2014 has been an interesting year in Australian football. For the first time that I can remember football in this country is no longer reliant on the fortunes of the Socceroos for the game to hold relevance in this country.
This makes it more amazing being a World Cup year where even though the National team lost all 3 games in Brazil and dropped to 100 in the FIFA rankings; the A-league continues to grow and the grass roots of the game continue to flourish.
We had Brisbane Roar win the A-league 2013/14 title defeating Western Sydney Wanderers in a fantastic grand final. The Wanderers becoming the first club from Australia to win the Asian Champions league. Melbourne Victory finding their mojo and showing the form that won them their A-League titles from a few years back. Perth Glory ending the year on top of the ladder and bringing the good times back to WA that has not been seen since their days in the old NSL comp. Adelaide Utd winning their first silver ware in the FFA cup, which also gave us the Cinderella stories of Bentleigh Greens and South Springvale and the bumper crowds for the tournament. Hopefully this might be the bridge that may unite the old soccer and new football supporters.
So while the game has grown locally here, a successful Socceroos side is still needed to give the extra push for the game to grow in this country. Which brings us to my favourite memory of 2014, being in that stadium in Porto Algre in Brazil where Tim Cahill scored the greatest goal I have seen by an Australian player. When Cahill scored the stadium was silent for a split second as no one could believe what has just happened. Then the stadium went off with cheers and delirium from both the Aussies and the locals. The Brazilians near me joked he must have come from Brazil to score a goal like that.
On the eve of the biggest football tournament this country will ever see (Australia is never going to host a World Cup under the current corrupt FIFA executive); we shall hope the Socceroos have a successful tournament so 2015 could be a year Football takes a huge step in this country.
About Vaughan Menlove
Obsessed with Richmond, Luton Town, Melbourne Victory and Arsenal. The Dr had a soccer career hampered by the realisation he was crap, but could talk his way around the game. Co host of It's Not Called Soccer podcast
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Nice one Vaughan. You and Dennis Gedling must feel like 19th century missionaries taking the gospels to cannibals.