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Some bandwagon journalists would have us believe the World Cup is the be all and end all, and that missing out on the big dance will damage football in Australia.
A loss to a severely understrength Iraq side tonight would rightly be seen as an embarrassing and unacceptable failure, and failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup should rightly be derided.
But the popularity and prosperity of the game Down Under does not hinge solely on whether the Socceroos book their flights to Brazil.
The recent resurgence of the ‘Roos has brought countless bandwagon fans back to the fold – and this is a good thing, a very good thing.
It has also seen the emergence of bandwagon football journalists – essentially journos who rarely focus on football but feel that they have enough clout within the general sporting sphere that people will still value their opinions on the Socceroos and football in general.
This is also a good thing, because it generates more vital mainstream media coverage for the sport.
But it’s only a good thing if these quadrennial football writers know what they’re talking about, and know it fully.
Last week, two such fellows, Gerard Whateley (ABC, Fox Footy, Herald Sun broadcaster/journalist) and Anthony Sharwood (News Limited sports and opinion writer) both tried their hand at commenting on the round ball game.
The pair both declared the Socceroos making the World Cup was a necessity for football to continue to grow into the future.
On the prospect of failing to make the World Cup, Sharwood’s yarn said:
“The growth in popularity of the so-called World Game would be set back decades. Forget the success of the A-League. The success of men’s soccer in Australia still depends above all on the national men’s team making the World Cup…no Cup, mo mass interest.”
One of the online headings for his piece even went so far as to say, “If Socceroos lose tonight (to Jordan), soccer is dead.”
Whateley was far less sensationalist in his views, yet still asserted the game in Australia needed the Socceroos to qualify.
“It is unclear whether football here is insulated against missing a World Cup,” Whateley said.
Yet, in actual fact, football in Australia has an ideal insurance policy – the Asian Cup.
Both Sharwood and Whateley completely failed to mention the 2015 Asian Cup is being held here on our own sunny shores.
Granted, the Asian Cup isn’t a patch on the World Cup in terms of glamour, prestige and strength of competition, but it’s still a major tournament that will turn heads.
And a lot of bandwagoner heads will be turned simply because they have never before been able to watch their beloved Socceroos compete in a major tournament on home turf.
Add to this the fact that the Socceroos will have a genuine chance of winning the thing, and you’ve got some serious public interest.
Missing the World Cup would be devastating, but it is short-sighted to suggest the Socceroos must make it to Brazil for the game in Australia to prosper, because the Asian Cup will be just around the corner and brings with it the possibility of securing Australia’s first ever major trophy.
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