Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

Socceroos vs Cameroon/ Curaçao March 2026 🇦🇺🇨🇲🇨🇼

How should Australia do March?

  • European based camp

    Votes: 7 38.9%
  • North American based camp

    Votes: 6 33.3%
  • Australian based camp

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • Middle Eastern based camp

    Votes: 1 5.6%

  • Total voters
    18
Curacao qualifies in a 48 team WC yet, the Azzuri did not.
That teaches them for knocking the Socceroos out in the playoffs of 2006, in an unjust set of circumstances (think Lucas Neill late in the match)..
Simply amazing!

Have Italy failed qualifying for 3 WCs in a row?

They did well in Euro Champs 2016, won them in 2020 and not sure how they went in 2024?

Are Italy still deemed a world powerhouse? The Aus dual nationals flirting with them are nuts!
 
I've been sent a link to Curacao. Many play for Eredivisie teams, with a few Eerste teams.

A couple play in Turkey, a few in USA, 1 in Belgium, a few in the Championship, so they have players playing in quality leagues, particularly the Eredivisie, the 6th ranked league in Europe.
 
Good on you attending live, WAIW.

Haven’t been able to access the full replay on Paramount yet. They’ve taken the Cameroon game down.

Didn’t notice that Behich and Trewin played a higher line, but the formation did look more like a 3-4-3 flat midfield more this game, with less 5-2-3 and 5-4-1.

They probably did play a higher line in the Press.

I was really disappointed Robbo only played 10 minutes too. I really wanted a better look at him.
The replays are available on Ten Play
 
Have Italy failed qualifying for 3 WCs in a row?

They did well in Euro Champs 2016, won them in 2020 and not sure how they went in 2024?
Italy have failed to qualify for three straight World Cups at the conclusion of qualification for this cycle and only managed to make the round of 16 at Euro 2024 before being knocked out by Switzerland.
 
Italy have failed to qualify for three straight World Cups at the conclusion of qualification for this cycle and only managed to make the round of 16 at Euro 2024 before being knocked out by Switzerland.
Wow!

That is incredible, RF.

It is unprecedented for a big UEFA Five country, or the big two South American countries, to fail to qualify for 3 WCs in a row.

Round of 16 is poor from Italy too in the Euro Champs in 2024.

In some data on big Five UEFA league comparisons they might have had the second lowest number of domestic players in Serie A, after domestic English in the EPL.

Is Serie A dominated by imports ATM?

Volpato and the 16 yo Aus striker aspire to play for Italy, a team who can’t even make a 48 team WC! Italian fans will be going nuts!
 
Wow!

That is incredible, RF.

It is unprecedented for a big UEFA Five country, or the big two South American countries, to fail to qualify for 3 WCs in a row.

Round of 16 is poor from Italy too in the Euro Champs in 2024.

In some data on big Five UEFA league comparisons they might have had the second lowest number of domestic players in Serie A, after domestic English in the EPL.

Is Serie A dominated by imports ATM?

Volpato and the 16 yo Aus striker aspire to play for Italy, a team who can’t even make a 48 team WC! Italian fans will be going nuts!
The argument that “the Serie A has too many foreigners” doesn’t stack up. The Premier League is filled with foreigners, with Liverpool having fielded lineups without any Englishmen at all in them before, yet England still qualify for World Cups. Yes the South American leagues almost exclusively have South American players but of their national team squads most play in Europe. Few Brasileirão players are playing for Brazil and few Primera División players play for Argentina, for example.

The truth is Italy are just shit at qualifying. They’ve been eliminated by Sweden (2018), North Macedonia (2022) and now Bosnia (2026). During that time they’ve won the Euros (2020). A Euro champion with one of the best leagues in the world should be comfortably beating all of those three teams.
 
The argument that “the Serie A has too many foreigners” doesn’t stack up. The Premier League is filled with foreigners, with Liverpool having fielded lineups without any Englishmen at all in them before, yet England still qualify for World Cups. Yes the South American leagues almost exclusively have South American players but of their national team squads most play in Europe. Few Brasileirão players are playing for Brazil and few Primera División players play for Argentina, for example.

The truth is Italy are just shit at qualifying. They’ve been eliminated by Sweden (2018), North Macedonia (2022) and now Bosnia (2026). During that time they’ve won the Euros (2020). A Euro champion with one of the best leagues in the world should be comfortably beating all of those three teams.
The argument that “the Serie A has too many foreigners” doesn’t stack up. The Premier League is filled with foreigners, with Liverpool having fielded lineups without any Englishmen at all in them before, yet England still qualify for World Cups. Yes the South American leagues almost exclusively have South American players but of their national team squads most play in Europe. Few Brasileirão players are playing for Brazil and few Primera División players play for Argentina, for example.

