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Australia's Harry Kewell takes control of the ball from Ghana's Eric Addo as Kewell's team mate Joel Griffiths offers support during their friendly match at the Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Friday, May 23, 2008. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Welcome to 2010! No doubt you’re reading this column through the impaired vision of a New Years Eve hangover. But once your mind kicks into gear you can look forward to a huge year of sport in 2010.
In the first part of a two-part series we look forward to ten things to watch out for in 2010.
The first five are:
The World Cup. 2010 will be the year of the World Cup. How will the Socceroos perform in the challenging Group D against Germany, Ghana and Serbia? Will the scenes from 2006 be replicated in pubs and clubs across Australia, and how will those punters and the mainstream media judge the Socceroos’ performance?
Following on from the World Cup, will the A-League be able to ride the wave of national interest in the round ball game to reverse the downward crowd trend? And what impact will Melbourne Heart have on the competition?
Then in December, the big announcement – will Australia be awarded either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup? How will the bidding process have progressed up until that point and what factors will win or lose us the right to stage the tournament?
Make no mistake, 2010 is a massive year for Australian football, perhaps a defining one for its future trajectory.
The logjam at the top of the AFL ladder. Let’s take it as a given that last season’s finalists, Geelong and St Kilda, are all but certain top four candidates in 2010.
Throw into the mix last season’s fellow top four occupants, Collingwood – in Mike Malthouse’s swansong season – and a Western Bulldogs now equipped with a key forward in Barry Hall, and it seems you’ve got a top four.
But what of Brisbane Lions, with Coleman medalist Brendan Fevola paired with Jonathon Brown in a fearsome forward line-up? What of the Adelaide Crows, the surprise-packet of last year and a team that has such an exciting blend of promising youth and premiership-winning experience? Or Hawthorn, keen to make amends for their 2009 fall from grace, still equipped with the talent that took them to the 2008 flag.
The AFL isn’t short of contenders in 2010.
Aussies ruling the motorsport world. Mark Webber’s two Grand Prix victories were only the icing on the very rich cake that was Australia’s motorsport year, with Ryan Briscoe almost snatching the Indy Car title, Casey Stoner rattling of more MotoGP wins, David Brabham winning at Le Mans, Daniel Ricciardo winning the prestigious British Formula 3 series and Marcos Ambrose’s rise in NASCAR.
Those Aussies lead the charge in 2010, and there is a chance that Australians could win the Formula 1 and MotoGP world championships, the Indy 500, Le Mans 24 hours, Daytona 500 and more. Bring it on!
Star-studded cycling. Lance Armstrong’s 2009 comeback and rivalry with Astana teammate Alberto Contador added much intrigue to Le Tour de France.
Having left Astana to create his own shop, Team RadioShack, taking Johan Bruyneel and several key riders with him, the stage is set for Armstrong to engage in a titanic battle with Contador at Le Tour in 2010.
With the Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank) growing in stature, and Cadel Evans at greener pastures with the BMC Racing Team, bolstered by having the experienced George Hincapie as teammate, professional cycling has not had so much depth at the front end of the peleton since the days of Armstrong, Marco Pantani and Jan Ullrich.
Best of all, for us Aussies at least, the cycling season kicks off in Adelaide, with Evans joining the returning Armstrong at the Tour Down Under in January, and ends in Melbourne with Evans defending his road racing world championship crown on home soil.
Comebacks. The aforementioned Lance Armstrong and US Open winner Kim Clijsters were the comeback stories of 2009. In 2010, all eyes will be on Michael Schumacher. At 41-years of age, Schumacher will be pit himself against the generation that replaced him – Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and co. How the seven-time world champion matches-up against drivers almost half his age will be fascinating to see.
And what of Tiger Woods? How will be received by the fans and media should he re-emerge from his self-imposed break from golf in 2010?
Justine Henin is another great who returns from retirement, hoping to follow compatriot Clijsters’ example and claim a Grand Slam in her comeback.
The second half of the ten things to look out for in 2010 will be here on The Roar in the coming days.
What are you most looking forward to in 2010?