When the Socceroos run out against South Korea in Seoul tomorrow night, most eyes in Australian football will be fixed on ANZ Stadium and the visit of a certain Manchester United instead.
The timing of the East Asian Cup finals and the visit of English Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool to Australia is hardly ideal.
Just when it appeared another dimension to Asian football would be opened up to casual Australian fans, whatever interest that could possibly exist in the East Asian Cup was soon swept away by the fervour surrounding the build-up to Saturday night’s All Star game.
That’s not necessarily Football Federation Australia’s fault – though they’ve hardly resisted the temptation to try and milk United’s visit for all its worth – but as it stands, there seems little reason to get enthused about by the visit of an understrength Socceroos to Seoul.
Which seems a shame, because the tournament is not only an opportunity to get a closer look at the toughest of our Asian rivals, it also offers several fringe players the chance to push their claims for World Cup selection in Brazil.
True to form, the Socceroos face their toughest test first when the run out against host nation South Korea at the impressive Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday night.
None of the four nations involved have called up any European-based players, but the South Koreans still boast a handy-looking squad.
Goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong, Guangzhou Evergrande defender Kim Young-Gwon and veteran Yeom Ki-Hun possess plenty of experience at this level, while interestingly the South Koreans have also called up seven players based in Japan’s neighbouring J. League.
Not surprisingly, the Japanese squad is entirely domestic-based, although coach Alberto Zaccheroni has resisted the urge to pick a squad with the sole aim of winning the tournament and has instead cast his eye towards the future.
It’s in the final third of the pitch where Zaccheroni has made his most interesting selections, where Cerezo Osaka starlet Yoichiro Kakitani, tricky Yokohama F. Marinos winger Manabu Saito, Jubilo Iwata youngster Hiroki Yamada and the bulldozing Yohei Toyoda will all be desperate for some game time.
The powerful Toyoda’s inclusion is perhaps the most revealing, as Japan continues its long quest to unearth the sort of genuine number nine striker most football nations take for granted. If the big Sagan Tosu striker can find the net in South Korea, he may just fire himself into World Cup contention.
China have gone the other way and will instead present a squad brimming with age and experience under caretaker coach Fu Bo.
Far from favouring youth, only 20-year-old Hangzhou Greentown defender Shi Ke is uncapped at full international level, while Beijing Guoan youngster Zhang Xizhe has played just the once – with the rest of the Chinese squad packed with veterans.
With little to lose, the Chinese are the dark horses of the finals but the question is; should anyone care either way?
The tournament is quite honestly an anachronistic throwback to a time when Asian football failed to command the kind of global respect it now enjoys.
And while Australia’s involvement may take some of the geopolitical sting out of the finals, it would surprise no one if we see a repeat of the sort of odious scenes which usually accompany showdowns featuring these historical foes – namely the jeering of national anthems.
Too often the East Asian Cup is seen as a chance to settle old scores which have nothing to do with football, though the cheerful ignorance of many Australians towards Asian football means this will invariably come as a shock the first time we see it.
So on a night when the Socceroos proudly fly the flag for our nation, most eyes will instead be on a team which represents the cream of English club football.
Does this the represent the good, the bad or the ugly of the Australian game right now?
Punter
Guest
Mid, he does write like someone from a AFL dominant area.
Holly
Guest
A tournament Full International vs a pre-season friendly - I'll be watching the Socceroos !!
Australian Rules
Guest
"I don't know a single person, who has watched even 1 minute of the Ashes". Brilliant. If you ever wanted proof that this guy lives in his own box without windows, here it is.
Titus
Guest
I'm pumped for both games to be honest, you can squabble all you want about what makes a football fan but how any of them can live without foxtelIQ and Setanta is beyond me.
Punter
Guest
'The Axis of evil [ Ch7, 3AW, Herald Sun]'. Who would ever forget their performance (especially the latter 2) during the WC bid. The hysteria is caused in southern capital. Definitely no friends of FOOTBALL!!!!! Brilliant Mid!!!!
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
I wasnt specifically talking about this thread fuss but its obvious quite a few football lovers here do not like the fact some of us also love and follow other sports. When you or others talk about the 'eggball" or use other derogatory terms (tbh i have learnt many terms since i read football threads, eggball, naysayers and so on ;), it doesnt make ppl like me or my Brit friends who love rugby and football feel very welcome in the big aussie football family. And yet i would like to believe that i/we love football and have watched more football games than 99% of the anglo-aussies. I know quite a few welsh, english, Irish etc who went to Lions games, attend football games too and watch the ashes. True they/we are not australians but what i mean is that it is possible that some ppl may genuinely love and follow different sports. In all honesty i have also had this discussion with the few aussie mates i have here in sydney (rugby fans, sort of) who bagged football and didnt get the game, say it was boring and so on. i cant stand that either so i understand the kind of suffering some aussies must have endured loving a sport in a small town that others didnt get. anyway, all good. Perso, I do respect and love AUS football, especially the NT. I am only a casual follower of the HAL (although its growing on me year after year), only record or watch Sydney FC games simply because days are only 24h long and i make other choices, i.e. attend rugby games. Its also, i think, that when you grew up with a football team you loved as its my case, its hard to love/adopt another team (something for whatever reason i managed to do with rugby as i didnt have a club i loved as much when i was in europe).
