What is the Socceroos' greatest football rivalry?

I would be tempted to say the Netherlands. I high quality footballing nation that we Australia stand up to play against, and win

Spot on, dasilva! Let's add italy to the list next...

I was a ball boy at the 1974 Australia vs Uruguay game. It was at the old Sydney Sports Ground. The two teams had drawn 0-0 in Melbourne the previous week, a result that was seen as a major upset at the time, so you can imagine the stir the Sydney result caused. The win represented the first time the Socceroos had ever played (and beaten) a former World Cup winning nation. When some publisher finally gets around to publishing the book I wrote about a mad Socceroo fan's particular dislike of Uruguay, I want you all to buy it! Trivia time: The Socceroos have now beaten 5 former World Champions in total, including 2 reigning champs. Who are they?

I've had a look at Australia's official FIFA history when it comes to opposition teams. This list includes all friendlies but I don't think it includes some of the lower level matches that some readers might recall. Some of the more frequent and long term contests are: COUNTRY GAMES SINCE YR Japan 16 1956 Korea 24 1967 New Zealand 57 1922 Canada 8 1924 India 8 1938 Indonesia 14 1967 China 9 1975 Chi Taipei 8 1965 Hong Kong 7 1965 Greece 9 1969 South Africa 20 1947 Israel 15 1969 Solomon Is 10 1992 Food for thought.

i admire iraq in that they are so far the only team we have faced in the asian qualifiers that have taken the game to us and at least tried to attack us. the likes of china, uzbekistan, qatar and co have all been major dissapointments

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/road-to-acl-riches-about-to-get-even-more-congested/2008/11/04/1225560841369.html Heres a quote from Mike Cockerills article in the SMH today(above). Just confirming that the AFC holds the steering wheel not the FFA. They have to make sure that the engine & upholstery are kept in good shape. "What's clear is that the A-League will have to get better, smarter and leaner in everything it does. Ultimately, that's a good thing. In the meantime, we should savour Adelaide's achievement. It may be a while before we taste such success again."

Towser I could not agree more with you than we have to understand our past history and the mistakes made so we don't make them agian. Excellent post your last few, may I ask are you Sydney based. Westy Thanks for so of that early history ......... very good stuff. I assume Westy you are from WS

Secondly if Australian Football Teams play with half the passion and strength of the Socceroos in 1970...72 and 74 then i will be proud.....That we must play with technique skill and possession is now beyond dispute ...but never ever forget these teams in the 70's onwards kept the game alive ...against great obstacles ....every team who played them knew they were in a game even if they first thought they were here on a holiday. They were hard and athletic and what they lacked in technique they made up with heart . I for one will never forget peter Wilson from Corrimal and Schaeffer .. They gave more than they had in skill and technique.One other comment we since time immemorial have always produced world class goalkeepers.................there is a history to our football.....it is hard and physical .....that is the Australian way............to it we must add technical skill, finesse and tactical nous both European and South American....but do not ever lose that heart and hardness....otherwise you lose a connection with our past...............make no mistake the Uruguay back in the 70,s got the surprise of their lives with our physically legal game and retaliated in violent misconduct.

Towser .....Martin Royale on the ABC ....I agree with you ....but I do remember a couple of cracker and high class games ....Apia v Marconi in the late 60.s and early 70's .....Soper v Sydney City............Frank Arok's St george doing the impossible and winning with largely local juniors....some great guest players....met Keegan at Blacktown Demons..........Struggle time.......in the west Leaguies or rugby you went with your mates to their sport ...actually the sport we all played together was cricket..........surprisingly local cricket teams were a bit of a melting pot....always remember the crowd inside and outside the Sports ground when we played England......difficult for some of my old time mates to ever forget the Socceroos.......they supported them through thick and thin.....with some leaguies their association with football is strong in Sydney at any rate ....and vice versa ...less so with rugby

What I do think, and where I do agree with the broad thrust of some of SBS's editorialising over the past couple of years - is that the overall plan for Australia has to have both 'top down' and 'bottom up' components. I think we have taken massive steps in the 'top down', what with HAL, AFC, Fox TV deal, FFA management and board, coaching decisions, etc The elite end of our game is not perfect, but it is moving very much in theright direction. At the 'bottom up' I think we need to look at the juniors, really bed in the SSG concept, look at local club administration and quality of coaching and facilities, look at the way we identify and develop the top quartile of talent etc. We have som many participants and so much goodwill in place that I think its really an exercise in harnessing this and refocusing for the best result for our game.

Millster Regarding Asia & what I said in my previous 2 posts to you. Timing is everything & even though nothing was done by the FFAs predecessors to make a committed attempt to get us into Asia the resultant effect 20 years ago would have been minimal compared with the present. The ACL was non existent & Japan has only had a domestic league for 16 years or so. In fact there was no developed Professional leagues in Asia & only one or 2 competitive National teams. The AFC were not run as professionally back then.

Completely agree with your last line, as long as we don't bring upon ourselves a calmity that loses the fragile regard that the public is building in us. Asia has been an absolute revolution and revelation for football in Australia. At club level and in terms of our national team. We all knew it was massive when we were allowed membership of the AFC but I don't think we realised the full extent of the benefits it would bring. As you say, it keeps so much of our game 'on its toes' in terms of standards and development, and gives it the broader context which is its life-blood.

