A decade in the making
Print Edition
THE 120 minutes it took Australia to beat South Korea in yesterday’s Asian Cup final were the culmination of an ambitious 10-year plan to gain the respect of the soccer world.
A decade ago, Australia was marooned in Oceania, the biggest fish in world soccer’s smallest pond, but had much grander aspirations.
The game was struggling for recognition in Australia, partly because the Socceroos hadn’t qualified for the World Cup in 32 years.
Being the champions of Oceania didn’t count for much. It earned Australia a ticket to the Confederations Cup but not the World Cup as Oceania does not have direct entry. Australia broke their long World Cup drought when they qualified for the 2006 tournament, and made a big impression by reaching the round of 16, losing to the eventual champions Italy.
One of soccer’s sleeping giants was awakening but to be taken seriously, the Australians knew they needed to find regular, tougher opposition, so they ditched Oceania and joined the Asian Football Confederation.
The enormous challenge of conquering the world’s most populated and diverse region immediately became apparent.
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