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Football fans have never had it so good, as one of the biggest weeks in our sport’s storied history kicks off with an almighty bang.
The news that Channel Nine will simulcast Australia’s remaining World Cup qualifiers is a huge shot in the arm for the round-ball game.
Supporters have been crying out for some decent free-to-air coverage of the national team for years, and now both this morning’s clash in Saudi Arabia and the primetime blockbuster against Japan in Melbourne are to be broadcast on 9Go.
Putting aside the fact it’s on one of Nine’s secondary channels – hasn’t SBS copped plenty of criticism for doing the same thing to the A-League? – the news means casual fans can watch our biggest qualifiers live on free-to-air TV.
And with Nine set to simulcast the Fox Sports feed for this week’s matches – including commentary from Simon Hill and Andy Harper – it means a massive untapped market has access to the very best the Socceroos have to offer.
Here’s hoping Tuesday night’s showdown with the Samurai Blue rates through the roof, as the clamour to break down the doors to the mainstream becomes a veritable cacophony.
In the meantime, the A-League starts with an enthralling round of fixtures.
Tonight’s grudge match between Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory is precisely the sort of marquee fixture that should kick off the competition. (Click to Tweet)
Forget the Roar’s off-field problems, their clash with former cult hero Besart Berisha – not to mention the potential for defender James Donachie to start against his old club – is worth the admission price alone.
And with Jamie Maclaren and 200-game skipper Matt McKay looking to force their way back into Socceroos contention, ordinarily the Suncorp Stadium showdown would be the match of the round.
But this isn’t any other round.
Say what you will about the wisdom of hosting a Sydney derby in Round 1, but it’s captured attention.
With more than 60,000 fans expected to descend on ANZ Stadium for the historic encounter, the game is expected to smash the current A-League attendance record.
There’s been plenty of banter, and not of the contrived kind, with the growing animosity between the two sides abundantly clear.
But while the derby rightly enjoys top billing, there are still three other fixtures that deserve our attention.
Perhaps the strength of the A-League is best judged not on how many fans turn up to the derby, but instead how many will be present in Wellington, Perth and Newcastle.
To that end, how good was it to see a concerted marketing campaign starring precocious youngster Yoshi get underway during the week?
The usual cynics predictably mocked it on social media, but the truth is the A-League desperately needs to connect its massive grassroots base to a top-tier club.
The campaign they’ve come up with ticks plenty of boxes – and this from an organisation that cops plenty of criticism for its lacklustre advertising.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that of this weekend’s three other fixtures, the Phoenix, Glory and Jets have all had their share of major problems in recent years. And all the talk of TV deals and record-breaking attendances will mean little if we can’t re-energise the support base in some important A-League markets.
The time has come for us to put our money where our mouth is by supporting the league and our teams the way fans in Europe do.
I’ll be at Suncorp Stadium with some friends tonight, and I’m taking my partner to the derby at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium tomorrow.
I would urge anyone with even a passing interest to get out to a game or watch the broadcasts on TV.
After all, this is our league, the Socceroos are our national team, and this will be one of the biggest weeks in Australian football yet.