By Paddy Higgs
November 7th 2008 @ 1:34am
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Somewhere in Japan, an audience of one watches Adelaide fall
Nagoya is a central-Japanese city of 2.2 million people. Think it would be easy to find a bar televising the Asian Champions League final, being played just a couple of hours down the road in Osaka? Think again.
After being told at two CBD sports bars they would not be showing the clash, my girlfriend and I ended up in the Australian-themed Red Rock, thinking perhaps I might find a handful of Aussie expats with which to follow the game.
Again, I was wrong.
The handful of punters perched at the bar barely raised an eyebrow when I enquired about the game.
Indeed, as I began to overhear snatches of conversation, I realized that the bartender and I were the only Australians in the establishment. Given that the game hadn’t even been on before I had arrived, I could also surmise that out of us two, I was the only one remotely interested in how the Reds would fare.
Nonetheless, I settled down determined to make the best of the historic occasion.
The optimism that had greeted the thought of the game earlier that day did not, however, take long to dissipate.
Led by Japanese international Yasuhito Endo, Gamba outplayed its opponent from start to finish in the 3-0 victory.
The gulf between the two sides – at least on Wednesday night – was all to evident, particularly when the home side attacked.
Adelaide full backs Scott Jamieson and Robert Cornthwaite were the busiest of United’s players, and not in the way in which the Reds would have wanted.
Time and again, they struggled to get to grips when confronted with their opponents at the byline.
Michihiro Yasuda was a constant scourge of Cornthwaite. The Japanese seemed to sense after just a few minutes that he would have the better of his Adelaide opponent.
Even the Japanese television station seemed to agree.
Every time Yasuda got free to deliver another cross, the cameras switched to a shot of a baffled-looking Cornthwaite.
How United seemed to miss an Endo of their own to pull the strings and slow the game down to a pace it was comfortable with!
It’s most likely candidate, Paul Reid, was consigned to the bench, presumably still hampered by injury.
Things could have been far worse for United. Goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic should have been dismissed in the final minutes for bringing down Lucas outside the area. And Endo was denied a much-deserved goal just a minute later when the Singaporean referee disallowed his pinpoint freekick due to an infringement only he seemed to spot.
At 3-0, Osaka has one hand firmly on the ACL trophy.
But Adelaide knows it can score that many at home, and will be out for revenge after being played off the park.
When the final whistle did go, I was the only one in the bar who seemed to notice. Football is meant to be the world game, but in this part of the world no-one seemed to be watching.
Perhaps for Adelaide on Wednesday, it was for the best.
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(149)
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 5:15am | Report comment
Hmmm - something about ‘potential’ audience.
There seems a lot of inflationary claims of greatness by soccer folk trying to claim that every Asian (let alone Japanese) household will be switched on and watching intently.
or - - - perhaps to followers of other clubs and countries - the progress of 2 ‘other’ clubs, especially from 2 ‘other’ countries - might just be the LAST thing on their mind.
Because, not every country has such a sporting culture as Australia, and I think sometimes there are people who attempt to project Australian passion/interest onto other nations where - in the main, the people have a more immediate and primary focus - - their jobs and survival. Sports is for many, a luxury.
The Answer said | November 7th 2008 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Fair point Michael, although I thik Japan may have moved on from hunter gatherer status.
Nice to read a football story though which didn’t include the phrase “who would have thought that a few years ago….”
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 7:57am | Report comment
300 million fans in japan are all watching the rugby union.
Who in their right mind thinks that anyone gives a flying toss about the a-league, overseas that is, we need to grow the game here at the lowest level because we are 30 years behind the rest of the world. And at least could we stop saying one billion people watching, the reality is maybe a million or 2. And thats for the soccerdoos. Aderlaide was lucky to get 200 thousand watching, thank goodness. Oh the shame.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 8:13am | Report comment
The Answer -
we’re all ‘hunters and gatherers’ at root, just the tools are slightly different, and the items hunted for and gathered have changed for many from staple foods to included a whole bunch of unneccessary objects.
oikee -
‘mythbusters’ perhaps!
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 8:25am | Report comment
to be fair
Nagoya has their own J league side. I’m not too sure that they’ll be interested in how well Osaka goes. I don’t believe there’s this Osaka are representing Japan vibe over there like there is with Adelaide representing Australia.
