History for Big Pete 65

The Socceroos were pretty competitive with CONMEBOL sides for more than twenty years in World Cup play-offs.

Even a more modest Socceroos side such as the one for the 1994 qualifiers pushed Maradona's Argentina close.

That squad mostly played in the Aussie NSL - only six of the starting eleven played in Europe.

In the Oct and Nov 1993 play-offs vs. Maradona, Batistuta et al, the Socceroos drew the first leg 1-1 at home and only lost the away leg to an Alex Tobin own goal.  So the Aussies scored two goals to Argentina's one over two legs.

That Socceroos side was a mixture of pros playing in Europe and players from the domestic NSL:

http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1993A.html

Fist leg side:

Mark Bosnich, Tony Vidmar (David Mitchell 72), Mehmet Durakovic, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Ned Zelic, Aurelio Vidmar, Paul Wade (c), Robbie Slater, Graham Arnold, Jason van Blerk
Goal : A Vidmar 43

Second leg side:

Robert Zabica, Tony Vidmar (Carl Veart 64), Mehmet Durakovic, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Frank Farina, Aurelio Vidmar, Paul Wade (c), Robbie Slater, Graham Arnold, Jason van Blerk

Bosnich, Zelic, Mitchell, Aurelio Vidmar, Slater, Arnold and van Blerk were good Europe-based pros. The rest were domestic NSL players.

In the play-off for the 2002 World Cup, the Socceroos beat Uruguay 1-0 at home in the first leg, losing 3-1 away in the second.

It was a similar squad to the 2006 one with Kewell, Bosnich, Viduka, Schwarzer etc.: 

http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/2001A.html

That Socceroos team had beaten Brazil in the third place play-off at the Confederations cup in Korea in June that year.

Nine days after that they beat the All Whites 2-0 in the first leg of the OFC play-off.

In an intense schedule, the Socceroos played six OFC World Cup qualifiers, five Confederations Cup games in Korea and the two-legged Uruguay play-off in seven and a half months in 2001.

Experiencing problems similar to the All Whites currently in securing friendlies, the Socceroos played only one friendly in 2001 before their OFC World Cup qualifiers began on April 9:  

"Australia had been trying to set up a series of matches around this time of the year but each one fell through."

And no friendlies between their last OFC World Cup group stage qualifier on April 16 and their first Confederations Cup match on May 30.

The Socceroos were pretty competitive with CONMEBOL sides for more than twenty years in World Cup play-offs.

Even a more modest Socceroos side such as the one for the 1994 qualifiers pushed Maradona's Argentina close.

That squad mostly played in the Aussie NSL - only six of the starting eleven played in Europe.

In the Oct and Nov 1993 play-offs vs. Maradona, Batistuta et al, the Socceroos drew the first leg 1-1 at home and only lost the away leg to an Alex Tobin own goal.  So the Aussies scored two goals to Argentina's one over two legs.

That Socceroos side was a mixture of pros playing in Europe and players from the domestic NSL:

http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1993A.html

Fist leg side:

Mark Bosnich, Tony Vidmar (David Mitchell 72), Mehmet Durakovic, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Ned Zelic, Aurelio Vidmar, Paul Wade (c), Robbie Slater, Graham Arnold, Jason van Blerk
Goal : A Vidmar 43

Second leg side:

Robert Zabica, Tony Vidmar (Carl Veart 64), Mehmet Durakovic, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Frank Farina, Aurelio Vidmar, Paul Wade (c), Robbie Slater, Graham Arnold, Jason van Blerk

Bosnich, Zelic, Mitchell, Aurelio Vidmar, Slater, Arnold and van Blerk were good Europe-based pros. The rest were domestic NSL players.

In the play-off for the 2002 World Cup, the Socceroos beat Uruguay 1-0 at home in the first leg, losing 3-1 away in the second.

It was a similar squad to the 2006 one with Kewell, Bosnich, Viduka, Schwarzer etc.: 

http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/2001A.html

That Socceroos team had beaten Brazil in the third place play-off at the Confederations cup in Korea in June that year.

Nine days after that they beat the All Whites 2-0 in the first leg of the OFC play-off.

In an intense schedule, the Socceroos played six OFC World Cup qualifiers, five Confederations Cup games in Korea and the two-legged Uruguay play-off in seven and a half months in 2001.

Experiencing problems similar to the All Whites currently in securing friendlies, the Socceroos played only one friendly in 2001 before their OFC World Cup qualifiers began on April 9:  

"Australia had been trying to set up a series of matches around this time of the year but each one fell through."

And no friendlies between their last OFC World Cup group stage qualifier on April 16 and their first Confederations Cup match on May 30.