By Scott B
November 2nd 2008 @ 12:04am
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Japan should be the Socceroos’ main rival
Germany 2006, Asian Cup 2007, upcoming ACL Final and World Cup 2010 qualifiers — now is a great chance for us to build a future legacy of rivalry within our confederation, if not international football, against Japan.
They are our biggest rivals. The chances of playing England in a meaningful competition (World Cup or Confederates) is very limited.
On the strength of this, I propose an annual cup between our countries. A-League champion vs J-League champion. Or perhaps an A-League allstars (Australian only) vs J-League allstars.
It would be a once a year game, and the winning team host the match the year after.
This is just one more thing that could help us build our rivalry. I see no reason why the game couldn’t be shown on free to air TV, unless the contracts prevent this.
Japan should be the team we have to beat, want to beat and need to beat.
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markyG said | November 2nd 2008 @ 12:40am | Report comment
That’s an awesome idea, but I’m not sure whether FTA TV would want it. They don’t care for footy unless they can plaster David Beckham all over their station.
Foxtel would be all over it though, as they love the ratings big footy games give them. Wasn’t the AFC quarter final between Australia and Japan the highest rated sports they’ve ever had?
Plus anything that strengthens the FFA’s relationship with Asian football is probably only a good thing at this stage.
dasilva said | November 2nd 2008 @ 1:08am | Report comment
My ranking of rivalry in Asia
1 Iraq – Our involvement in the war. Nothing strenghten rivalries more than politics and war. The Iraqi sides are so determine to beat Australia that its frightening. This probably explain why Iraq are capable to beat Australia convincingly and then lose to Qatar. Every match between these two nations has been engrossing football between two evenly match sides. Hey there’s even animosity between two supporters group. Remember that ticket fiasco where the Iraq federation went out of its way to piss off the Australian fans. Ever since then there are some australians supporters who ended up supporting anyone but Iraq and were quite happy for Qatar to eliminate the Iraqi despite the fact that Qatar cheated. This has all the elements of an intense rivalry. TO the iraqi people, Australia may be one of the side they want to beat the most (along with USA, Iran and perhaps Kuwait)
2. Iran – Every person who watch that match in 1997 are still waiting for revenge. IMO it is the biggest rivalry in Asia
3. Japan – Two continental superpowers. Japan will want revenge for WC2006. However I don’t think there’s any animosity between the two sides. Just typical competitive rivalries you expect from two powerhouse of the regions.
4. South Korea – 1974 WCQ Australia was 2-0 down but then came back to equalise. Under current rules South Korea should have lost by away goals but away goals rule weren’t there yet and we were force to play a third match on neutral ground. Australia then won the third playoff match and qualified to the world cup. This was australia doing an Iran over the South Koreans and that was their equivalent of the national disaster. That playoff series was just as bad to South Koreans as what the Iran match was for Australia. According to Johnny Warren and Les Murray – this started off a brief rivalry where every match between the two teams were heatly contested. Unfortunately when Australia no longer qualified through Asia. This rivalry kind of died. Maybe one day we can revive it.
dasilva said | November 2nd 2008 @ 1:17am | Report comment
To clarify the ranking especially this comment – Iran – IMO it is the biggest rivalry in Asia
Australia vs Iraq is rank no. 1 as the rivalry probably means the most to the Iraq as they seem like they passionately want to beat us.
Australia vs Iran – this rivalry will mean the most for us. All Australian who saw that match are waiting for the day where our team eliminate Iran from the World Cup (however the passion doesn’t match Iraq determination to beat us hence lower ranking).
IMO I want to see australia play Iran. Who cares about japan.
Scott B said | November 2nd 2008 @ 4:53am | Report comment
Dasilva
The reason I proposed this … is it would be the most suitable cup competition for us.
1. The distance between the 2 countries isn’t as far as others
2. We almost have the same time zones so both countries would be able to watch the match without it being on at 4am or 12pm in one of the countries.
3. Iraq at the moment doesnt look like a suitable opponent. The J-League will maintain a high quality over the coming years.
4. We would have less problems organizing this with Japan. Be treated better, no risk of health problems, and better coverage.
Nothing wrong with making new traditions.
Midfielder said | November 2nd 2008 @ 6:02am | Report comment
Das
For me the order is Japan, South Koera, China, Iran, Iraq …….agree with all your points, just for me playing other nations in our time zone will get people to watch. The Japan matchs and the status of Asians best will ensure this is the main match to Australians I think.
