Australia versus Greece

Well I have my tickets, along with five of my closest friends, to go along to the MCG to see Australia take on Greece.

While I compliment the Football Federation of Australia for their "Football Family" concept, which allowed me to get in early with my purchase, I do have a gripe regarding the seating and pricing arrangements.

More than half the ground comprises the $120 section. This section actually goes up as high as the top deck of the Southern Stand on the wings. Then the $75 seats are placed around corner flags, and a fair way up, while the $40 seats are the rest of the ground.

Luckily I have a bit of football nouse, and went for the $40 seats which are right next door to the $75's on the corner flag, albeit up the top of the Southern Stand. As such, I have gotten off cheap with pretty good seats.

However, how can they really expect people to take a family along when the good seats are so expensive. I know they will probably fill the place when you consider all of Austrlia will be swept up in World Cup fever by then, but they are more expensive than all three of our World Cup matches!!

It will be a huge event though, and I cannot wait to cheer the boys on to what will be a memorable month ahead!

Not Long To Go Now

Just thought I would write something in the Blog today as I have not made a post for a while. That is because I have been involved in cricket finals and I guess it has taken he focus off the World Cup for the moment.

You can never totally get away from it though in my office, as the count down clock in here says to me there is only 81 days to go until the big day.

I am really looking forward to the game against Greece as well though at the MCG. That should be a massive event, and with how spectator the ground looked at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, one can only ponder of what it will be like that evening.

We put our t-shirt sizes in to the FFA Travels website the other day as well. Not that exciting, but it just gets you thinking that it is not that far away.

Anyway, there should be some good stuff to write about shortly, but in the meantime, I guess I can just look forward to that Greece game at the G!

World Cup Ponderings

Well it is only 93 days until the start of the cup, and given I have not written anything for a little while, I thought it would be nice to ponder of what I am personally expecting from the Aussies at Germany in June.

Our first match against Japan is obviously critical to our overall chances to progress. The Japanese team are a side that should not be taken lightly, though I am glad we are meeting them at the start as it will undoubtedly affect the way we will play later on, knowing how we have performed against the weakest side of the three we are facing. Result-wise, I would be hoping for a 1 or 2 goal victory. A draw would make it tough for us, though it would it not be impossible for us from there.

So with a win under our belt we all get a nice little break to enjoy what Germany has to offer before we head over to Munich. It will be a party atmosphere there with the Aussie and Brazilian fans enjoying the famous beer halls and celebrating life. However, in the Alliance Stadium is where the action will be focused and obviously against the best in the world in a critical game for them, I think the realistic aim for us is to not get belted. Perhaps a goal from us would not be too much to ask for, but I think a 3-1 loss is the most likely result.

So it will be the Croatia match in Stuttgart that will determine our World Cup destiny. They are a great side, and who would forget the belting they gave us leading into the previous WC campaign? This time around however, we are a vastly improved side, and depending on how we perform against Brazil may impact on the respect the Croatians show us. Hopefully, they will be full of confidence and expect an easy win. This will play right into our hands... just ask Uruguay! If they adopt this attitude, I think we can take them by surprise and pull off an unlikely win. Though the most likely result is a draw.

So with this in mind, it will really depend on if we can beat Japan by a better margin than Croatia does, and not get belted by Brazil by as much as Croatia does. On that analysis, you would have to think we are a better than even money chance to progress, but the next stage does not look good having to probably face Italy.

Of course, being 93 days out, you can be guaranteed that there will be hundreds of things that will happen between now and then that will change my opinion. But at this point in time, I think this is how it will all pan out.

Guus to Russia?

Driving in this morning I heard a report on SEN that it had been confirmed that Guus is off to Russia as their Technical Director after the World Cup.

Now there are a couple of issues this raises. Firstly, is the report in fact true? Well I find it hard to believe given that Guus' agent has been saying for quite a while now that he would not make any decisions that would harm Australia's World Cup campaign. While our boys are professional and would not let something like this affect their performance, I do no believe it would be in the team's best interests to upset the apple cart, 99 days (that's right, 99 days to go!!!) out from the biggest event in their lives.

Guus would also be of this opinion I would hope.

Secondly, it raises the question that if the report is in fact true, is this decision to be up front with them and forthright by announcing at this time the right thing to do with regards to our preparations? Personally, I believe that by being honest it will eliminate a lot of the speculation that has surrounded him and allow him and the team to get on with business. If he were to hold on throughout the World Cup, the attention would be on him and his decisions, rather than the teams progress, and this can only be detrimental to our chances. One only has to look at the England debacle with Sven to realise it is best to kill this speculation off well before the Cup.

I have no doubt that whatever decision Guus makes, he will ensure that his replacement is more than up to the task to take us into the Asia Cup and to the 2010 World Cup in and ensure we are good hands.