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"It is somehow funny to see that some Australian football fans don’t understand that one can be a true football lover and also watch and love other codes, sports etc. " Really? Where have you seen anyone express that opinion? I'll state yet again, for those who haven't diligently been reading all the posts on this thread: Anyone, who shows respect for The Game in AUS – the good, the bad, the ugly – is a “True Believer. It's got nothing to do with following other sports. It's simply a question: "Do you respect AUS football" - Yes or No?
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
It is somehow funny to see that some Australian football fans don't understand that one can be a true football lover (didn't use True Beiliever (fearful of copyright infringement ;) and also watch and love other codes, sports etc. In terms of Aussies and football, I tend to agree with stavros, fadida and a few others: the vast majority of Anglo Aussies still love their cricket, afl or whatever 'aussie' sport they watch more than football. I have spent 10-11 of the last 13 years in Australia, mostly in Sydney, and I have never met what a would call 'a real anglo-Australian football lover', not 1. I have met guys who had football as their n1 sport but after a few minutes it was clear they were casual fans who needed a sport to fit in as they didn't like the more Aussie sports, for whatever reason. It was clear they chose football because it was 'trendy', looked european and so on. I think many roarers call them 'bandwagoners'. Which doesn't mean they aren't any anglo-aussie football lovers (am sure many of the roarers here are real football lovers) but its still a minority in this country. Or I really live in the different world than others! All the real football fans with a minimum of knowledge, interest and passion for the game i have met were expats/ immigrants (or 1st, 2nd generation) mostly from Europe and Asia. There is no doubt football is growing here in Oz, which is great, but it is, I would say, mostly because of immigrants who have been landing here in the last 20-30 years. They/we come from football nations and many quickly realise the only sport they can follow here in oz is football as they don't know/ don't play afl, league, netball, hockey etc in their country (agree with fuss on that, am the only non Anglo -Aussie I know who watches cricket and league ). So I might be in the minority but I will be watching SR (that's rugby), then the EAFF, then some cricket/TdF tonight, with NRL score updates in between! Will record the Man U game too.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Broadcast team are real football people: Robbie Thompson & Michael Zappone Zappa is a staunch ALeague person, who is also part of the FoxFootball team.
Midfielder
Guest
Wonders aloud who ""No-body screws soccer like 7""" will have as the broadcast team .... can a founding member of the ""Axis of evil""" [ Ch7, 3AW, Herald Sun] ... call this game and promote the A-League at the same time...
Midfielder
Guest
Stravos Your posts overall seem based on what I will call a Melbourne view of the world ...you defend even from slightest criticism of the AFL and seem dismissive and lacking in knowledge of Sydney & Brisbane thinking ... a mistake very commonly mistake made by AFL media folk in particular but in Melbourne generally ... The best example is of this lack of Sydney knowledge is the way many in Melbourne base everything on crowds ... so when RL gets a small crowd it means RL is not as popular as say AFL... One thing I have noticed with all posters from Melbourne ... even Fuss and MV Dave is they are sorta caught in what the local media say and it does show in their posts... maybe I am wrong but your posts over time indicate to me your are a Melbourne lad ...
fadida
Guest
Still blindly stumbling along ignoring reality Qantas?
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
@Fidida----twisted logic yet again...? No pleasing you is there...
AZ_RBB
Guest
i would absolutely love to see Australia participate in the East Asian Cup every year or so. someone above said that this is a great way of measuring up A League with J&K League and Chinese Super League. couldn't agree more.
peeeko
Roar Guru
yes Barry, get them further offside. that will teach them. i have a gut feeling that the IOC will probably not agree
peeeko
Roar Guru
so a supporter of other codes is a "bogan"?
Stavros
Guest
Barry - a couple of brilliant posts there. If you want to start up a petition, I will gladly sign it.
Stavros
Guest
Midfielder - what part of my post indicates that I am from Melbourne? Is it because people from Melbourne love cricket? Melbourne has a large Greek population? I'm interested to know how you deduced that.
Allan
Guest
Not sure where you are right now but here in Western Sydney he is telling it like it is.
Cameron
Roar Guru
AGO74, http://www.eaff.com/organisation/about.html