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.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
I woudn't give heed to anything a News Limited employee said they serve a cruel master after all and are duty bound to follow the party line Mr Gallop was right Football/Soccer in this country will advance with or without the World Cup -as I have said before now the HAL will be setting the national sport agenda within four years Lucas Neill declared in front of a audience of millions on Tuesday night that he would see Football become the No1 Sport in this great country -the re-organising/re-structuring of the Premier Leagues ensures this will happen and no amount of hand-wringing or money injections by other sporting codes can compete -the Asian Cup is still an unknown quantity so much depends on the context as it unfolds but handled well it will only boost the promotion of the game and the national re-positioning of the FFA at the head of the queue for the sport-loving public's hard-earned
nordster
Guest
Me or u? ;)
Ian
Guest
hey if you think that i respect your right to have it 100% but i don't think the dream team is the most talented sports team in the world at all.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Are there really people that have smiles on their face when their team is eliminated? No matter what the circumstances are 90% of the time you feel gutted in the immediate aftermath. I don't think Ghana fans were overly happy at full time against Uruguay. pretty sure there were tears.
Charles
Guest
"We are not going to win the world cup in 2014 so it’s going to end in tears eventually." ... neither are 30 other countries... but a lot of them are thrilled with their teams performance. Whether it be the debut teams who are happy just to score their first goal, or the team progressing further than expected (Ghana in 2010, Ukraine in 2006, South Korea/Turkey in 2002), or teams who happen to achieve a win over a particular rival. Are there really people out there who expect Australia to win the World Cup next year?
Titus
Guest
"I still find it increadibly funny when the likes of 7, 9 and Ten ‘need’ to report/discuss/get excited about games such as tonight, yet you can tell from the body lanuage they are like a duck out of water, " +1 I find that when they cover it on the mainstream media I get these voices in my head saying "Who cares, we don't care about soccer sooks in Australia" and I generally feel uncomfortable.
Titus
Guest
Yawn....mods.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Touche, I have to say I even watch it and I don't even like basketball. But this isn't the world cup yet and we produce this sort of interest..our national competition is also much stronger.
1860melbourne
Guest
The thing that will sustain football is the NPL , strong grass roots, the increasing tv audiences for the A league, marquee signings, increasing memberships and a tv deal that will increase on the back of the A league. All are trecking north at last check. The socceroos are only the icing on the cake. Making the world cup may increase the bandwagon but we dont need it as some people think. AS gallop says The A league is the bread and butter.
Johnno
Guest
When they play the dream team, the most talented sports team in the world, the hype is massive.
Ian
Guest
hmmm, saying the boomers could be the number one national team is a stretch. but that's just IMO.
Johnno
Guest
Kochie is irrelevant he has a conflict of interest, He is either the chairman or on the board of Port Power footy club in the AFL, so couldn't resist a little promotional hype for AFL when when many watching. Kellet_1992, the Australian Boomer's when they get a roll on at Olympic games rate well and generate interest. When ever they have played the dream team, such as at the last Olympics the hype was huge for that 1 match. And also Atlanta 1996 when Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal, went toe to toe with Dream Team in the semi-finals, the interest was huge. I remember the whole school stopped classes so we were all allowed to watch it in the school hall, in the hype of the basketball craze sweeping OZ at the time. The Boomer's also got good hype at Sydney 2000, when we made the semi-finals. And also good hype in the quarter final match vs the Dream team in 2008. So the Boomer's get a lot of hype, when playing the dream team, defiantly comparable to the soccer's. So maybe the Boomer's could say they are no 1, and the socceroos 2, or equal.
stu
Guest
Good articulate article by, from your photo, a young man. Well done. The game still has a very long way to go in winning the media battle, ie to at least be talked about in the mainstream media with a degree of knowledge. I still find it increadibly funny when the likes of 7, 9 and Ten 'need' to report/discuss/get excited about games such as tonight, yet you can tell from the body lanuage they are like a duck out of water, and in the case of the 'Sunrise' show yesterday Kochie, successfully brining it round with a free kick for Auskick!! Long way to go?? you bet.
Cameron
Roar Guru
It goes to show the pulling power of the Socceroos. They are a brand in itself and when playing good they are able to sell themselves quite easily. Opinion will vary but when Socceroos produce news such as this, they produce it on a much larger scale then most of our International teams. Only two other teams would compare. If Football in this country was #1 then The Socceroos would be #1 all the time... IMO
pete_the_meat
Guest
I would have to agree from a Financial point of view that it is most certainly in FFA's interest to qualify and not qualifying would represent a pretty big loss in income. Sharwood is nothing but a fool, he is essentially just a print/online version of an Alan Jones or Derryn Hinch, a shock jock. His employement solely relies on him getting enough page clicks from people viewing his articles, which aim to cause controversy (and therefore add revenue)
Johnno
Guest
To be honest, and this is a compliment to soccer, I am still stunned , the soccer's could pull 80,000 lazy Sydneysider's too, tonight's Iraq match, at Homebush. Yes we are now assured of 3rd spot at worst, and will get a sudden death spot vs Uzbekistan or Iran, so that in itself may diminish the match. But even more Iraq, have nothing to play for now, and a win seems so likely. Very surprised, as sydneysider's attitude is don't bother unless it's real sudden death eg grand finals, play off leg's vs South American qualifier's. Melbourne always turn up. But we have gone from 35,000 vs Oman, to 80,000 vs Iraq in a very short period of time, defies belief, hard to work sydneyider's out, which I am one off. All the so-called public transport problems,and all the other typical sydneysider's whinges like the weather when sydney is not even a cold winter place by world standards more like some places spring, and logistic issues all seemed to of magically been put aside tonight vs lowly Iraq.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I am just optimistic as yourself but to be realistic also comes in handy. Not to long ago Sydney held an international football match in which 34,603 turned out, but I know this match will help tremendously and I have also heard that papers in recent times haven't been as... harsh?? All that aside, I believe we can say with comfort that the A-League is here to stay regardless of what happens to the Socceroos. I can only imagine how much more interest the A-League will gather with the WC around the corner. Fingers crossed the trends of the past three seasons continue into the next. I can feel another golden generation over the horizon, the talent being produced is just mouthwatering and what they are giving us just makes us want more.
striker
Guest
I Am more optimistic about our future than alot of people are saying qualification or not, sydney is a buzz going into tonight game something i have not seen world cup 2006 matches and we haven't even qualified, it shows you how important the soceroos are, our game is growing at a fast pace exploding might be the world the other codes will not be able to stop like they have in the past.
Jukes
Guest
"It probably means they will have to go cap in hand to Tony Abbott for more funding. Where do you reckon the cash is coming from for West Sydney Wanderers? The Easter Bunny?" I would worry too much about WSW. Once they sell the club the FFA would easily have recouped its investment and then some. Of the 4M that was was used as part of the funding I believe only about 1M was spent.
Chairman Kaga
Guest
It will mean the FFA will have to find $10 million they currently do not have. Last World Cup, FIFA handed out $9 million to group teams at the World Cup. That is a huge financial black hole for Aussie soccer. It probably means they will have to go cap in hand to Tony Abbott for more funding. Where do you reckon the cash is coming from for West Sydney Wanderers? The Easter Bunny? Of course the game will survive, but it will help it's Australian development enormously on so many levels. It will develop players in the squad. Help them get to better clubs that will raise their skill levels. It would encourage more kids to take up the sport as it will be in the media shop window a lot during the build up and tournament. It will probably slow down the expansion of the A-League a bit too, it would delay any plans for a while. The more I think about it, the word disaster does come to mind. We had enough failures, no more people!