The truth is Italy are just shit at qualifying. They’ve been eliminated by Sweden (2018), North Macedonia (2022) and now Bosnia (2026). During that time they’ve won the Euros (2020). A Euro champion with one of the best leagues in the world should be comfortably beating all of those three teams.
There is a Youtube site run by a guy who has interesting comparisons between the Big Five.

I'm pretty sure Serie A had about 40% domestic Italians playing, EPL 33% English domestic players, Germany about 50%, and Spain and France a bit over 60% domestic players. The less domestic players in a league, the more some positions have less depth. In the AL a while back , we had most people scoring goals ineligible for Socceroo selection.

Look I've been a huge fan of Italy and their complicated counter attacking tactics in big comps. The Aus FFA, and the Dutch and KNVB Tech Dirs, luminary coaches, considered that despite Italy having resounding success at around 2013, it was very difficult to implement the Italian system in Aus, and, Italy was the only team in world football who had achieved sustained success playing like they do.

Apparently, Germany are terrified of drawing Italy in Euro Champs or World Cups.

Unequivocally agree, HSF, that Italy should not be eliminated by any of Sweden, North Macedonia or Bosnia, or, they should be able to qualify earilier and not be forced into sudden death qualifers.

In an Australian context, I'm just astonished that Volpato and the 16 yo whiz kid striker, (Arena?) in Serie A, could pledge their allegiance to a team that has failed to qualify for a WC since 2014 - a 12 year gap.

Italy might be chasing the Aus record of 32 years - no WC Qualification between 1974 and 1996.

Re EPL I know the top teams are often dominated by foreign players and foreign coaches, but they have improved the style of play in the second and third divisions, the Champ and League One. They must now be the best 2nd and 3rd ters in world football.
 
Last edited:
I've concluded there is a significant proportion of this forum who aren't that interested in the Socceroos, after seeing plenty of discussion elsewhere by posters in the last few days who haven't posted in this thread.

Moreover, there are large numbers of G and G posters who live in Sydney and Melbourne, who had little intention to watch the Socceroos in send off games to the WC.

They might prefer UEFA club football, NPL, or even AL club football.

At the same time, there are a significant number of national team fanatics who post on G and G.
 
I've concluded there is a significant proportion of this forum who aren't that interested in the Socceroos, after seeing plenty of discussion elsewhere by posters in the last few days who haven't posted in this thread.

Moreover, there are large numbers of G and G posters who live in Sydney and Melbourne, who had little intention to watch the Socceroos in send off games to the WC.

They might prefer UEFA club football, NPL, or even AL club football.

At the same time, there are a significant number of national team fanatics who post on G and G.
Thats fine, different people have stronger interests in different part of the game.
 
I've concluded there is a significant proportion of this forum who aren't that interested in the Socceroos, after seeing plenty of discussion elsewhere by posters in the last few days who haven't posted in this thread.

Moreover, there are large numbers of G and G posters who live in Sydney and Melbourne, who had little intention to watch the Socceroos in send off games to the WC.

They might prefer UEFA club football, NPL, or even AL club football.

At the same time, there are a significant number of national team fanatics who post on G and G.
The ticket prices were stupid and the opposition and timing for the Melbourne game mediocre and awkward.
 
I've attended more football games than you've had hot dinners boy. :ROFLMAO: Yes, I did.
Good on you, EZ.

You might have attended more pro games, but I've attended (or played) a lot of matches at lower level.

Always considered you were a national team fanatic - not one of those thespians.
 
The ticket prices were stupid and the opposition and timing for the Melbourne game mediocre and awkward.
No way I would fail to attend a farewell Socceroo game in my home town ( albeit it being easy to get around) based on those criteria. My wife, who isn't really a football fan like most ostensibly are on G and G, would have been really keen to attend live Socceroos or Matildas games too.

What was the cost of tickets? Maximum? Minimum?

Enjoyed the game immensely - and it would have been better live. Loved the 2 live match reports from G and G members at the game.
 
In an Australian context, I'm just astonished that Volpato and the 16 yo whiz kid striker, (Arena?) in Serie A, could pledge their allegiance to a team that has failed to qualify for a WC since 2014 - a 12 year gap.
With Italy failing to qualify for yet another World Cup I think Volpato and Antonio Arena would be better off jumping ship to Football Australia from the Italian football federation and committing to pulling on the green and gold jersey for life if they want to play in at least one World Cup over the course of their careers.
 
Thats fine, different people have stronger interests in different part of the game.
True.

I still find it perplexing there is indifference when the national teams play - if - a person commits to active participation on a football forum.

If the argument is used that Cameroon and Curacao did not have sufficient quality to warrant live attendance - based on their performances, and when when one scrutinises the high calibre of the clubs/leagues their players play in, they were/are of high quality.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top