Also Japan most popular sport is not football either. It’s baseball. Football is number 2
It’s not surprising that there will large amount of people who couldn’t care less about Asian Champions League.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 8:45am | Report comment
daSilva -
it illustrates the point though, doesn’t it, that if the folk in Nagoya don’t care because it’s Osaka, ….., and they aren’t seeing them as ‘representing’ Japan, and HAL advocates are looking forward to when they Don’t have to regard AdUtd as ‘representing’ Australia - - - it just goes to show that the natural progression is to club specific concerns. Reality is that a lot of people care more for their ‘team’ than the ‘greater good of the game’.
there’s a lot of over hype around soccer, the ACL and Asia. It’s all still finding it’s feet. SO - I’ve learnt that I’m going to ignore entirely people talking about 300 million Asians tuning in…………becuase, there’s a huge chasm between ‘potential’ and ‘actual’.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 8:57am | Report comment
DOes anyone has the TV viewers about how many people tuning in?
If the nagoya don’t want to see them as representing JApan then go ahead. Just like in England, Italy and most of Europe I doubt non supporters of Milan, Man U, Real madrid would celebrate there victory in Europe
However the fact is football fans in australia unlike the rest of the world see Adelaide Utd as representing Australia for the most part. You don’t have to see it that way if you don’t want to and don’t have an obligation to. In any case IU think it shows a unique charm in Australia that football fans see it that way in Australia. Interclub rivalries are overrated anyway
I could give an explanation. The difference is that the Australian team in Asia are pioneers while Japan are establish powers. Like when Manchester United were representing England in the 50’s and 60’s in the European Cup there was general good will from the rest of England and most of england saw Manchester as representing England. When England establishing themselve and become one of the dominant team in Europe this stops happening.
I’m quite sure when Australia becomes a power in Asia and have our team become multiple winners of the ACL we’ll see some of the good will dissapears.
Although I hope not though. I hope this attitude will remain something unique for Australian football supporters.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 9:11am | Report comment
dasilva -
may do on the isolation aspect.
True Tah said | November 7th 2008 @ 9:34am | Report comment
dasilva,
I actually think futbol has overtaken baseball as no.1 in Japan.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Actually I hear that when Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the UCL Semis back in 2002 many Barcelona fans supported their most hated rivals in the final because they wanted to see a Spanish team win. I guess in different areas it is different, but I’ve made my point before that there is something to gain from seeing your local rivals win in international competition. In Europe the reward is that if a team from your nation does well, next season clubs from your nation will have more ranking points and be seeded higher in the competition, and perhaps more clubs from your nation will be admitted to the competition.
Should teams from your nation continually fail in international competition, the opposite is true. So, how would you feel if in order for your club to enter the UCL the next season you would need your hated rivals to win it this season? Would you prefer what is best for you team and cheer on you rivals, or would it be too much to tolerate seeing them win, even if it meant your club might be put into financial jeopardy because they miss out on the prize money for entering next season’s UCL?
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Umm…. oikee… the current population of Japan is around 120million and due to fall to around 75mill over the next 25 years. So I don’t know where you get your 300 million from. I can speak with some authority about that country as my current passport alone boasts 9 stamps from trip up there.
Second, yes MC is right, many less would watch any sport at all than in Australia. But if they do, they watch baseball and football for their team sports. Rugby Union by comparison is a very small niche sport up there, comparable say to field hockey in Australia.
Third, you are right about A-League and Japanese not giving a “flying toss” but we weren’t talking an A-League game, we are talking an Asian Champions League game. They get 4 teams in that comp, of which 3 made it to the knock-out rounds this year. So they have good reason to follow this game and this comp. Remember its not Australia. Its the whole of Asia.
Fourth, big call to say we are “30 years behind” when all our clubs who have competed in ACL in recent years have been quite competitive, and one is in the continental final at the moment having beaten some good clubs to get there. Not saying we’re on par, but we are within reach. Maybe “5 years behind” at best.
