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A Play-Off? Australia is NO Match for South American Teams

It's more of a formality than anything else. I am not even sure why it exists. None of the teams (How many are there? 3 ??) are any match for any South American team. Year after year, they lose. So why have a playoff that is predetermined from the outset? This article says it all:

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/051028/1/53fl.html

History points to Uruguay
28 October 2005
by FIFAworldcup.com

Uruguay will be hoping for a nod from destiny when they go head to head with Australia in the South America-Oceania play-off for a berth at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. The weight of history may not prove to be the decisive factor on November 12 and 16, but Uruguay will doubtless be pleased to have it on their side.

The most recent play-off is still fresh in everyone's memories, with the same two sides having crossed swords in identical circumstances four years ago. But if you go back a bit further, a very significant pattern emerges: only once in the history of the play-offs have a South American team failed to go through.

Korea/Japan 2002: Pure Celeste
Next month's meeting between Uruguay and Australia will be a repeat of the tie that decided the final participant at the 2002 finals in the Far East. The first leg, played in Melbourne on 20 November 2001, saw Frank Farina's Socceroos claim a 1-0 win through a Kevin Muscat penalty. However, their slender advantage was to prove insufficient in the return leg.

Seven days later, Uruguay managed to turn things around with a 3-0 win at the Estadio Centenario, albeit after a lot more anguish than the scoreline suggests. Despite an early goal from Dario Silva, Australia had Victor Pua's men on the ropes for long periods. The coach's decision to bring on Richard Morales proved decisive, however, with the striker scoring twice in the final 20 minutes to seal Uruguay's return to the FIFA World Cup™ after a 12-year absence.

USA 1994: Argentina, with a helping hand from Maradona
On 5 September 1993, Argentina welcomed Colombia to Buenos Aires for their final Group A qualifier for USA 94. Lying a point behind the Cafeteros, Alfio Basile's side needed a win to qualify directly. What they produced instead was one of biggest debacles in the history of Argentine football as they were crushed 5-0 by the Colombians and consigned to a play-off against Australia.

The genuine fear of missing out on the FIFA World Cup led to Basile and the public pleading with Diego Maradona to come out of international retirement. El Diez duly responded and went on to play a key role in getting his beloved Albiceleste over the finishing line. In the first leg in Sydney on 31 October 1993, Maradona created Argentina's goal in a hard-fought 1-1 draw. After working his magic at the corner flag, the maestro somehow conjured up a cross for Abel Balbo to head home on 36 minutes. Aurelio Vidmar fired the home side level five minutes later.

The return leg took place on 17 November in a packed Estadio Monumental, and once again Maradona was at the heart of Argentina's best moves. A goal from Gabriel Batistuta gave the home side a 1-0 win and sent them through to USA 94, making it six successive appearances in the finals for the Albiceleste.

Italy 1990: The return of Colombia
South America was allocated three and a half berths at the 1990 finals, one of which went to Argentina as defending champions from Mexico 1986. The continent's nine remaining sides were split into three groups with the two automatic qualifying berths going to the two best group winners, in this instance Uruguay and Brazil. Thus Colombia, despite finishing top of Group 2 ahead of Paraguay and Ecuador, had to take on the winners of the Oceania Zone. Curiously, this turned out to be Israel, after they finished ahead of Australia and New Zealand in the final qualifying group.

The first leg was played in Barranquilla on 15 October 1989, where a solitary strike from the now-deceased Albeiro Usuriaga gave Colombia a 1-0 win. The return fixture took place on 30 October in Tel-Aviv, where Francisco Maturana's side, containing players of the calibre of Carlos Pibe Valderrama, Leonel Alvarez, Freddy Rincon and legendary keeper Rene Higuita, controlled the play superbly to hold on for a 0-0 draw and qualify for their first FIFA World Cup since Chile 1962.

Argentina 1978: the only failure
The only South American side to lose a play-off against opponents from another confederation were Bolivia, who came to grief against Hungary in their bid to reach the finals of Argentina 1978. In addition to the berth occupied by the hosts, South America was allocated a further two and a half qualifying places for the tournament.

Brazil and Peru, first and second in the final triangular group, took the two direct spots, while Bolivia, who had qualified for the final phase by virtue of winning Group 2, could only finish third and had to try their luck against Hungary. The European team proved far too good for the hapless South Americans, winning 3-2 in La Paz on 30 November 1977 before sealing their place in the finals with a superb 6-0 win in Budapest a month later.

The big question now is: can Uruguay maintain their continent's proud record and consign Australia to a fifth successive disappointment? Soon all will be revealed.

By Gomezman5 on Oct 30, 2005, 15:10 in Friendly Talkzone.

carter says on Nov 1, 2005, 19:35:

No match In the four games Australia has played against Uruguay we have won one, drawn one and lost two.

In 94 they scrapped through by a goal, and in 2002 they had to fight after losing the first game and being out played by Australia in the first half.

So although Uruguay have been the better team in the last two qualifiers and have deserved to win. I wouldn't say Australia hasn't been competitive.

Its no sure thing Uruguay will qualify and again they will have to be at there best to beat an even better Australian team. Although they do deserve to start favourites.

I do admit that Id love Australia to be lining up against Trinidad and Tobago or Bahrain in the other repecharge. Australia is improving though and with the likes of Cahill (Everton), Viduka (Middlesborough), Breciano (Parma), Grella (Parma), Emerton (Blackburn), Kewell (Liverpool), Kalac (inter), Skoko (wigan), Moore (Newcastle) we probably have a better team than we did in 2001 although we have a few fitness issues with Kewell, Cahill and Moore looking ordinary.

Should be a good match.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gomezman5 says on Nov 2, 2005, 13:51:

Hey Carter...... I hope I will get to see this match somewhere here in Chicago. I was wondering when you were going to respond. I knew the thread would not go down as one of the ones most participated in, but I was curious as to your perspective. Honestly, considering it was Uruguay who knocked Colombia out, I kind of would like to see them lose. On the other hand, Uruguay did knock Colombia out. Colombia knocked themselves out.

Anyway Carter, thanks for your perspective...

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