Dave said | November 2nd 2008 @ 6:58am | Report comment
l dont think another meaningless friendly is the way to go. Now Oz is part of Asian we will play Japan and other top Asian countries every 1-3 years anyway (WC Quals, Asian Cup). Dont want it to reach the stage like in Rugby where the Oz team plays the Kiwis 3-4 times (yawn) per year, more if the Rugby version of the WC is on.
There are enough games now played by the national team each year and it would be difficult to get the best players.
Same for the revamped ACL where a few more Oz and Japanese teams will qualify and so be playing anyway.
l would like to see more of a pan pacific challenge developed further with the MLS champs along with HAL and Jleague and maybe Meican champs playoff.
Scott B said | November 2nd 2008 @ 7:25am | Report comment
Im not saying the socceroos should play more friendlies against Japan. The players wouldnt be released anyway.
Im saying we should have a cup with league teams with 2 of the best leagues in Asia.
Been doing some research on WIkipedia (J-League), they already play in the A3 champions cup, which is the champions from jap, kor and china plus 1 extra from the host country. They play in the Pan-Pacific Championship, which is USA etc.
I dont care about playing american teams or canadian or mexico etc. Why not play a Pan-Indian cup too, us, maldives, yemen and south africa….. not thanks.
The A3 sounds the best to join, but im not going to watch chinese domestic vs korean domestic.
oikee said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:04am | Report comment
I think i mentioned Japan as our rival in a blog about 3 weeks ago, i had K.B telling me he was not that old that he remembered the war. I had to explain i was talking about what they do with the whaling, raping the southern seas. Anyhow, yes i agree Japan should be our biggest rival. I dislike them with a passion. Arrogant twots.
oikee said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:06am | Report comment
Agree dave, those tests between wallabies and all-blacks are becoming a bore fest.
ohtani's jacket said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:14am | Report comment
I don’t see what the war or whaling have to do with football.
oikee said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Thats liks saying i dont see what religion has to do with war.
ohtani's jacket said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Football is war?
Ben of Phnom Penh said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Rivalries will develop, they do not need to be manufactured. We are developing a healthy rivalry with Japan (especially recent history as we tipped them out of the group stages of the WC and they stopped our progress in the Asia Cup and all of the ACL clashes). As the Samurai Blue are an extremely competitive side, and a team that will take points from us, the games will always attract a good crowd and will be a great spectacle. We have no need for a “number one” rivalry. Quite frankly, I would prefer the Socceroos defeat them all; the good thing about the Japanese is they show how difficult that desire is to realise.
dasilva said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:38am | Report comment
I’m all for increasing cup competition and greater involvement with Japan over other sides. It would make the most sense ecconomically. Matches against Japan will be a star attraction and the match a lot of Australians will want to see. I don’t deny that.
I guess just wouldn’t call it a main rivalry. In any sport two sides who are the powerhouse of the regions will always be rivals to some extent as we love to see too evenly match sides duke it out but it doesn’t necessary mean it’s a main rival. The rivalry of Japan is very much dependent on both our countries being one of the top countries in Asia. If for some reason japan is no longer Asian top power and Australia flogs japan every time we play them (or vice versa) or if another team emerge to be stronger team then Japan then the rivalry will lose meaning. Also this rivalry with Japans seems a bit too friendly. I don’t believe us Australians hate the JApanese side (which is probably a good thing. I don’t think we hate any of sides with the exception of Iraqi football boardresponsible for the ticket fiasco). When I think of rivalry i think of intense rivalry with animosity between two sides and that rivalry will remain irrespective to the strength of the two teams like France and Germany, Japan and China. Rivalries where Australian team wouldn’t be treated well because of bad blood
In any case who knows perhaps matches between Australia and Japan will become more intense and fractious in the future. It will interesting to see how rivalries will naturally develop in the next decade or so.
By the way you inspired me to write an article about who is Australia’s biggest rivalry in football is. hopefully be up by tomorrow if its accepted.
peter_ga said | November 2nd 2008 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
There are enough fixtures in Asia already. For the national team, there is world cup qualifying and the Asian cup. Australian clubs have already had three home and away fixtures with Japanese clubs in the ACL, and are about to have a fourth. Why play more with these countries than we have to? I would rather see matches with teams from Europe or the Americas.
Having said that, Iraq do offer something unique, in that they are peculiarly difficult to beat for Australia, despite their lowly ranking, so I wouldn’t mind seeing us play them more often.
oikee said | November 2nd 2008 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
If we had any sense at all i would have to say make USA our biggest rivalry, they will eventually become the worlds best.? Only a matter of time i would say, now they are taking a interest in the game.
jimbo said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:52pm | Report comment
How times have changed,
the Kiwi’s used to be our biggest rivals – all whites and all blacks.
