One thing that I feel is a must for every generation of Socceroos is a season ending tour of South America. This tour would provide priceless experience for the players and coaches of our various setups.
Obvious hurdles to this tour include player burn-out, packed schedules and European club coaches named David Moyes, but if these hurdles are overcome then the positives far outweigh the negatives.
With yesterday’s announcement by the Japan Football Association of their withdrawal from this year’s Copa America in Argentina, I feel there is no better time for Australia to start their quadrennial tour of South America.
The Copa America has a rich history of inviting non-South American teams to participate.
Mexico has participated in every tournament since 1993, Costa Rica and the USA have been three times and Honduras and Japan have been once each.
Honduras was particularly successful in 2001 by shocking Brazil in the quarter finals and beating Uruguay twice to ultimately finish third.
Uneducated people would be puzzled by Japan’s involvement in 1999 and again this year but Japan has a very deep political connection to South America. There are 1.5 million Japanese Brazilians and the former president of Peru was the Japan originated Alberto Fujimori.
While Japan’s withdrawal is disappointing, it is understandable considering the current situation in Japan.
Losing a team from the competition could have been easily worked around by having a three team group but the problem is that Japan was placed in the same group as Argentina. Potentially having the host nation only play twice is a problem that needs to be addressed.
This is where I think Australia could and should put their hand up at late notice and play in the Copa America.
Obviously being Australian I am biased and more obvious candidates would be Costa Rica, and again Honduras, but this seems like an opportunity to good to not fight for.
Most European seasons wind up in the middle of May giving our lads five long weeks of R’n’R and then start a week long preparation camp. With the first two of Japan’s (Australia) matches penciled in for San Salvador de Jujuy, travel is minimised and a base can be set up.
The third match would be against Argentina in Cordoba and would bring all the fair-weather fans out of the woodwork. No need to sell Australia versus Argentina in a meaningful match, in Australia that game sells itself.
This whole exercise would be fantastic for Australian football and would garner much needed respect from the South American football associations.
Perhaps swaying future votes in World Cup bidding, who knows?
This sounds great except for one thing. FIFA has a rule regarding footballers only playing one FIFA sanctioned tournament in a year.
Sending the U/23’s could be a possibility (Mexico are sending theirs plus five over agers) but I am against this as it would be like sending lambs to the slaughter and nothing tangible would be gained from this idea.
Perhaps Australia could send their full strength squad in the lead up weeks and play a series warm up friendlies against Argentina, Brazil and, of course, Uruguay: the first of the FFA’s quadrennial tour of South America.
One can only dream, I guess.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Soccer Australia was asked in 2004, but for some reason it never eventuated. And Brazil always sends a full strength Copa Squad.
LUTCH
Guest
Australia in the Copa America would be awesome! absolutely great for all involved, plus the tournament would get some coverage here in Aus
whiskeymac
Guest
guardian reports today Spain is invited...
Griffo
Roar Guru
Sounds like a call out for a football touring party of South America; wet the appetite with Copa America then support the Young Socceroos in a see of gold! Half your luck! :-)
Football_Wunderkind
Roar Pro
Wikipedia is showing Egypt as having replaced Japan but I can't find anything absolutely official.
Fool
Guest
CONMEBOL has mentioned Australia before. The old Soccer Oz asked to be invited apparently at least once that I know of because CONMEBOL itself mentioned they were requested by Australia. Not sure it is the promised land as it was once upon a time. The issue now is player's have too much on and the income from this Copa America is not as great. US, Mexico and Japan have been a few times each and they are from outside of CONMEBOL. What could really be good for them and us is, they invite us to play and the next time around we host the tournament in Australia. It spreads the CONMEBOL brand and perhaps improves tv incomes for them. It is not as prestigious a tournament anymore because of the world cup qualifiers marathon they stage. Brazil only sends it's Olympic team to the Copa usually. Anyhow it was big up to the 1980s.
Football_Wunderkind
Roar Pro
Copa America is so fan friendly as well. The fans have heaps more access to the players. Compared to the sterile WC and Euro Champs Definitely a must for any discerning fan who wants the lot
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Sounds like a great idea ... and, then grab 5 days "vacation" before heading north to Colombia to watch the Aussie lads take on the best in the world in the FIFA u20 WC (29 July-20 Aug). :-)
Football_Wunderkind
Roar Pro
I actually wrote a comment piece about that very idea. http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/03/07/the-ultimate-shake-up-for-world-football/
Football_Wunderkind
Roar Pro
My bad... I firmly believed that the 1 tournament a year was a rule... Upon further research... I have discovered it is just the European clubs firing up and trying to 'protect' their players/interests. In that case SEND A FULL STRENGTH SOCCEROOS SQUAD TO THE COPA AMERICA P.S. I have booked my annual leave and am spending 4 weeks in Argentina around say July 1 to July 24 to watch a few football matches called the COPA AMERICA. Anyone else got similar plans?
Football_Wunderkind
Roar Pro
It wasn't going to be the same Japanese squad that played in the Asian Cup. That rule about only playing in one FIFA sanctioned tournament has come out in the wash regarding the whole Great Britain Olympic team. If Theo Walcott plays in the Olympics...then he can be denied the right to go play in the Euro Champs and vice versa. The players club... in this case Arsenal can deny him playing in the second tournament.
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
That is acutally a very interesting list, and I think the Bulldogs V Cowboys game from this year speaks volumes of the growing avaliablity of FoxSports. the Socceroos and the Aussie Cricket tours are understandable, they tend to be more "blue ribbon" and have wide appeal, with the socceroos appealing beyond "soccer people". But a regular H&W NRL match on the list? maybe FoxSports' avaliability isn't going to be such a big issue for the A-League in the future...
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
I actually think that the best thing for Central and North America would be to merge with South America, become an Uber Confederation. At least in a football sense, the USA and Mexico would benefit greatly from having to play better countries more often, i also think it would add a bit more unpredictablity to who qualifies for what out of that part of the world. Sadly the people (*cough* Chuck Blazer *cough cough*) stand to lose a lot of power should it happen, so it will never happen.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I don't think I've ever heard of any FIFA "one tournament per year policy"? For instance, the African Cup of Nations has always been held in the same year as the FIFA WC.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Great idea, we (FFA) should be falling over ouselves to get there. One question though on FIFA 'one tournament per year': why can Japan go and we could not? Is the implication that Japan would be sending a 'second string' team that didn't compete in the Asia Cup Final? Certainly if the recent Germany Fringe Camp was anything to go by, we have players to make a team and perhaps use Copa America to gel and prepare them.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
There's an AFL excuse coming soon enough... :) I'm surprised Karmichael Hunt didn't scoop the ratings. What a sporting extravaganza event that was... What a waste of time, money, and publicity, that ever was... Now the finger pointing begins...
floppybottom
Guest
Go up an extra gear? we seemed to be already at that gear against uruguay from my recollection. find some other country to patronise. perhaps american samoa?
Moonface
Roar Guru
And the Socceroos are still the top rating sports team on FTA http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2006/4043/
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
What a super idea! And, given that Australia were the runners-up in the recent AFC Championship, perhaps, there is a chance that we may be invited?
alan
Guest
As an Argentine, I really hope one day that the Copa America becomes a real Copa America by encompassing all of the Americas ( South, Central and North). Teams such as the USA, Costa Rica, Mexico should all play on a regular basis. Such a vision however doesn't look like eventuating any time soon. If the Socceroos were invited, it would be an invaluable experience for Australian football to go up that extra gear. Pitting your trade against Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay in a competitive competition will allow the Socceroos to shed their long ball tirade and, in return, employ a more Tiki Tiki approach if you will...