Deja Vu?

As a long-suffering football (soccer in this country) fan, the moment of truth has once again rolled around. And with a savage predictability.

As a kid, I watched our national team play every home game prior to our one and only appearance in the World Cup Finals in Munich in 1974. In those days, the Australian team comprised mostly foreign born players of second or third tier ability. The team these days is home grown (ironically most of the players play in Europe) and is a vastly superior side to the one I used to watch.

Unhappily, FIFA has always made our qualification path a difficult one. In recent preliminary series, Australia has had to first win its own confederation(admittedly a cakewalk), then play the fifth placed South American team. The latter is a big ask. As anyone knows, the South Americans are very good at soccer and their fifth-placed teams are invariably top quality sides.

Once again, the adversary is Uruguay. Reportedly better than the team which beat Australia 3-1 on aggregate four years ago, the Uruguyans are full of confidence. My own feeling is that the Australian team is defensively weaker than its counterpart of 2001, but has a better coach. The latter may be critical. Guus Hiddink is a master tactician, but will this be enough to salvage the precious victory?

I have been at this crossing so many times over the last 20 years. Maybe this time.......hmmm...