Craig Johnston..The Socceroo that never was !

">


One of my earliest memories of English football was watching Craig Johnston
playing for LIVERPOOL FC , the club I still follow and love , to this day.
I'll always remember that goal of his in the FA Cup final when he jumps for
joy after scoring . I think he influenced and started many a Socceroo career
that day !

He would have been a "Handy" addition to any Socceroo outfit he would have
played for , perhaps , even captaining the team !

Austrlalian bid for 2018 World Cup

From The Age

FOOTBALL Federation Australia has welcomed government support for a bid to host the 2018 World Cup, but warned that winning the right to stage the event would be a huge task.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday said all governments would support a bid, if one came, for Australia to host the event in 2018.

"All governments agreed enthusiastically that if the national body, the Football Federation of Australia, put in a bid for the 2018 World Cup, then all governments would support that bid, and support that bid very enthusiastically," Howard said.

FFA's head of operations Matt Carroll said the process would be tougher than winning the rights to host an Olympic Games and that Australia must first lift its profile in the soccer world.

"We welcome the support of the federal government and the state governments, in order to bid for the FIFA World Cup, you require that support," Carroll said.

"A careful strategy has to be mapped out — it's like bidding for the Olympic Games and in some ways it's bigger than that.

"Obviously our credentials, through hosting the Sydney Olympics and rugby World Cup 2003, are well known, but our credentials in the world of football — while they've been picked up through the Socceroos at the Germany World Cup — we still need to work hard to raise our profile particularly in the Asian Football Confederation."

Carroll said FFA would look to host the 2011 Asian Cup to increase Australia's status.

"You get your credentials up in the football world and then you have a crack at the big one," Carroll said.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said there was an agreement from premiers and territory chief ministers to back FFA in a bid for Australia to host the World Cup in 2018.

"We have got a solid and strong case. It is going to be very competitive," Bracks said.

"I am quite happy with the objective assessment of where the final will be. When that's objectively assessed, there is no doubt it will be at the MCG in Melbourne. Where else could it be?"

Socceroos on myspace

Check me out on MySpace! http://www.myspace.com/elmigster

....And please dont forget to Bookmark it now , wont you !!!

Tag-Team Socceroos

SOCCEROOS HUNT IN PAIRS !!!


Seems to me like a lot of the the Socceroos like to have another
national team mate with them when they play at club level .
Do they just miss the company or do they feel like they need a fellow
Aussie mate to help them adjust to the gruelling schedules enforced on them
in there respective Football leagues ?

Here are a few examples :

• Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka for LEEDS UTD.
• Vince Grella and Marco Bresciano for EMPOLI and PARMA
• Brett Emerton and Lucas Neill for BLACKBURN ROVERS
• Mile Sterjovski and Scott Chipperfield for FC BASEL
• Jason Culina and Archie Thompson for PSV EINDHOVEN
• Mark Viduka and Mark Schwarzer for MIDDLESBOROUGH
• Tim Cahill and Lucas Neill for MILLWALL
• (2006) Josh Kennedy and Michael Beauchamp for FC NURNBERG

Anymore you can think of ??

PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED !

Harry Kewell as..Captain Socceroo

Mercurial , lazy , injury prone , enigmatic and for lot of the time......brilliant !!!! These are some of the labels used to describe our very own "Wizard of Oz"....Harry Kewell. With the possible retirement of Mark Viduka from international football , the question could be asked if Harry was capable or would want to wear the captains armband and lead the Socceroos to future competitions , culminating with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. I personally think he should have a stab at the role or at least be given the opportunity to see whether the extra responsibility could stabilise his Socceroo career. This , of course , is not a "no confidence " vote for Craig Moore but more of a profile issue. The fact that Harry is our most high profile player would enhance the Socceroo profile and reputation even more ; and its not as if Harry is some sort of shrinking violet . If you watch a lot of his games , he's always in there , getting stuck into the ref's and other officials.

I dont know...what do you think bloggers ??????

CLASS OF 1974.......THE ORIGINALS !!!!!!!

Australia's World Cup squad 1974

D.O.B. CLUB
1 GK Jack Reilly 27 Aug 1945 Hakoah St.Kilda
2 DF Doug Utjesenovic 08 Oct 1946 St.George-Budapest
3 DF Peter Wilson 15 Sep 1947 Safeway United
4 DF Manfred Schaefer 12 Feb 1943 St.George-Budapest
5 DF Colin Curran 21 Aug 1947 Western Suburbs SC
6 MD Ray Richards 18 May 1946 Marconi Fairfield
7 MD Jimmy Rooney 10 Dec 1945 APIA Leichardt
8 MD Jimmy Mackay 19 Dec 1943 Hakoah Eastern Suburbs
9 FW Johnny Warren 17 May 1943 St.George-Budapest
10 FW Gary Manuel 20 Feb 1950 Pan Hellenic
11 FW Attila Abonyi 16 Aug 1946 St.George-Budapest
12 FW Adrian Alston 06 Feb 1949 Safeway United
13 FW Peter Ollerton 20 May 1951 APIA Leichardt
14 FW Max Tolson 18 Jul 1945 Safeway United
15 DF Harry Williams 07 May 1951 St.George-Budapest
16 DF Ivo Rudic 24 Jan 1942 Pan Hellenic
17 MD David Harding 14 Aug 1946 Pan Hellenic
18 DF John Watkiss 28 Mar 1941 Hakoah Eastern Suburbs
19 FW Ernie Campbell 20 Oct 1949 Marconi Fairfield
20 FW Branko Buljevic 06 Sep 1947 Footscray JUST
21 GK Jim Milisavljevic 15 Apr 1951 Footscray JUST
22 GK Allan Maher 21 Jul 1950 Sutherland Shire
Coach: Rale Rasic 26 Dec 1935

Weet-Bix Television Ad



Who would have thought the socceroos would be doing
commercials...Fantastic!!!

Socceroos training

STUFF HISTORY ALRIGHT !!!!!!

Class Of 2006

Welcome to the World Cup Australia Blog !!

Dedicated to the fine young socceroos , past and present who have made every

AUSTRALIAN proud and who have experienced the highs and lows of many a campaign to see them finally show the world what the Socceroos are all about.

C'mon Aussie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!