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It wasn’t exactly first choice, but Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek sees useful preparation in a World Cup farewell game against old foes New Zealand.
Football Federation Australia announced on Sunday that Melbourne, with backing from the Victorian government, would host a pre-World Cup departure clash with the All Whites at the MCG on May 24.
While New Zealand had pushed for the clash since they joined Australia in qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa with a 1-0 win over Bahrain last year, the FFA was less keen.
It came after attempts to attract several European and South American countries failed to lure a bigger-name team than world No.79 New Zealand for the one-off match.
However, it promises to draw a big MCG crowd with the timing expected to ensure the likes of captain Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer are involved for Australia.
FFA’s venue choice is another Melbourne sporting victory over Sydney, having also hosted the farewell match between the Socceroos and Greece for the last World Cup in 2006.
Verbeek saw the match up between his world No.23 ranked team and the All Whites as useful preparation for the coming clashes with World Cup pool opponents Germany and Serbia in particular.
“New Zealand are a FIFA World Cup qualified country, they play more-or-less a European style of football and there is a nice rivalry between our two teams that goes back many years,” Verbeek said.
“We are expecting a very competitive match against the All Whites and it will be a great way for us to start our pre-tournament camp.”
The Socceroos start their camp in Melbourne on May 19 and will attend the Australian Football Awards on May 22 before heading to South Africa and at least two more warm up matches ahead of the World Cup.
Australia have not played the All Whites since June 2005, when the Socceroos won 1-0 at Craven Cottage in London in Ricki Herbert’s first game as New Zealand coach.
They used to meet regularly in World Cup qualification before Australia switched to the Asian Football Confederation from Oceania.
It’s the first time the two teams have qualified for the same World Cup tournament, with New Zealand in Group F against Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia.
The match up follows some initial goading from New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum who last year claimed: “They (Australia) keep running away from us. The buggers, they are chicken shit.”
New Zealand would be expected to fly back its European-based leading players like Ryan Nelsen, Chris Killen and Rory Fallon just days before they returned to Europe to start an altitude training camp in Austria.
The trans-Tasman rivals have met 60 times in total since the first match in 1922 when New Zealand beat Australia 3-1 in Dunedin.
New Zealand have won only 13 of the matches played between the two countries – 36 losses and 11 draws – and it is 21 years since they last beat a full-strength Australian side.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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February 22nd 2010 @ 9:53pm
Midfielder said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:53pm | Report comment
For the love of Mary … the TerrOR are at it again ..
From no less than Phil Rothfield and Rebecca Wilson…
From the Sunday TerrOR … just gives me the shits … excuse me I thr it was FFA who organised matches not the coach .. and did not Croatia fall through …
From the filthy raggg … the lead story no less…
Would love to lead a national .. don’t buy News products … until they sack em.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/pims-parting-snub-for-all-sydney-fans/story-e6freye0-1225832582950
COACH Pim Verbeek has robbed Sydney fans of the opportunity of farewelling the Socceroos in Sydney before leaving for the World Cup in South Africa.
ANZ Stadium at Homebush had been tentatively booked for the weekend of May 22-23 for the Socceroos to play the New Zealand All Whites in a game that would have raised $3 million for Australian soccer. In a further sign that the coach has even more influence than Ben Buckley or Frank Lowy, Verbeek vetoed the game because he didn’t want his stars suffering any bumps or bruises.
All the Socceroos stars will be in Australia at the time for a training camp before leaving for South Africa, and the Kiwis were keen for the game to go ahead. A crowd of 60,000 would have raised $3 million in gate takings for Australian soccer at a time when the code is increasing costs every season for juniors to play the game.
February 22nd 2010 @ 10:36pm
Moonface said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:36pm | Report comment
Those idiots thought they had a scoop that the Socceroos pulled out of a friendly against NZ.
Wrong and way off the mark as usual.
The FFA had merely decided to move the game to Melbourne as it best suited the Socceroos and the location of their training camp.
They seem to have it in for Verbeek and are always trying to make him out as the villain.
Typical News Limited crap written by two of the most unintelligent sports writers – read Rugby League stooges – on the planet.
February 22nd 2010 @ 9:59pm
Realist said | February 22nd 2010 @ 9:59pm | Report comment
I think an annual Aus vs NZ match is a great way for the FFA to entice new fans to the sport. Tapping into the Australia vs New Zealand rivalry will bring out rugby league/cricket/rugby union fans who normally wouldn’t bother to watch soccer.
February 23rd 2010 @ 6:31pm
Lovetheroos said | February 23rd 2010 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
The great thing about NZ as opponent is that it will count for something – two teams going to WC and some grit in the contest. The reality is Greece was a fantastic event but not a great sporting event – the game and result had no meaning. The MCG with 70K fans will be brillant – when do tickets go on sale.