Congratulations FFA
24/04/2007 8:16 AM
Exclusive to Sportal/Vodafone'
How far we have come!
Just take a look at the quality of the opposition we can turn down - Argentina.
Ranked No.2 in the world at the moment they were due to play the Socceroos at the MCG on June 6.
Just this week Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced that it had agreed to an Argentinean Football Association (AFA) request to reschedule the international.
The media release read: "As a result of other match commitments in Europe (made subsequent to their committing to the match in Australia) they would be unable to bring their top players nor have sufficient preparation for the match."
The tyranny of distance has again stood in the way of a mouth-watering encounter.
Now, the sceptics amongst us will say that we were snubbed; I say they had the respect to ask for a postponement.
Cast your mind back to the game between the Socceroos and Brazil in Sydney, 1999.
The game was promoted using Ronaldo and Kewell but both were no-shows.
OK it was a late decision to pull out, especially when Ronaldo didn't play because his club applied the pressure not to play.
It did make the contest a tasteless one but full credit must go to the game's organisers.
They opened the gates to anyone and everyone to save face and did it with a full house.
In those days we just wanted to see anyone ranked higher than New Zealand.
This current postponement was a late call too.
We all bought tickets and made plans but at least we'll get what we paid for; I hope.
Today, thankfully, the FFA refuses to sign opponents to contracts unless they bring their very best.
To that I say cheers.