Millster English. Born & raised in Sheffield. Of course nobody can have absolute trust in the FFA or indeed any organisation. Knowing the past history helps in assessing the current situation more accurately though. Therefore I dont get where your coming from regarding hope. The plan has already started as I said . Broadly based embryonic National League &year in year out meaningful matches for the National team. The plan is coming via Asia they are dictating the terms of growth via their programs both internationally & at club level. So at domestic level they have a points system for entry into the ACL. The more teams you have in your domestic league the more chance of more teams in the ACL. The more chance of A-league teams playing the sort of football AU have shown they are capable of in the ACL. Therefore the FFA is not just expanding because Frank Lowy thinks its a good idea but more that it is being driven as much by the AFC's needs, same as promotion/relegation,(contentious/debatable as it may be) & a whole host of other criteria driven by the AFC in its drive to professionalise football in Asia. Hence the revamp next year for the ACL with prize money increased five fold & countries needing to meet a certain number of points re the professionalism of their domestic leagues to participate. Internationally they have their Vision Asia programs in place to develop football across the region. This then ensures that we have to be on our mettle to constantly compete. Last years Asian Cup was a clear example of the FFA having to reassess our participation in Asia across many areas. Thus the results so far in our WC qualifying campaign. They didn't happen by chance there was planning by the FFA behind it. Lets face it professional football is as new to the FFA in Australia as it is to the rest of the Football community. They may not get it right immediately,but compared with the past(&thats why you need to know the history) they show a willingness to learn & try & rectify a problem. Ben Buckley & yesterdays statement regarding diving & video evidence being a classic example. Now were in Asia football is being driven by a higher authority than the FFA. As long as programs are in place to one improve the standard of Football/refereeing which they are ie youth leagues programs to improve coaches etc then its only time & patience that is a problem if you wish to find one.

Towser - thanks for those words and yes I can see that perspective as I too am a migrant with my roots in France (though arriving at an early age, my footballing upbringing was more via French relatives writing and calling me about PSG's progress than anything going on in Australia in the 80s and 90s). What cultural background are you from out of interest? I assume English perhaps but may be wrong... As someone senior in strategic policy/international business I thoroughly agree that what comes up must come down in the absence of a good plan to keep it up there. There is so much hope in the FFA, but I don't yet have 100% trust that they are working to such a plan rather than to a luck and circumstance based equation.

Millster Unless you understand Australian football history both pre & post war you are somewhat in the dark as to the real position we are in today. This applies both on & off the pitch. Johnnys book is good & gives a perspective from a football playing Anglo-Australian perspective,but I could write another book very different from a football loving migrants perspective over the same period. It would involve looking at football here purely & simply in comparison to the football culture & standard I left behind. There were two major factors that I saw in the early Seventies that held the game back & none were to do with SW&P. In my mind that is totally related to being brought up playing football in Australia. They were one a worthwhile national domestic competition & two the National team participating on a year in year out basis in a meaningful International competition. It was obvioust hat State Leagues were deficient & that Oceania was going nowhere as far as football development. So I wrote a letter to the then ASF run by the arrogant autocratic Sir Arthur George. In 1977 they started the Philips NSL. To say I was shocked by its composition was an understatement. They rounded up a motley collection of what I would consider "ethnic social clubs" & even smaller(crowd wise ) district clubs & called it a National league. My idea of a National League was one based on the A-League model backed by big finance. The National team was even worse coming no closer to being included into what was even then the obvious confederation Asia. Whatsmore there didn't seem any attempt to change this on behalf of the ASF until we reached the Frank Lowy era. Even he saw the hoplesness in the sport in the early eighties & the complete self absorbed numbskulls who ran it & turned his back to make his fortune in shopping centres. So the game meandered along the same river bed for years living in hope that somehow a World cup appearance would catapult football into the stratosphere. What they forgot was that what goes up must come down especially when you rely on luck rather than long term planning to get you up there in the first place. I could go on for hours but thats just my perspective of the Football history in Australia anyway to add to your knowledge. Let me just add one thing I hear Australian football journalists talk about the rebirth of football well as far as I.m concerned its never been born. The game as I know it was only born 3 years ago, that is why any articles assessing its progress against whatever measures & angle they are coming from is severely flawed.

That is a horrible story. And yes lends weight to the Uruguay rivalry. Had I known that when I saw the games in 01 and 05 my demeanour towards them would have been even darker. I actually need to get some good Aust football history into me as my knowledge starts around 1994, so thanks for the reference sites. I have the Warren book but have not yet read it. Will be in my bag when I go to Japan for work in a fortnight. 9 hours of reading time! But like others I think our forward rivalries will be in Asia - most likely Japan, Sth Korea and Iran.

dasilva Was at that match. One of the most niggly incident packed games I've seen. All due mind you to the Uruguayans. Ray Baartz was a great player.No doubt in my mind would have matched Harry overseas if playing today. As for rivalry that develops by evolution, over decades by playing an opponent in a competitive enviroment. As we've only been playing Internationally in a competitive enviroment(Asia) for the last 3 years we dont have a single nation that is "our enemy" in sporting terms. Personally I dont think we ever will in the same way as test cricket & the ashes. More likely it will be several nations Ie Japan Uzbekistan ,China Korea Iran that we most want to beat. Also of course if we meet Italy again or indeed England in another World Cup,well add them to the list of nations.