The Socceroos’ German connection
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By jimbo, 9 Dec 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
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Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, right, celebrates with forward Miroslav Klose at the end of the World Cup, Group A soccer match between Germany and Poland, at the Dortmund stadium, Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2006. Germany won 1-0. The other teams in Group A are Ecuador and Costa Rica. AP Photo/Murad Sezer
Australia will be one of the thirty two countries competing in the FIFA World Cup finals tournament in South Africa next year. This is only the third time ever Australia has participated in this competition which has been running for eighty years.
To reach the finals, each country had to compete in a lengthy qualification process. The FIFA Football World Cup Finals tournament is the most popular, most watched and highest grossing sporting event in the world.
No surprise, therefore, that it is so keenly contested by all countries that enter and there is such keen competition for the rights to host the tournament.
1974 was the first time ever that the Socceroos made it to the FIFA World Cup Finals.
The tournament was held in West Germany and we were drawn in round one in the same group as West Germany, East Germany and Chile. We lost two games and drew with Chile, and were eliminated in the first round without having even scored a goal.
It then proved to be another thirty two years of frustration trying to reach the World Cup finals, but we finally made it to our second ever tournament.
It was in 2006 and the road to qualification led us to a do-or-die last game over two legs with Uruguay, the two time winner of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the team that had eliminated Australia from the previous World Cup tournament in 2002.
After two legs, the game was poised at one goal each and it took a famous penalty conversion from John Aloisi to get us to our second ever football World Cup finals.
The World Cup Finals of 2006 was also played in Germany.
It seemed that Australian football and the World Cup finals was developing a strong connection with Germany. Some people even joked that we would have to wait another thirty two years until the World Cup finals were played in Germany again to qualify a third time.
As winners of the Oceania Football Federation qualification tournament, we were also able to compete in FIFA’s Confederations Cup competition. This, too, was played in Germany and we were again drawn to play against Germany.
It was a very entertaining and exciting seven goal game, but unfortunately the Socceroos lost four goals to three and were eliminated.
Its no real surprise then that Germany has something to do with our latest foray into the FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa next year.
After a long and very successful qualification program in the Asian Football Confederation, the Socceroos succeeded in reaching the FIFA World Cup Finals quite comfortably, finishing top of their group and undefeated in all their last round qualification games.
Australia had now qualified for a second successive World Cup Finals appearance.
The World Cup draw in Cape Town to determine which countries play each other in the first round, has pitted Australia against Germany, Serbia and Ghana. The German football connection for Australia at World Cup Finals continues.
This time Germany is not the host country, but plays an important part in determining whether we progress to the second phase, or knockout stage, of the competition, rather than just qualifying.
Will we continue to surprise in World Cup competitions, perhaps with some help from our German football Freunde, or be eliminated in the first round, as we were in 1974?
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Peter Wilson said | December 9th 2009 @ 4:11am | Report comment
Let us look at the facts of the World Cup – We have 13 European Nations playing – 1 from USA – 4 from the South American Area – 5 from Asia – A few from South Africa. Now put it into it’s right perpective there should only be one from each area.
Europe – including Great Britain, which at times seems to field 3 teams (England – Ireland and Scotland) – one from the African Nations and one from the South and North American Teams – One from the Asian Countries – which means that there would only be 4 Teams. All the other Nations would play off to see who goes to the World Cup – Should you desire we could include another two teams or one – Making that team a South Pacific Area. There would be no need to fight for Soccer Grounds all over Australia, and disrupt the harmonony of the other Codes.
Tom said | December 9th 2009 @ 8:02am | Report comment
That would be the confederations cup.
jimbo said | December 9th 2009 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
Why even bother having a world cup for football, then there would be no disruption to the AFL season at all.
The Bear said | December 9th 2009 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Ok, Peter, just for Australia (..i mean the other codes of football in Australia)..we shall, as one FIFA member state of 200 or so, we shall change the World Cup into your view of what the World Cup should be. How about we get Frank Lowy to nominate you to be the one, perhaps flanked by a supportive Nicole Kidman, to break that to the FIFA committee.
whiskeymac said | December 9th 2009 @ 9:22am | Report comment
Germany. After Brasil (and this time around Spain) could there have been a worse first game opponent and a better chance to advertise our football wares? It’s a tough assignment.
If we can keep our best players fit and play to our best i humbly wld embrace a draw and be ecstatic if we beat them because, for me, and having grown up watching ze germans thwart the english so many times, a vicotry over Germany (the most stereotypically efficient of football machines) would represent a great and massive achievement… but i wld swap it for results against the other 2 in the group.
jimbo said | December 9th 2009 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
Very tough game first up and we couldn’t really expect to win this one – best would be a draw.
Unless all things being unequal – injuries to key German players, German coach exposed for cheating on his wife 10 times, Socceroos take illegal performance enhancing drugs and don’t get caught . . . German team gets mystery stomach bug on the eve of the game . . .
dasilva said | December 9th 2009 @ 10:59am | Report comment
I like to face Germany
Why? They and ITaly are the only two world champions we haven’t beaten yet. So I’m looking forward to Australia crossing off one more name of the list
In any case, is Australia one of the few countries in the world who has faced off with both East, West and full Germany at a World Cup.
jimbo said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
You might be right Das – I can’t think of any other country that has played West Germany, East Germany and the Unified Germany in the WC Finals.
Punter said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
I never thought of it that way, that we have beaten all the other WC winners apart from Germany & Italy (oh so close).
Bring it on I say, I can’t wait for the WC now. What a great 6 months we are in for for football lovers.
AndyRoo said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
Teams that played against East Germany at World Cup level
Chile
Australia
West Germany
Brazil
Holland
Argentina
Of those I know West germany also played Argentina in 1958, and Argentina played a unified Germany in the QF at the last World Cup
moo cow said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
Played East/West Germany at the 74 World Cup
Played Germany at Germany in the 05 Confederations Cup
Qualified for the World Cup in Germany in 06 after 32 years
Germany are now in our group at the 2010 World Cup
In some way or another we have been involved with them at World Cup level.
Mxjosh said | December 9th 2009 @ 7:55pm | Report comment
I think people are forgetting that Germany are no longer the rigid organised team they were a few years ago, since Klinsman took over their attack has become the forefront of their game and this has continued after Klinsmans departure after the 2006 world cup. Germany are full of fast skillful athletic players with a very dynamic attack and a solid uncompromising defense. They’re not unbeatable but were in for one hell of a tough game