And finally, while watching the game on the web I did a little experiement to see what different streams I could find. Star Sports (covering most of S-E Asia), CCTV in China, Fox down under of course, Vietnam TV, and then I found 2 middle-eastern streams - one in Arabic and one in Farsi (Iranian). Plus I understand it was televised in Japan. Irrespective of the number of people watching (and I suspect there were quite a few million) this at least shows that for a club game it got quite some coverage and was indeed available live to over 1/3 of the world’s population.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 9:57am | Report comment
I will tell you something, and apart from K.B on here, who happens to be a welshman(cockroach) in heart, queensland would never support another team outside this state, any team that makes it with-in the state , YES, but outside no, why , because we have a winning mentality and all other states mean diddly squat to us, ( this is because of origin) But having said this the year we do get a team in the ACL will be the year soccer in queensland hits the head-lines. At least you have that to look forward to, melbourne wont rate a mentione same goes for sydney, but, if sydney wins then it will give us more determination to get there. This is reality up here. Which is why i keep saying that 3 teams in queensland is a must, the more the merrier. We love our interstate rivalry, we were brought up on it.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:04am | Report comment
True tah
Really?
Oh well. I was told by an international student from Japan saying that Football is still number 2 to baseball.
That’s nice to hear another country have football as a number one sport
The Bear said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:06am | Report comment
Why would anyone go to a pub in Japan to watch anything? Most Japanese i know have the game on their moblies, if not the 99.999% have it on their home teles/PCs. Nut nice article. Glad you got to see the game, tho it was a timid f$*kin effort.
Graciously,
The Bear
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:07am | Report comment
Kazama
That is truly astonishing especially due to the politics involve in that rivalry. There is lot more dividing those two clubs then anything that divides the states in Australia
If Barcelona fans can support Real Madrid surely Australians can back Adelaide for the ACL
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Oikee - you do realise that your last post is a bad thing not a good thing in terms of how (if we are to believe you at least) Queenslanders are… and it’s certainly not a “winning mentality” in my book.
That kind of regionalist / parochial mentality reminds me so much of being a kid in Perth what with the tagging of the rest of Australia as “eastern staters” (along, off course with the assumption that all people ‘over east’, whether in Hobart, Sydney, Gladstone or Darwin were pretty much the same), and growing this unnatural state pride which when one scraped even a millimetre below the surface was actually a fear-based persecution complex. I was back there - in Perth - 2 weekends ago and do you know there are still the same secessionists writing to the West Australia as there were 15 years ago?
I’d hate to live in a country where we don’t support each other just because of some artificial enemities borne of old-school sporting codes that are rapidly becoming outdated. Like I’ve said before, if they play Sydney, I hate Adelaide with a passion, as much as any other ‘enemy’ team. But as Australia’s rep in the ACL, goddamn I’m proud of them.
Anyway, bottom line is are you an Aussie first, or a Queenslander first?
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:11am | Report comment
I know what you are saying millster, but i was talking about the ussaul comment of 300 mill asians, and as for your last comment about being telecast, yes we have also got gridiron telecast here in oz, how many other countries it goes to is anyones guess, but guess what, i have never watched a game. I dont give a flying fig shite about gridiron. I would care more about the a-league if they got up to standard, and no, they are 30 years behind millster, not your 5 as you surgest, the super league thought it was better than the NRL, how wrong they really are as you have seen, they are 5 years behind, only because they have had our players over there to show them the way (and what you see in the game now is pretty well as good as its ever going to get, so they are nearly at a origin level, not far from it anyhow, just need a bit more passion),,,,, now take this into account millster, we dont have any good euriopien players to show us, just some coaches which is good, but we need alot more. I am not knocking the a-league, i think its good but give it time to develop and we will see some fruits.
Just dont forget what i have said, even if we reach ACL level, we are still below world level. But its a good starting point, lets just be what we can be, not something we are not.
True Tah said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Millster
haven’t you ever heard the comment
“Great being Australian, even better to be a Queenslander”.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:18am | Report comment
dasilva
As I’vs said perhaps too many times now, you need to look past the hatred sometimes and understand the outcomes and how they will affect your team.
