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Paul Williams is an Adelaide-based football writer. Specialising in Asian football, he writes about the beautiful game for a host of publications including Arab News and Football Today, and also co-hosts The Asian Game podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @PaulWilliams_85.
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Melbourne Victory’s Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda experienced the highs and lows of football this week as he was on each side of a 4-1 scoreline.
The final ball hadn’t even been kicked in Russia before some – mostly European media – started to get themselves into a lather over the fact Qatar will be the next host of the FIFA World Cup.
Asia’s run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup may have ended with Japan’s crushing loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 last week, but its influence is still being felt as we get towards the business end of the competition.
Before the World Cup, Hyundai, in their infinite wisdom, invited Australians to “have a fling with football”. A “fling” – no emotion, just four weeks of fun and frivolity.
As far as opening games go, it may not have been as bad (at least where the score is concerned) as their 8-0 loss to Germany in 2002, but Saudi Arabia’s listless opening day performance against an average Russia was about as bad as it got.
When FFA appointed Dutchman Bert van Marwijk as coach back in January we all knew what we were getting.
The long-anticipated delegation from FIFA and AFC arrives in town this week, as they look the mediate a resolution between the FFA and the club owners regarding the make-up of the FFA Congress – and, ultimately, the future of the game in Australia. Â
Jumpei Kusukami’s recent departure from Western Sydney Wanderers would’ve barely registered on the radar of most A-League fans.
Whether we like it or not, football runs fourth in Australia when it comes to professional sports – behind AFL, rugby league and cricket. The battle for relevancy is real.
Some people, including myself, would say too much football is never enough. But in the Australian sporting landscape, when most major media outlets are still digesting the AFL and NRL grand finals, is too much football too much?
Cast your mind back to just over 12 months ago and the euphoric scenes at the Adelaide Oval when Adelaide United broke their 11-year drought to be crowned champions of Australia.
To say there is a buzz around Adelaide ahead of Thursday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia is probably overstating things a touch. It’s more of a light hum.
Pressure. It can do funny things to people; people at the top of their game, people so normally clinical in what they do.
