Where is Australia in these FIFA tournaments?

Thought I read that Australia weren't sending their youth teams to the Asian qualifiers because of the costs..?

Australia was at the u20 Fifa World Cup in Egypt last month - having qualified via Asian Confederation. Lost all three games - to Brazil, COsta Rica and somebody else.

Before they shifted conferences did Australia tend to take our places in the youth tournaments?

Pretty much. Though we did qualify in 1997 and hosted the U17 World Cup in 1999.

Not sure how better competition at all ages is 'worse' for Australia. Sure, their youth teams might not qualify but i'd say it's better to play against quality competition year in, year out than have a once off tournament.

Not sure how better competition at all ages is 'worse' for Australia. Sure, their youth teams might not qualify but i'd say it's better to play against quality competition year in, year out than have a once off tournament.

I don't think the current Confederation set-up in Asia and Oceania will last five years more, let alone fifteen.  Asia's vast scope makes long-distance travel an unwelcome routine for its members, while Oceania suffers as a footballing backwater.  FIFA is probably sizing up alternatives already.

Would be rough, as West Asia would insist on half the spots, leaving the 5 teams you mentioned (and us!) fighting out for 2 or 3 spots.

Sorry I don't actually understand all the details of the shift in conferences. Did the shift mean that their junior teams were able to join competitions in Asia that they couldn't enter into before?

Would be rough, as West Asia would insist on half the spots, leaving the 5 teams you mentioned (and us!) fighting out for 2 or 3 spots.

Thought I read that Australia weren't sending their youth teams to the Asian qualifiers because of the costs..?

The other obvious alternative is for an Asia+Oceania that runs its qualifiers on a Conference-style system.  That would allow for the best of the Confederation to make it to the WC, while still respecting the high cost of long-distance legs.

Because if you look at it from the West Asians view point - why would they agree to the split without it.  A crapload of money and political influence is in that area, and they aren't going to just accept one spot.

I think I get what you're saying. The notion that the best Oceania team (say NZ) enters the 3rd or 4th Asian World Cup qualifying stage has merit. I think that Asia is geographically stretched as it is with Australia now, so to get the best Oceania team (say NZ, which should do the Islanders! :) into the mid to latter part of Asian qualifying makes sense.

Stoopid. You can't just pick one game to justify an argument.

All the Asian sides performed to a similar level in 2006, so more recent evidence goes against your argument. The fact Middle Eastern teams didn't clinch any of the automatic spots this time around is perhaps more worrying for them, but they still have Bahrain in the running.

You're an idiot. 2002 was a shambles, both Korea and Japan were seeded as hosts, involved in a host of incredibly controversial games which went their way due to very dubious refereeing decisions, and you want to use that as an example of the health of East Asian football? f**k off.

And Australia in 2006? Undermined your own argument in your post. They were an Oceania team in 2006, irrelevant for your argument (partly also because they were in a group with an Asian side, making their qualification path to the knockout stages somewhat easier).

So if you can't put together a cogent, reasoned, non-arbitrary argument, piss off to whereever you've come from you twat.

I'm very happy with where I am, thank you very much.

I'm very happy with where I am, thank you very much.

No sides, just an in Joke.

It's what the Fever is about.