its all based on regions, but im not 100% sure.

Hakon will know.

Anyway it will be interesting to watch the Asian Cup and CL. Definatly something I have never seen before.

[Craig]

Grella linked with Inter:

http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...ia/dec24c.html

[Great Birtannia]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Asian Cup 2007 groups just announced:

Group A - Thailand, Iraq, Oman, Australia
Group B - Vietnam, UAE, Qatar, Japan
Group C - Malaysia, China, Uzbekistan, Iran
Group D - Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Korea Republic

Looks like Australia and Japan got the easy groups, but Iraq or Oman could push us maybe if we play really crappy.

I just came across the pots from the draw.

Pot 1 (co-hosts): Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam
Pot 2: China, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain
Pot 3: Qatar, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman
Pot 4 (seeds): Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic

Our new Asian friends only announced them 2 hours before the draw and based them on rankings from 3 months ago so that South Korea could be seeded - they've since dropped below Uzbekistan in the ratings. A fair draw? Not likely.

Looking at that I don't think we could have drawn a better group had we been given an opportunity to pick from the field ourselves.

I was in Rosebud the other day and on the beach there was a family of Indians in turbans and Melbourne Victory replica shirts having lunch. It was a nice sight to see and just shows how far the game has come in Melbourne since the introduction of the A-League and the move away from the ethnic based clubs. It's opened the game up to the mainstream and not just the die hard Greek, Croat, Italian communities.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the venues for the finals in Melbourne. Going on the 50,000 crowd the other week, the dome should sell out in week one, so if Melbourne win and go directly into the grand final will they play it at the 'G? 98,000 for a domestic football game in Australia would be something else - I will make the drive up the peninsula for that.

[Craig]

Better then any Serie A game, or La Liga (unless at the Nou Camp and only for the game against Real Madrid, Valencia or one of their main rivals like Chelsea) and definatly better then the EPL.

Say what you like about the league but at least the people are turning up.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Originally Posted by Great Birtannia

Our new Asian friends only announced them 2 hours before the draw and based them on rankings from 3 months ago so that South Korea could be seeded - they've since dropped below Uzbekistan in the ratings. A fair draw? Not likely. .

They probably realised the idiocy of Uzbekistan being rated ahead of South Korea. Name one decent Uzbek fotoballer...

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

They probably realised the idiocy of Uzbekistan being rated ahead of South Korea. Name one decent Uzbek fotoballer...

I say lack of chances rather then lack of quality, they got some good footballers from what i've seen. If they got a chance to play in major Asian or European Leagues im sure they will show their quality.