The last time the Socceroos met England was a momentous occasion for Australian football. Frank Farina’s men triumphed 3-1 over a much fancied England and fans across our nation have been dining off that moment ever since.
That night the England squad contained football stars such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen and Frank Lampard. Even a young Wayne Rooney made his debut.
Since then Australian football has taken some important steps forward, including qualifying for three consecutive World Cups, creating an ever growing domestic league and have become Asian Cup champions on home soil.
It is safe to say Australian football has come along in leaps and bounds.
When you compare the two Australian squads the 2003 squad looks vastly superior. Individually we were a much better team but the recent side has achieved far greater results.
The starting XI Ange Postecoglou chooses to walk out against England (Saturday morning AEST) barely holds a candle to the squad that triumphed against England 13 years ago.
Eleven men took to the pitch that night and with the five substitutes, 16 men instantly left as heroes.
Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Craig Moore, Tony Popovic, Tony Vidmar, Stan Lazaridis, Brett Emerton, Paul Okon, Kevin Muscat, Josip Skoko, Marco Bresciano, Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Mark Viduka, Mile Sterjovski, Harry Kewell and John Aloisi entered football folklore that night. For many of them the England victory represents one of their most memorable nights in a Socceroos jersey.
Postecoglu has placed his stamp on the current Socceroos squad and the ever growing number of players, although not as talented as the ‘Golden Generation’, are all dancing to the beat of their manager’s drum.
Postecoglu’s team relies on a hard work ethic and established team chemistry. He has built and shaped this team to evolve and grow as football in Australia does.
The modern-day Socceroos are now a much more travelled squad, having played in various parts of Asia for the purposes of World Cup qualification. The squad is a championship-winning team but it’s not a great squad of individuals.
To borrow a phrase from the great Ned Zelic, individual brilliance appears to have become a thing of the past. Apart from a few Timmy Cahill moments over the years our current national team doesn’t appear to have the flare of yesteryear.
Australian football no longer relies on marquee friendlies like we have in the past; we have moved beyond that. Supporters of the sport no longer follow the team for one campaign every four years, the Socceroos have now become a team you follow on a consistent basis.
Since joining the Asian Football Confederation we play more games on a regular basis and the results in majority of games have far greater consequences.
While Australia has always had a proud sporting history with England the upcoming result of a football friendly doesn’t seem to matter on the current sporting landscape.
The current standing of Australian football doesn’t require a victory over our oldest enemy. The status of Australian football now hinges on World Cup qualifications and the strength of the domestic league, not on our next friendly international encounter.
Pauly
Guest
Their worst loss ever was actually to South Africa (0-8) almost a century ago.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Beautiful
Pauly
Guest
Back in 2003, Soccer Australia was flat broke and reeling from the embarrassment of the 2002 Oceania Nations Cup loss to New Zealand - you may recall that Scott Chipperfield was the only overseas-based player to turn up and the players had to pay their own airfares. Back then the NSL was slowly dying, virtually choked to death by a poor attitude from its broadcaster and media and public apathy. Back then the only football on FTA TV was SBS's EPL game and UCL games. As for the Socceroos, they had not qualified for a World Cup since 1974 and it dud not seem likely that they ever would, with a breezy Oceania campaign with just one competitive opponent in New Zealand followed by a two-legged playoff with a battle-hardened member of another confederation. The game was a joke and few thought it would ever be more than that on these shores. So when Popa headed in, when Harry humiliated his former team-mate to steal the ball and circumvent a shocked David James to put us 2-0 up, when Emmo sealed it in the dying minutes, a self-belief began to emerge. If the Socceroos could beat England despite all that they were up against, there was no longer a limit to what they could achieve. It was the Howard Government that initiated the reform process the sport needed. However, this result at Upton Park was what gave the game confidence to go through with it and gave football's believers some hope. Tomorrow morning's match doesn't have as much riding on it but when one looks at football in Australia since that famous night, only the hardest of heart and the bitterest of the embittered would think anything other than, "Wow!"
