I tell you what. Australia is doing continual flip flops making the world cup for the first time in 30 years.
I was there, first time ive ever cried from joy in my life 32 years of pain and bad luck and we have finally made it now we can hope that the real football overtakes the pretenders (Rugby League, Rugby Union and AFL) as Australia's premier sport
I don't think that would happen. Sport is cultural, and in Australia that culture is rugby league / AFL. (I'm a huge RL fan BTW so I'm biased) Mind you if we go well in the world cup there will lot of people claiming they are real football fans.
At Dec 9th (at about 21:20-21:50 p.m GMT+1) the FIFA-Organisation makes the lottery for the finals at my country. The next chance to order tickets, to get into the stadiums, will start online at Dec 12th 2005 at this website: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/ I got no ticket until today... it is nearly impossible... (perhaps only with very much luck). Ciao LooserLu
Brandi Chastain taking her shirt off after the US world championship in 1999 was more exciting. Nevertheless, good luck to the Aussies and the US squad as well. What are the chances for these teams to make it out of the 'prelims'? PS: learned to kick a ball long before the sailing bug hit.
GROUP E Italy Ghana USA Czech Republic GROUP F Brazil Croatia Australia Japan both fairly even chances i think ludwig - which match did you get tickets to?
Hi there, where now is summer Unfortunately I have no tickets yet. It's easier to win at a lottery than to get such tickets 33,3% of all tickets are reserved for the national Soccer associations. Perhaps, if you have a "good uncle" at your national Soccer association, the likelihood to get a ticket (which game however...) by that way is much higher. 33,3% of all tickets are reserved for the sponsors and "VIP"s. (F.e.: In Switzerland a touristic-company manages "VIP"-holidays with luxury-support during that event for a price of 20000 Euros (1 Euro is 1,5 AUS-$, 1Euro is 1,15 US-$)). The rest (about 800000) was/is available through that internet-link I told in a reply above. To devise the offering of the tickets in that way, has been a decision of the World Soccer Association (FIFA), not the German Soccer Association (DFB). Now, the third season of ordering has begun for the "free"-available part. Here, there has been and is running a big discussion about how the tickets are offered. You now only can order an option for tickets. You have to have to pay via credit card that is stated by the official ticket-brooker. You have to have to put before the money for the complete number of tickets you like to have and if you get none, they pay back that money. This can need months and during that time, they work with your money... This all not means, you get a ticket in 100%-likelihood. The chance to get only 1 ticket (no matter which game) is only very few. The tickets are personalized with the number of your Passport. You can not give any card to someone else. This is done to battle against the black-market for tickets. If you do not go to the game you have a card for, you perhaps lose the money you did invest to get that ticket. It's sad to say it, but you have to be a sponsor, a VIP, or a big official of your national Soccer league to have a realistic chance to get a ticket. I'm only member of the ILCA-Europe/German Laser Association (DLAS), since 3 days member of my local sailingclub, and member of the German Scientific Foundation for Engineers road-/traffic-desin (FGSV), but not the DFB. I think, I will have to see the Soccer-Worlds on the big plasma screens at our local marketplace and not in any stadium... Like the stereotype for the German Soccer Team says it: "the other play good Soccer, but the German Team wins the game..." We here all think, the Germans have a realistic good chance to reach the 1/8-Finals. Maybe they lose the game against Poland but, I guess, not against Ecuador or Costa Rica. The US-boys will have definitely a good chance during the games against Italy and against CZE. If the Italians have a bad day and Team USA runs well - all is possible. Also against CZE: They have a really good Soccer-team and one of the best coaches the Soccer-world has seen until now. But, during the European-Championships in Portugal 2004, we have seen what can happen to such a team, which behind the scene already was dedicated to win that Championship. They (CZE) play "Academic-Soccer", but have shown nerves, and this maybe is not everytime an advantage. At least, the "underdogs" "Team-Greece" won that competition and this is a shining example for all the other teams at the FIFA-Worlds 2006, I say. Also Team Australia, that I have seen here during a match-series (of the best teams of each continent) here in GER in Summer 2005 (Team-AUS was in very good condition, but not had luck enough in shooting goals), has really good chances to reach the 1/8-Finals. Japan not is the problem. The "Selecao" they not can beat with realistic chance, but Team-Croatia maybe is "beatable" (same way as ITA/USA or USA/CZE). The way of playing Soccer at CRO is strong, but that is the same in AUS. Have a good strategy AND good self-confidence (like here in Summer 2005) and a bit more luck in shooting goals and you are in the 1/8-Finals. Ciao LooserLu
i think our problem is conceeding too many goals, when we played germany in the confederations cup earlier this year, we scored more than most teams but lost every game
Yes, of course, this also can be a reason. Maybe Team Australia only need some good training in efficient devence and such a goalkeeper like Oli Kahn ... Team Australia will play in the south of GER and hopefully they wil find a good Hotel there. The "Selecao" (of BRA) yesterday decided to stay in the near of Frankfurt/Main in the Kempinski-Falkenstein-Luxury/Grant-Hotel in the Taunus-Mountains. G'day Ludwig
www.ffatravel.com.au seems they are structuring the tickets very well, that site is the exclusive travel agent for the football federation australia ticket allocation
