Bumper week ... Sydney hosts the A-League derby and the Socceroos this week. Source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited
With the possible exception of the Socceroos' triumph over Uruguay in 2005, this is the biggest week of football Sydney has ever witnessed.
The Wanderers can claim a record 12th straight win and the Premiers Plate in Parramatta against crosstown rivals Sydney FC, who will be counting on a resurgence from star attacking duo Alessandro Del Piero and Joel Griffiths.
And just three days later and 11km down the road, the Socceroos will look to improve on their 0-0 stalemate in Muscat with victory over Oman in a crucial World Cup qualifier at ANZ Stadium.
GROUP A:
Korea Republic
Iran
Uzbekistan
Qatar
Lebanon
GROUP B:
Australia
Iraq
Jordan
Oman
Japan
Socceroos' schedule:
June 8, 2012: Oman 0 Australia 0 (away)
June 12, 2012: Australia 1 Japan 1 (home)
September 11, 2012: Jordan 2 Australia 1 (away)
October 16, 2012: Iraq 1 Australia 2 (away)
March 26, 2013: Oman (home)
June 4, 2013: Japan (away)
June 11, 2013: Jordan (home)
June 18, 2013: Iraq (home)
The stakes are high for all parties. The Wanderers are creating history, Sydney FC are making a late surge for the play-offs, the Socceroos need to build on their solitary victory from four pool games and Oman are looming as the spoilers of Pool B. It is truly amazing to think how far football has come as a sport in this country.
I've long thought that the Socceroos are the flagship of football in this country and the A-League is the fleet. Now we get to watch them all sail together.
Having spoken to the Socceroos' boys this week, they're all stunned at how far the A-League has progressed and how successful the Wanderers have been. Long may it continue.
| Group B | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 | Australia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Iraq | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 5 |
| 4 | Oman | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 5 |
| 5 | Jordan | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 4 |
I have a feeling the Sky Blues will win the third instalment of the Sydney derby. Del Piero had his worst outing last week in an otherwise outstanding season and in my experience the great players bounce back emphatically from poor performances.
If the referees offer him a little protection he has been the most fouled player in the A-League this season - I expect him and Griffiths to prove a real handful up front.
The Wanderers have the added burden of compensating for the losses of Youssouf Hersi through suspension and Aaron Mooy and Jerome Polenz through injury.
All three have been integral to the Wanderers success this season and their absence will make defending the club's record 11 game winning streak incredibly difficult.
The one thing that is certain is that the hype generated by these two clubs is converting new supporters to our game. I can't remember an intra-Sydney derby in my lifetime that comes to close to matching the excitement and anticipation of this one, and I mean no disrespect to followers of the old NSL teams when I say that.
We're getting to a point where the Sydney derby can lay genuine claims to being a bigger event than the Victory-Heart clash, largely on account of the incredible support of the Red and Black Bloc and the Wanderers fanbase in general.
This club is the real deal and its achievements both on and off the field will be remembered for a long time.
As a kid growing up in western Sydney, I could only have dreamed of a week like this. Here's to a brilliant few days of football.
The country’s quest to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil re-starts on Tuesday night. Australia are locked in a dogfight with Oman, Iraq and Jordan for the second automatic spot in Group B, eight points behind Japan. You can watch this vital clash live and in stunning HD from 6.30pm (EDT) on Fox Sports 1 HD, with kick-off from 7pm.