There are cases though where a win for a team from your nation means a loss for you. For example when Real Madrid won the UCL in 2000 and as a result took Zaragoza’s place in the UCL - Real finished fifth in the league, in the UEFA Cup spot, and Zaragoza fouth in the UCL spot.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:21am | Report comment
It seems to me this interstate rivalry has nothing in it
Has there been civil war in this country? nope
Are there any clubs based on political/religious or racial grounds and therefore have opposing ideology to fight over? nope
Is there institutionalised discrimination between people living in different states? nope. One of the few constitutionally protected rights.
Is there any political tensions between the two states? very very little. Bit about water problems and how to deal with murray river between SA and Victoria and NSW. Bit of WA complaining they contribute more to economy and get little back but it’s really nothing compared to other countries.
What the hell does all this rivalry come from. It seems like a rivalry for a sake of a rivalry.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:22am | Report comment
Sorry, just woke up to the fact Real were playing Valencia that day, so it’s a bad example. But you get my point though.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Kazama
I don’t believe Real Madrid losing the final would have been detrimental to Barcelona in any way at all. It’s not going to cause Spain to lose a UCL spot.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:24am | Report comment
dasilva
Maybe they don’t like us because they’re all convicts and we aren’t
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:25am | Report comment
We have the soccedoos to support 1st millster, not aderlaide. And maybe yes we had the same mentallity as perth, its long gone now but we still cheer for our teams, how you can say that we should be cheering for aderlaide absolutely dumbfounds me, your either mental or just trying to push for a cause. Never will happen, K.B might help you, but like i said, hes a cockroach, in the nicest teams of the word, along with how we are canetoads, not pretty but we accept this good hearted rivalry.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:26am | Report comment
dasilva
Re: Spain losing a spot. My memory could be better but I think that was the time when there was a big fight between Germany, Spain, Engand and Italy for the three teams to have the four UCL spots-per-league. Real played a German team in the final, Bayer Leverkusen, and Barcelona finished 4th that year, so maybe there was a threat that Barcelona could have missed out.
Kazama said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:31am | Report comment
Sorry, that should be three nations not three teams.
Coffee time.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Its very hard to explain true tah, you have to be born here to understand how we do things up here, its not hatred in any sense of the word, its more like a pride type senario, being called a big country town and down trodding for so many years, and the kids turn up at origin and grows like a fever though them as well. Good to see. Now if the roar can get better then this would flow onto them i am sure.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:36am | Report comment
DaSilva- that is precisely my point. Artifically manufactured rivalry to prop up and hype insular sporting codes has to be among the top of the list of reasons… there aren’t really many others.
Oikee - I’m not asking you to cheer for Adelaide when they play a Queensland team. I would never cheer for Adelaide if they were playing Sydney. But if they are the only team left flying the flag for Australia in an Asian or World competition then they do get a ’soft spot’ from me and from many others. If next year its a Victorian or a Queensland team, same would apply - even though those two states are pure filth at a domestic level
, if they were the only Aussies in Asia they would get me as a viewer and supporter for those games.
Finally, on your comment “if we reach ACL level we are still below world level”… yes but not far below. Gamba Osaka were playing so beautifully the other night that they would have also beaten the majority of clubs in Europe. It was a stunningly awesome display of football. I’d certainly be proud if my club in France Ligue 1 (Paris St Germain) for example could play a game like that!
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:55am | Report comment
daSilva -
if you can’t discern the state based rivalries in Australia then you’re not looking very deeply.
Firstly, don’t forget, they were disparate colonies only federated in 1901. With their own navy, own military, etc. We are reminded of this by the shipwreck in Port Phillip Bay down at Half Moon Bay - the HMVS Cerberus. Not HMAS.
The NSW vs Vic rivalry was ingrained in several factors - Sydney was the primary city of the colonies,…..or so it though, but, for Melbourne via the gold rush to become a larger and wealthier city and Victoria a wealthier colony - - and so the whole contention over where the federal parliament should sit………..in the end, Canberra is a direct result of interstate rivalry. Canberra is the on going joke of Australia, derived from 19th century state based rivalry. Who can take Canberra seriously???
That in another continent that our states would instead be different countries.
Millster -
what in your mind are the ‘artificially manufactured rivalries’ of which particular ‘insular sporting codes’?
Seems to me, presently, the most ‘artificial’ sporting code in Australia is the soccer via the HAL (and for a short while the ARU’s ARC). OH………..actually, the netball redivision of teams to include NZ in a transTasman competition.
