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OT: Association Football

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
17,564
I have grown up basically seeing Australia qualify for every world cup i have seen in my lifetime.

2002 i wasn't quite into it then or old enough.

So i think my generation probably don't appreciate and take it for granted how hard it is to make a world cup. Compared to those who went through the 80s & 90s and we never got there.

It's more just accepted now we should be making it. It may be a rude shock and crisis if we don't actually make a world cup in future years.

It was a strong campaign - 1 loss and avoiding the playoff with the automatic qualify.

Saudi Arabia are no slouches either especially on the road.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
95,016
It was more hit and miss back when we were in the Oceania conference because there was an all-or-nothing two leg playoff against Iran (1997) and Uruguay (2001 and again in 2005). Since then we’ve only had to win enough games during qualifying rounds rather than trying our luck in sudden death qualifiers.
 

85 Baby

Juniors
Messages
108
Saudis weren’t at their best and it was probably a bit too hard for them/outcome all but certain, but a win in Jeddah is nothing to sneeze at in a World Cup qualifier. And we played fairly well.
Certainly Japan are far more capable at controlling the midfield, but we played well with the additional freedom.
 

85 Baby

Juniors
Messages
108
It was more hit and miss back when we were in the Oceania conference because there was an all-or-nothing two leg playoff against Iran (1997) and Uruguay (2001 and again in 2005). Since then we’ve only had to win enough games during qualifying rounds rather than trying our luck in sudden death qualifiers.
Ummm… this is only the second time we’ve qualified direct out of AFC… we’ve gone to sudden death qualifiers the past 2 world cups
 

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