Australia is in Asia - apparently

C_f_W

Just been looking through the WC qualifying groups on FIFA's website and I saw that Australia, a country formerly based in the region called Oceania, have suddenly upped sticks and moved to the Asia qualifying region.

I wondered why so read on a bit...

Asia yields 4 guaranteed places for SA and Australia are currently sitting pretty on top of one of two groups, the top two from which qualify for SA.

Contrast this with the single 4-team Oceania group where the winner is only guaranteed a play-off place against the fifth placed Asia team.

Is it just me or does this stink????

mascot88

It used to be , before Australia petitioned and changed, that the top team from oceania would face the 5th team from South America in a two legged winner takes all play off......

So for several world cup qualifier series they would beat New Zealand and tonga and a load of other rubbish teams then face uruguay and get ousted, until 2006 ...

So they made the change and the FIFA changed the rules, but the thinking is that becasue they are playing the likes of Japan they will be better prepared should they qualify.....

C_f_W

Whatever the reason, the fact a country can lobby and get its confederation changed is ludicrous.

Almost as ludicrous as a confederation not even being guaranteed a place in the finals when others get as many as they do!!!

TEL

Makes a lot more sense to me.....the previous scenario that Mascot mentions was a bit of a sham. Being as isolated as Australia and New Zealand are, makes a lot of sense for them to be classified in the Asian bracket as they will get to play better sides and this will improve Australian/NZ football no end in time.

Chirpy Red

And Israel are in the Eurovision Song Contest.....

razil

Israel are in UEFA Too aren't they, for political reasons more than anything?

C_f_W

[cite]Posted By: razil[/cite]Israel are in UEFA Too aren't they, for political reasons more than anything?

Yep, that one just makes good sense!!!!

razil

indeed..

MCFC

Now boys..confederations are not set in stone, Oz could have applied for Uefa status (rejected of course) as confeds are just voluntary borders by the football world.

Israel are in Uefa since the wars with their neighbours meant that no one from that region was going to play them, there is a permanent security matter as well..
When the Soviet union disintegrated Russia as the largest remaining part took their place while the ex-soviet republics had a choice of joining Uefa or the Asian confederation, it was really up to them.

Stig

I like the idea of swapping confederations. In fact, I'd go a step further and state that in all qualifying competitions there must be a wild-card entry from a different organisation. That might liven things up a bit. England in the Oceania group anyone? At least they migtht qualify.

pickwick

Australia are on the same tectonic plate as India and are currently causing the Himalaya's so are more in Asia than the rest of Oceania..?

mascot88

Is Australia any more in South America than it is in Asia????????

Lets face it Australia is in the middle of NOWHERE, standing upside on our heads...

so Australia have to get in some way, and facing Uruguay every four years wasnt the best solution.

Also as soon as Australia did it they changed the rules, so it would have been better to stay anyway

addick2000

I think Archie Thompson still holds the goal scoring record for a World Cup game when he scored 13 goals in one game when Australia beat one of the Oceana teams a few years ago.

It was pretty ludicrous having Australia beat these sides by enormous margins and then going off to South America to play a two leg game against the 5th qualifying team there.

And the great Sepp Blatter came to Australia when he was first spruiking for president of FIFA and GUARANTEED a direct qualification for the winner of the Oceana competition into the world cup and the first thing he did when he was elected was to go back on his word.

He's a blight on this game and should be banned for life. He doesn't like Australia, wants to ban women's soccer, and continues to make idiotic statements to keep his ever reducing supporters on side.

Rant over

Bangkokaddick

Kazakhstan changed conferences to UEFA after the 2002 World Cup. Not sure why, as although there are more qualifying berths from Europe surely the standard in Asia would make qualification less difficult.

Czech_Addick

[cite]Posted By: addick2000[/cite]And the great Sepp Blatter came to Australia when he was first spruiking for president of FIFA and GUARANTEED a direct qualification for the winner of the Oceana competition into the world cup and the first thing he did when he was elected was to go back on his word.

It's wrong that he went back on his word, but he should never have promised it in the first place. Australia are the only decent team in the confederation so it would have basically guaranteed them a place at every world cup. Much fairer, and better for the Aussies too, that they have to play against some half-decent sides to qualify.

christian da valiant

Football(soccer over here) in australia had a major shake up in 2005. In 2004 the Oceana president had the deciding vote on who won the right to host the 2010 world cup, and he refused to give a vote on it. Sebb Blatter then basically said that FIFA would not recognise the Oceana region. In Oz The national soccer league was in decline, the standard was at times like sunday pub league stuff. So they canned the old NSL, from the board all the way down, and 15 monts later started the 'A'' league, a simular model to Japans succesful 'J' league. They changed there name to football federation of Austrailia (FFA), installed a new plan and got together very succesful sporting businnesmen to be on the board. To further the appeal of football over here, which plays 3rd fiddle to AFL and Rugby league, they needed a bigger challenge, a wider profile, so joining the asian federation was the way forward. And it has worked. The ociana federation has a tarnished name, one that the aussies wished to distance themselves from. And the region is often refered to australasia, which australia is a part of.

TEL

Very well put young man......I think you should do a landmark speech on the subject at The Perth ADU meet...

:-)

C_f_W

Now I know why I bother posting on this board, you really learn some amazing stuff...geography, politics, history, Sepp Blatter's a cu....oh sorry, I knew that already

Friend Or Defoe

Australia are the England of the southern Hemisphere. The media expected them to win the Asian cup last year and what happens? They get knocked out by the mighty Thailand on penalties!

I went to an A-league game in Melbourne 2005/2006 and saw a guy wearing a Charlton shirt!

christian da valiant

Tel, the only thing I'll be doing is throwing pints down me throat at the perth ADU meet!

ChicagoAddick

[quote][cite]Posted By: Friend Or Defoe[/cite]Australia are the England of the southern Hemisphere. The media expected them to win the Asian cup last year and what happens? They get knocked out by the mighty Thailand on penalties!

I went to an A-league game in Melbourne 2005/2006 and saw a guy wearing a Charlton shirt![/quote]

That's because there seems to be more Addicks down there than Aussies :-)

TEL

Im surprised there hasnt been a fan from Tunbridge Wells saying he saw a fan wearing a Charlton shirt at an A league match at Central Coast a couple of weeks ago.....it was me.....he even came back and had his photo taken as he couldnt believe it...

Christian....Lee assures me youre a diet coke man....lol

christian da valiant

There are a few of us in Oz ChicagoAddick! Just wish the football was of a higher quality over here mate.