Pauly
Guest
If history AND present day is anything to go by, South Korea would fit the bill: - 1967 Peace Cup in wartime Saigon, Australia won - Australia's qualification for West Germany 1974 was at South Korea's expense. - Played a number of friendlies including two in the AFC era - South Korea's win at Lang Park in the group stage of the Asian Cup 2015, Australia overturning that result in the final at Homebush. Our women's sides have also crossed paths on numerous occasions.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
Definitely Japan, but it's a different sort of rivalry - more one of respect I would say. I speak Japanese and work with Japanese people, and its a very friendly rivalry in my experience, with most sets of fans being fairly good-natured toward each other. This is quite different to the rivalry we have with the English in say Cricket, where we want to annihilate them in every fixture and then shove it in their faces :P . As for Rugby, I wouldn't call our relationship with the All Blacks a "rivalry" any more than I would call the relationship the Kangaroos have with England one, because it's just too one sided. In truth, our best "rivalry" in rugby is actually now with the Springboks - since the start of the pro era we're pretty well on level pegging with them in terms of win/loss ratio (slightly ahead in fact).
Bondy
Guest
Rick Disnick We dont have a rivalry with England through Football because we play outside one another's Confederation, where with Cricket as an instance or Rugby League there is no Confederation where you play other teams in your region Cricket as a sport is not big enough in participants . And that's why we dont have a rivalry with England the sport itself football doesn't need it due to the mass amounts of participating nations in their respective Confederations .
Bondy
Guest
Your great rival in football should be a rival within your Confederation I.E Australia vs Japan , England vs Germany, Brazil vs Argentina all of those great rivalries are from within their own Confederations ...
Evan askew
Guest
Don't think their would be much room for skiing with all the industrial towns that make up the north. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Japan. No question.
Justin Mahon
Guest
that result is nearly as wonderful as watching Germany win world cups consistently.
lester
Guest
This isn't Rugby or Cricket. New Zealand never really meant much as a rival to the Football community who don't have much interest in what is a glorified a colonial tiff.
Brisvegas
Guest
The Ashes rivalry goes deep. Even after 30-odd years in Oz I get great pleasure out of England beating Australia. I don't really care about other games, but I have to admit a perverse pleasure when Australia lose in rugby and league. I'm not at all fussed about other sports. Football, though, now that's different. This is my sport. This is something I love above even sex. I would love it, just love it, if the Socceroos won. But is that a football rivalry? Nah, it's just me. It's about my roots and my loves (can't get away from sex) and it's nothing more than a personal thing.
marcel
Guest
Do northerners ski?....that would be for pooofs man!
Waz
Guest
you might be new to Roar, people will often post just to see their "name" on screen lol
Hammerhead
Guest
I would wager that Australia's biggest sporting rivalry in Europe is actually Croatia, not England. When you consider the Soccerroos worst loss ever was to the Vatreni (this is when they had Boban, Boksic, Suker and Prosinecki) and getting Aussie Joe Simunic to play for the Vatreni (ironic how the best defender Australia produced never played for Australia!) there is a lot of spite. It's not just football either, remember when Goran Ivanisevic beat Pat Rafter at Wimbledon?
Hammerhead
Guest
Jeffers actually played in the A-League for Newcastle Jets and was pretty good, way better than Michael Bridges.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
We might not play Uruguay for another 20 years,there's enough bad blood there to dislike them for eternity. I do often read this notion that Uruguay would absolutely batter us now and it really bemuses me to be honest, we've played better recently only just come up short. Sure Suarez and Cavani are enough to keep anyone up at night but their midfield and defence aren't as good as the 2005 vintage.
Mark
Guest
Impossible to compare. The 2003 Socceroos only played a few serious games every four years. The current Socceroos have to play at least 18 competitive matches to qualify for a World Cup. If the 2003 Socceroos played meaningful games as often as the current Socceroos, they would probably play better as a team too.
BigAl
Guest
Heard a British pollie on the radio this am barfing on about how the UK should quit the EU and "...re-establish links with Australia..." If that happens, maybe they will initiate a whole new Test Series and call it . . . The BREXIT Cup ! - could be HUGE!
Fan
Guest
Dream on!