All these have effectively been ‘league’ by design with in the main new entities that ignore traditional entities. And suddenly people are expected to be ‘passionate’ supporters?? Build it and they will come is an entirely artificially manufactured rivalry theory.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 10:56am | Report comment
Agree Millster, they did play well and there between player ball skills were impressive, but i knew they would be, at least the brut ozzies did not mussle them which was good. (one thing we have to learn) Love your passion, filth, thats good, scum , all the other names we love to use, now you can see why we dont support other teams. Not saying we expect you to support a queensland team if we make it, thats unaustralian
funny word that, but we would not want any help, it would be on the back of our own passion that we would go further. Unless you have a hidden Maroon jersey somewhere in your closet Millster, 
we would not expect it. ,, cheers.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Good post M.C very true, look it took nearly 100 years to build the origin rivalry, not 30 like some people seem to think, it was a fair game 1980 when we got to have our own payers back, but this sort of rivalry is not manufactured, its real. And as for victorians, we have aussie rules to have a rivalry, so beating victorians at there own game gives queensland and welshmen great pleasure.
Hey M.C. thats how it works. Soccer i am not sure what path it holds, give it time to Mcflourish.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:07am | Report comment
Oikee -
Even as a Sydneysider, I would support a QLD team if they were the only Aussie choice. So whether you want my help or not, as long as I no longer have Sydney to support, then the next best is to support the remaining Aussie choice. Do you get my drift. You’re scum, but if you’re Aussie scum and I have nothing else to support then my love of the country and my love of the game will win out over interstate or interclub rivalry. (of course if they are playing a French club its another story!).
And for what its worth, when I grew up in Perth the only League we ever saw was origin and of course, WA being a “small state” supporter another small state in QLD when up against NSW (in Perth they hate all eastern states but especially VIC and NSW). So until I moved over here and it totally didn’t make sense any more, probably yes I was a maroon supporter on the balance.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:08am | Report comment
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Got no passion those welshmen hey Millster .
We have even got Papua and the kiwis on our side, they love us. 
We are the pride of not only our nation but others, 
I need that bigger smiley face that K.B uses.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:21am | Report comment
MC - people aren’t “expected to be” passionate supporters, the amazing thing is people already are.
But its a different dynamic I’ll grant you. I think for AFL and League people are passionate supporters of the club first and foremost. In football, I think people are passionate supporters of the game in general first, and the HAL has given them a local avenue for chanelling that passion. So I don’t disrespect the AFL and NRL traditions, but you have to realise that in football its like a pressure cooker that has been opened. There was all this latent passion with no real local home through which it could be expressed, and all of a sudden now there is. The Cove for example is as fanatical for Sydney FC as is the core supporters group of a club 10 or 20 times its age.
I am more cynical than you guys I think on this issue. And to be fair I think football does, and will do, the same thing (e.g. the build-up around Sydney Vs Melbourne games when they have not in reality always been the best the league has had to offer). NSW v QLD is a strong traditional thing but that is continued and compounded by media and by the NRL in an effort to maximise exposure and revenues. AFL also has a strong Vctoria vs interstate divide and to be honest I think they would do everyrthing possible to maintain that so as to fuel the fires of interstate fans. I’ve been in business long enough to be wary of any “tradition” when it is linked with big money. There may be a kernel of truth in it, but more often my assessment is that it is manipulated and exploited to the advantage of those running the show. Hey, and I don’t mind that either. Even if part of me knows its a bit of an artificial script, if a bit of hype makes for a loud crowd and a hard game and a bit more song and dance at the presentation ceremony afterwards, well its all good circus and thats what sports is all about isn’t it?
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:24am | Report comment
Hey don’t side with me queenslander… (note deliberate lack of capital letter to indicate disrespect
) I now live in Randwick, 15 mins walk from SFS, the spiritual home of the best Rugby League team in the world, the NSW Blues…
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:25am | Report comment
…. god can’t keep that up. Sorry but I love Origin but as a spectacle and not for interstate rivalry. Truth be told I like the clashes when it happens but don’t care a toss who wins. Its just a great set of fixtures.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:25am | Report comment
Millster -
remember, WA and SA to the Vics were the same as QLD to NSW - - all the good players headed to the ‘big smoke’ to play.
