The Socceroos agaist Qatar in their World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha in June. AAP Images
As Australian football fans look ahead to 2010 and the World Cup in South Africa, I thought it might be appropriate to take a moment (following the turn of the year) to take a look back at the evolution of the code during the calendar year of 2009.
Indeed, with the World Cup finals around the corner it’s natural to focus on the future, but 2009 offered plenty of interesting developments for Australian football, as the re-born code looks to cement its place in the sporting public’s hearts and minds.
And surely the greatest achievement of 2009 for Australian football, was the accomplishments of the sport’s heartbeat, the Socceroos, as they qualified for consecutive World Cups for the first time ever.
Indeed, the Socceroos may have clinched World Cup qualification in rather anti-climactic circumstances in Doha last June with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Qatar, but the achievement shouldn’t be underestimated.
Sure, it doesn’t compare to the drama of that night in Sydney in November 2005 when Australia defeated Uruguay on penalties, but getting through Asia at our first attempt is a great step forward.
But perhaps it is something which gets overlooked, with football fans beginning to expect more from our Socceroos.
Indeed, October’s 0-0 friendly draw with the Netherlands highlights that point, with plenty of criticism aimed at Socceroos in the local press after the game despite holding the third-ranked side in the world. It certainly is a sign of evolving expectations.
The year also offered the A-League’s finest an international chance but the results were utterly disappointing.
Two AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with A-League filled squads delivered no goals, a home loss (1-0 to Kuwait ) and a draw (0-0 in Indonesia ). And Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek hardly hid his disgust at the performance of some of the players, who he labelled ‘pathetic’.
It certainly was a sobering reminder of the work ahead for the A-League especially in the wake of Adelaide United’s dizzying successes in 2008’s AFC Champions League.
Indeed, 2009’s continental club competition was a reality check for Australian sides, with Central Coast failing to win a game and Newcastle knocked out in the last 16 following a 6-0 thrashing from Pohang Steelers.
Nevertheless, 2009 also marked the beginning of a new career path for Australian players with an unprecedented list of A-League talent heading for contracts in Asia .
Sure, in the past players like Steve Corica, Tony Popovic or Ned Zelic have plied their trade in Asia, but for the first time there was a steady stream of Aussies heading for leagues in East Asia and the Middle East.
As a result, there were fears of a mass exodus which would be to the detriment of the local game, but the differing successes of Aussies in Asia suggests players may think twice before heading north.
Asia wasn’t the only destination for A-League stars, though, with Perth Glory’s Nikita Rukavytsya sealing a deal with Dutch club FC Twente for a reported record Australian transfer fee of $1.2 million.
But it wasn’t one-way traffic, with Melbourne Victory splashing out a reported league record of $850,000 to seal a permanent deal for Costa Rican international Carlos Hernandez from LD Alajuelense.
And 2009 also marked the true arrival of big-spending A-League owners, such as Perth Glory’s Tony Sage and Gold Coast’s Clive Palmer, who attracted several returning current Socceroos to Australian shores.
But no recruit was bigger than North Queensland’s marquee signing of Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. Many were skeptical about Fowler’s move to Australia after years of battling injuries, but with nine goals during 2009 for the league strugglers, he’s proved perhaps the A-League’s best ever player.
Indeed, 2009 saw the A-League’s first attempt at expansion with teams from North Queensland and Gold Coast joining the competition and both tried to make a splash, although the latter have had plenty of dramas since their inception in a worrying sign.
Still the FFA forged ahead in 2009, announcing there will be new clubs in Melbourne and West Sydney in the near future as expansion gets into full swing, despite falling attendances at A-League matches.
FFA chairman Frank Lowy even admitted he’d love to see an A2-League in the not-too-distant future.
On the field, 2009 saw Melbourne Victory confirm their place as Australia ’s powerhouse club after claiming the championship and premiership for the second time in their existence, backed by unrivalled crowds at Docklands.
Rivals Sydney FC responded to missing the finals in the 2008/2009 season by appointing a foreign boss who seems to have steadied the ship, in what could be a new direction for A-League clubs.
Abroad, Socceroos veteran Mark Schwarzer was Australia ’s star man as he continues to get better with age, keeping countless clean-sheets and winning Fulham’s Player of the Season as the Cottagers finished seventh in the Premier League to surprisingly qualify for the Europa League, before reaching the last 32 later in the year.
Elsewhere, Tim Cahill was part of the Everton side which lost the FA Cup final at Wembley in May, while Brett Holman helped AZ Alkmaar win the Dutch Eredivisie title, before being the only Aussie to compete in the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League.
Harry Kewell, though, finished off 2009 with a rush which hinted at a return to his best, with 18 goals during the calendar year for Galatasaray, which shapes as a great sign for the Socceroos at next year’s World Cup.
Indeed, looking ahead the 2010 World Cup is where our attention is firmly focused and while domestic matters still need to be consolidated, the recent past suggests the future is looking bright enough as football evolves and progresses in Australia.
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What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