Now for the first time, we both could make it to the WC together.
After the last WC and Asian Cup, Japan has become our benchmark in Asian football. Will be interesting to see what happens in the last WC Qualification game in Melb and where we both stand going into the last game.
BTW, the Sydney April and June WCQ games are decided now and congratulations to the FFA for having the courage to play both games at Stadium Australia. We got our tickets already in a two game deal and they weren’t bad value.
After Germany 06, I’d love to see an annual two-legged game against Croatia or Italy and maybe a football ashes series against England – best of 3.
Then again, we are all too busy and there are so many competitions these days that we have to be content with meeting our biggest rivals in the Asian Cup or in our World Cup group.
Not much chance of Croatia, Italy, England or Japan agreeing to a friendly game or a Mickey Mouse tournament.
Midfielder said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:47pm | Report comment
What makes something important is how much the other guy wants to win and how many other guys are there.
In all sports the other side and their supporters want to win, in rugby NZERS want to win and beat Australia so Do South Africa and its deep down want to win, but how badly do they want to beat Australia. Cricket the same India, Sri Lanka.
But in football the Asian & Middle Eastern countries want to beat us badly ……. Lets see why as Das said Iraq – Our involvement in the war. Nothing strengthens rivalries more than politics and war. The Iraqi sides are so determine to beat Australia that its frightening, and as Das then said probably explain why Iraq are capable to beat Australia convincingly and then lose to Qatar
Iran ……… religion / politics / wars ……….. say no more.
Japan …….. they talk about beating us all the time
China ……. Want to become a sporting superpower ….. football is their game …… beat Australia …wanted desperately …… look what they did with their home leg.
South Korea …….Guss now PIm 1974 WCQ and history.
All these countries want to beat us and long to do so ….. the desire by these countries to beat us IMO is much more the Asian & Middle Eastern Countries than in the cricket and rugby that we traditionally play.
Das excellent first post ………..
ohtani's jacket said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:15am | Report comment
Guys I live in Japan, trust me the “rivalry” between Japan and Australia is in the figment of this Roar article.
Dave said | November 3rd 2008 @ 6:35am | Report comment
ohtani’s jacket
And what involvement do you have in Japanese football?
l think its fair to see many football fans in Oz see Japan as their main Asia rival and the aticle talks about developing that.
ohtani's jacket said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
I don’t have any involvement in Japanese football, but I know enough about it to say you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Japan and Australia may have developed a football rivalry on the pitch, but off the pitch? There’s more passion among Urawa Red fans than there is for the national football side. Japanese football fans don’t share the same mentality that Australians do. They readily accept that their team is no good and it’s a greater source of national pride that Nakamura plays for Celtic than if Japan beats Australia in football. No matter how much they dominate Asian football, they’ll always look up European club sides etc. That’s the Japanese mentality. No amount of stirring about the war or anything else will change that because generations of Japanese football fans have grown up knowing nothing about the war and thinking Australia is a beautiful country with lots of nature. But they don’t know much about Australia either. They’d never say a bad thing about Australia or Australians and heap praise on you and your football side. If they win, they’re lucky. There’s no attrition whatsoever.
Japan’s “rivals” will always be China and Korea regardless of how strong or weak those nations are. The history between those countries runs far deeper and far more bitter than World War II. Rarely does a game go by without some incident. I don’t really see why Australian football fans would want to cultivate that type of bad blood anyway. You can have a football rivalry on the pitch without finding a reason to hate the opposition.
dasilva said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
I never want Australia to have a rival that is as big and as bad blood as China and japan or japan and korea. It’s very messy stuff and anyone who seen footage of the Asia Cup Final in China should thank themselves that Australia don’t have an equivalent rivalry.
Dave said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
ohtani’s jacket
l dont think anyone is asking to cultivate bad blood with the Japanese rather the question was over football rivalry. Agreed the Japanese would have plenty of reasons to see China and Korea as their main rivals, not just in sport.
However if you asked footballing people in Japan…officials, coaches, players and not just spectators then they may have a differing view re rivalry and the Socceroos. l would suspect it is going to take some years of playing against the Japanese in WC qualifyers, Asian Cup matches and ACL fixtures between club sides before a real rivalry will be established from the Japanese perspective…but hey from the Oz perspective it seems to have already started.
The Japanese will be playing 2 games vs Socceroos in the coming 12 months including the MCG so it seems like a good start to develop rivalry further, even if it is only from this end.