So when interstate matches were played with for example SA vs Vic and the Vic line up included players from SA, WA, Tassie, NSW and QLD as well as Vic - - that’s what built up a huge footballing rivalry for SA and WA vs Vic, or for QLD vs NSW. The State of Origin concept kicked off with Aust Footy the year before the RL boys took it on. It’s a good concept. Alas, the national comp has watered it down in the AFL (i.e. the significance of SoO).
Can the soccer boys develop over night their own rivalries? Of similar manner? Probably not. The new age rivalries will be similar to WCE vs Syd Swans in the AFL, for a particular period, they were the best matches to watch, over about 3-4 years. But, that rivalry already has faded as the players move on.
In reality, only so many people and sports had the opportunity to build up major state based rivalries of the nature described first above. But, going forward, these rivalries will be diffused. The latter style temporary rivalries on a club vs club level may be more the norm??
(likewise, the old Carlton vs Collingwood rivalry was built in the old true suburban growth phase - - these days, the locality specific tribal ethos means far, far less. Now, it’s a bit like ancient European ethnic enmities………people grow up just knowing that Collingwood hates Carlton and vice versa.)
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Weak Cattle.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:29am | Report comment
MC
Sydney, melbourne. It just seems like a overly petty rivalry to see who is the biggest and most important city in Australia. It’s like who can hold the most sporting events and who has the most international stature.
The creation of Canberra is a joke created by a joke rivalry 100 years ago. I would just have a coin toss to determine who gets the capital instead of creating a city because both city wants to become number 1. It seem so damn petty that it was unacceptable for Sydney or Melbourne to have the other city to have the capital.
I agree that there is some of the artifical rivalries in the A-league
tHere’s the central coast Newcastle F3 derby that’s just seems rather tacky
What kind of rivalry is it when you have players in the team. Saying I don’t like Newscastle. I hate them more then sydney and vice versa. Real rivalries don’t need players to say anything.
It seems like rivalry made on the spot to sell tickets
However I believe our football rivalries will develop internationally not really domestically as there is some real history behind it.
Iran, Iraq, Uruguay, South Korea, Israel have some real history and some animosity behind it. That’s where Australia will get their rivalry that isn’t artificial or made on the spot.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:32am | Report comment
MC - it is an interesting dynamic. My guess is that something different will happen in football.
As the HAL grows and salary cap gradually gets relaxed, I think we will see a couple of big clubs emerge that are more often than not at the top of the league ladder. The rivalries will therefore be between those, and supplemented by passion from the other clubs when they play these top 2 or 3 (somewhat like the underdog passion of Hearts or Dundee or Partick Thistle in Scotland when they come up against Rangers or Celtic). So I agree it will take a while for this to emerge properly and for the league’s “pecking order” to settle down.
I also think we will see some rivalries emerge in Asia. Perhaps club V club if there are sufficient meetings, or perhaps more generalised to League V League. We might see, just as a guess, that every Aust V Japan club fixture has that ’something more’ as the respective leagues vie for regional supremacy.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:35am | Report comment
Yes i am very sceptical about continued rivalry of NSW v Queensland state of origin, i might be wrong, but having said this i have noticed that the state rivalry in queensland from the cowboys titans and broncos is a growing sport, 50 thousand to most matches, so given the new teams with GC 17 and the soccer lads i can see some heaslthy stats they for all codes, we just love this rivalry and its not a case of which code to me, its just bring it on sucker.
You love that dont you millster, you might not love the fact us queenslanders are more passionate , but its in our blood sucker. 
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Dasilva, you forget the greatest rivalry there, Turkey. Dont ever forget this is where we got beat 100 year ago and its still simmering, well they wont ever “let you forget”
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:42am | Report comment
daSilva -
blood needn’t be spilled via open warfare to create a ‘rivalry’.
NY vs LA, two sides of the country, different timezones, totally different cities.
Syd vs Melb, well………not quite those NY/LA factors,……….but, remember how long there were different rail gauges and changing at the Albury, and how long there’s been variation in daylight saving, and from the economic perspective the amount of time that Victorian money was building the deep south of NSW via Victorians heading to the pokies venues set up in Moama, Albury, Corowa, Merimbula etc effectively just to fleece Victorians.
Don’t forget the disdain in the use of the term ‘Mexicans’,
in so many areas, there’s been ‘competition’,
which city is the X- capital of Australia.
where X might equal, sports, racing, fashion, culture, culinary, theatre etc.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:45am | Report comment
well Australia played a few friendly matches against Turkey in the “friendship cup” in Football
There was no animosity, no controversy and no problems (except that majority of the crowd was supporting Turkey. Traitors)
In fact the referee from Japan was expecting a fiery occasion from that match and was handing yellow cards out every minute equally pissing off both teams. There was no problem
Maybe historically there is some issues but on the sporting field. there is no rivalry with turkey.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Bloody mexicans, love that and still use it M.C , i for one are looking forward to the new team on the coast, give us queenslanders more talent to take on you lousy man gooks,
wheres K.B he would be loving this. 
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:50am | Report comment
We need to take on the German mentallity, they cant stand those turks, and for good reason, giving up after a minor skirmish,
i still think turkey could be the one, let me get the horn out on the streets and glutton up some support. 
Bloody turks gave us a whooopin , mongrels.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Actually oikee you touch on something interesting there.
I think football should look into a couple of regular friendlies (played, for example, annually alternating between home and away) that are outside of our usual Asia opponents and relate to our history, and with some nominal trophy that gives the thing a touch of class.
So - a ‘friendship cup’ with Turkey I think is a good idea.
I think other obvious ones based on history and Australia’s ethnic makeup (but also being careful to pick teams that may want to be involved rather than the really big ones who may not be in regularly - eg England) are Greece and Ireland.
Looking forward to latest FIFA world rankings in the next couple of days. We were #34 in October, close to the ‘magic’ #32 rank which to me is a key line as there are 32 entrants to World Cup finals. Its symbolic as I know things work out a touch differently with qualifiers, but to me that rank of 32 or above is an important goal for us to get to and stay above.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
Now your talking Millster, and starting to sound a bit more sensable, yes 3 teams that we would enjoy playing, leave england out of it for awhile, make them feel left out, this is good thinking.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Millster -
aha - - just the thing.
The reality is that the Socceroos can spread themselves a bit thinly….in a sense……….for Aust corporate capacity to benefit. A lot of once off games only does so much good.
However, identify some key markets for which the socceroos can exploit ‘obvious’ or ‘friendly’ business AND cultural links - - then you’ve got a winner.
If not the socceroos - - then certainly MVFC should seek to play at lesat one Italian and or Greek side each year in a ‘friendly’ club match.
Because, in reality, playing against some side from an Asian nation that to most in business didn’t exist in their minds for the first 30 years of their life………….well,………that’s dubious.
Millster -
agree regarding HAL, salary cap relaxation and a couple of ‘big clubs’. Not necessarily those that one might predict, i.e. any Clive Palmer can come along then and effectively ‘buy’ big status………..if spending money wisely on players etc.
Reality still is that probably an awful lot of soccer players the world over are over paid and over valued - - and to a degree Ade Utd has proven that in the Asian context.
Millster said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
MC - thats right. We’ll get out clashes with the Japanese, the Koreans, the Chinese, the Saudis and the Iranians through Asian Cup and World Cup processes. So its a case of finding those 2-3 “clever friendlies” that are with the right kinds of teams for on-field and off-field / commercial reasons.
Italy and England would of course be great on the odd occasion but are at a level in football where an annual fixture is probably unrealistic. But I do think that Greece and Ireland, and at a bit of a higher level (coz they are bloody good!) Turkey would make for good regular friendlies. The odd game against the USA would be interesting once in a while too.
I also agree with you that the ‘big clubs’ that emerge from HAL may not be the ones we expect… and for that matter also that some re-levelling both ways of player value seems to be a required outcome of what we’ve seen in ACL (though I think that will come naturally eg Ogenovski being offered $600K to go to Uwara, and no doubt Rivaldo being asked why he should not be paid a whole lot less by the Uzbeks!)
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
I like to see a renewal of clashes with Israel in some friendly matches.
THen play the German national anthem before the match
heheheh
Good times
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
Call the clashes between Israel and Australia the “Mad Dog” cup
ren said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
all i can say is I’m happy that there is a desert separating us from you mongrels in the east.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Yeah agree, M.C i like you dont think a game against Quatar is any good, i have little to no interest, with the IR millster i was intersted because its ireland, and even in league they are showing good passion, which is what starts rivalry, so like you said, keep it countries that we take a interest in and the people will follow, all good to have soccerdoos playing any man and his horse but you will continue to lose interest like i have mentioned. Get the teasms we dont like, even USA as you have mentioned would be alright. If your in a fight your in the fight from the beginning, not just some goose who thinks there in the fight after the shows over, if this makes sense then you are all getting oikee desease.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Nice on ren, you will get on well with us mongrels, ,,,,,Dasilva, you just keep getting funnier by the minute, love it.
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
Crying here, “mad dog cup. “
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
you seem to know bit of Soccerroos history Oikee?
oikee said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
I know bugger all about the soccerdoos dasilva, but like all aussies like to see them compete at the highest level, if it means beating ireland and turkey i am happy, even the greeks and italians need a good beating,
on the field of course. Like millster says, it gives us a whole lot more countries to beat, so i am starting to get in the swing of it. Slowly, 
Lets not rush perfection. This is why i want the a-league teams to compete at a basic level to start, before we pump our chests out like emus, Wheres K.B, must be on holidays.
Ronnie from Lonnie said | November 7th 2008 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
I tend to agree with dasilva - am not so sure fans of Nagoya Grampus nor denizens of Nagoya would be that interested, or would want to be reminded of, Osaka’s success. The general interest appears to be localised as it is in Oz. AU’s success ACL isn’t a ratings winner in Melbourne or whever.
And like Michael C says, life in Asia is a hectic game of survival. Who’s got time to devote to sport when you have to earn and save your pennies ’cause governments aren’t going to come to your assistance at all in any circumstances?
BUT the big problem with the ACL is it lives in the shadows of the UCL, EPL, etc. The quality and big names don’t yet exist to give the ACL that market clout or credibility. Plus it’s played over the world’s largest continent (2, if you include Oz), which must make it a hard task to develop keen and neighbouring rivalries as in Europe.
You’ll probably find the situation in Australia is the same as in Japan - I see more kids running around in Euro jerseys than those from the national league. Which is depressing because it just goes to show European colonialism is alive and well in a different guise, and still sucking money from far flung lands via memberships, pay TV subscriptions, end-of-season club tours & etc. etc. etc.
Anyway, this is the 6th season of the ACL in it’s restructured form. It’s being upgraded next year - more prize money, a final 16 as per UCL, a 1-game final only to be hosted by bidding cities.
dasilva said | November 7th 2008 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Soccerroos during the 80’s were known as mad dogs due to their physical style of play
However during the 80’s our coach Frank Arok causes a diplomatic incident referring to us as mad dogs but the israeli press thought we were calling their team and their countries as mad dogs. This was followed by already tense relationship following Australia playing the German National anthem instead of the Israeli national anthem in a match at home
Israel and Australia was a pretty bitter rivalry which unfortunately died when Israel join UEFA which ceased regular matches between the two countries.
Making “Mad Dog” as a perfect name for the Cup between Australia and Israel
In fact although I was joking it will be good to have our rivalry resume in jest. Play the german national anthem before each match between australia and israel and have a good laugh about it showing time can heal some bitterness between the two countries.
Michael C said | November 7th 2008 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
Ronnie from Lonnie -
the ACl vs the others, it’s a bit like the US-PGA golf tour vs the Euro golf tour vs the Japanese tour.
Which one captures the imagination the most?
As people have mentioned, winner of the ACL can aspire to taking on the top clubs in the world……..and at that point, yep, at that point you’re in the ‘big league’, so to speak……….well, by virtue of the company that you keep.
what will be interesting is the capacity to generate sufficient interest for bidding for the final hosting rights, and then - let’s say Sydney win the rights and the top 2 teams are one from Qatar and one from Uzbekistan. Is that a recipe for disaster???
Because, at the end of the day, Asia IS NOT Europe.