AUSTRALIA 0-0 NETHERLANDS, Sydney, 10/10/09

Australia and the Netherlands played out a 0-0 draw, meaning that the Dutch retain the UFWC title.

In a game of few chances, the Netherlands came closest to breaking the deadlock, with star man Wesley Sneijder unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

Australia improved in the second half, but overall the match was as damp as the conditions it was played in, and the 40,537 spectators at the Sydney Football Stadium did not see a goal.

The Socceroos maintained their recent unbeaten record, but that wasn’t enough to dislodge the UFWC champions.

The next match will see the Netherlands take on FIFA World Champions Italy on 14 November.

Match Reports australia, Netherlands

AUSTRALIA vs NETHERLANDS, Sydney, 10/10/09, 0930 (BST)

UFWC champions the Netherlands have now held the title for 11 months, but will a long trip down under end their reign?

Rafael van der Vaart has been recalled to the Dutch squad, despite only making a handful of substitute appearances for Real Madrid so far this season. Van der Vaat was warned by coach Bert van Marwijk that sitting on the Real bench could damage his chances of playing in the World Cup Finals. Everton have been linked with a move for the midfielder in January.

The Netherlands will be without the injured Ibrahim Afellay and Gregory van der Wiel, while Andre Ooijer and Robin van Persie will both remain at home as their respective wives are both due to give birth. Suttgart’s Khalid Boulahrouz has been added to the squad.

Australia’s European-based stars will make the long journey home for this friendly match, coming as it does just four days before an Asian cup qualifier against Oman. That means recalls to the squad for the likes of Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), Brett Emerton (Blackburn) and Harry Kewell (Galatasaray).

Brett Emerton, recently recovered from injury, has not played for the Socceroos for a year, having scored two goals against Qatar last October. Plymouth Argyle defender Shane Lowry gets a first call-up for Australia, despite having played eight youth internationals for the Republic of Ireland.

Australia are unbeaten against the Netherlands, having drawn 1-1 in 2006 and won 2-1 in 2008. Indeed, the Socceroos were the last side to beat the Netherlands, who have subsequently remained unbeaten in 12 games.

The Netherlands are ranked 3rd in the world by Fifa, with Australia enjoying their highest-ever ranking of 14th. The Netherlands are ranked 5th in the UFWC all-time table, having won 39 title matches (just two matches behind 4th-placed Russia). Australia are ranked 40th, having won just one title match (against the USA in 1992).

Due to the time difference, the match kicks off at 9:30AM UK time.

Match Previews australia, Netherlands

Ahead of the Netherlands versus Australia title match, we look back at Australia’s only UFWC victory.

USA 0-1 AUSTRALIA, 13 June 1992
Friendly, Citrus Bowl, Orlando
Scorer: Spink (Australia)

Despite traditionally preferring their footballs to be egg-shaped, the Americans were enjoying their second stint as UFWC champions, having taken the title from Portugal and held off Italy in friendly matches in Chicago earlier in the month.

Australia, another country that preferred its football to be played by alternative rules – and was yet to fully embrace the beautiful game despite having been on the international stage since 1922 – had never played in a UFWC title match.

The match was the first of a ‘goodwill series’ across the Americas designed to give Australia’s Socceroos match practice ahead of World Cup qualifiers.

Among the US players were keeper Tony Meola, defender Marcelo Balboa, and Dutch-born striker Earnie Stewart, all of whom would play for their country in World Cup finals. The US were coached by Yugoslav Velibor ‘Bora’ Milutinovic.

Australia’s coach, Eddie Thomson, was a Scot. The Aussie line-up included controversial midfielder Ned Zelic, and defender Tony Vidmar, who would both later have relatively unsuccessful stints in England, with Queen’s Park Rangers and Middlesbrough respectively.

Zelic, of Croatian origin, was signed for £1.3 million by QPR manager Ray Wilkins, who described him as ‘as versatile as an egg’. But the signing was a rotten one – Zelic played only three times for the relegation bound club, suffering persistent knee injuries and eventually deciding that London wasn’t for him. Vidmar, Australia’s most-capped player, also played for Rangers and Cardiff City.

In a muggy and humid Orlando, 17,500 fans braved a huge thunderstorm to get to the game, but the kick-off was delayed for fear that the players would be struck by lightning. Indeed the match was on the verge of being abandoned, when the storm finally passed, and the go-ahead was given.

In slippery conditions, neither side served up much to convince those gathered there that the game had been worth braving the weather. It was a full 85 minutes before the deadlock was broken, with Warren Spink netting the only goal of the game for the Socceroos. Australia took the UFWC title, but lost it in their next ‘goodwill’ match to Argentina.

Classic Matches australia, USA

AUSTRALIA vs NETHERLANDS, Sydney, 10/10/09

Despite traditionally preferring its football to be played by alternative rules, sports mad Australia is certainly warming to soccer. Despite having been on the international football stage since 1922, Aussies tend to prefer their cricket, rugby, and Aussie rules.

But the Socceroos, as the national team is known, have enjoyed increasing popularity, particularly having qualified back in June for World Cup 2010.

Australia in fact qualified for the World Cup finals on the same day as UFWC title holders the Netherlands. And the Aussies are currently enjoying their highest ever FIFA ranking – 14th, having been ranked as far out as 89th ten years ago. The Socceroos are ranked top in the Asian continental rankings.

Australia have been UFWC champions before, beating the USA 1-0 in 1992 courtesy of a Warren Spink goal to take the title at the first time of asking. The Socceroos lost their next match to Argentina, and have never contested the title since.

The Socceroos were the last side to beat the Netherlands, who are subsequently unbeaten in 12 games. Goals from Harry Kewell and Josh Kennedy gave the Aussies a 2-1 victory in Eindhoven last September.

Coincidentally, the Socceroos have a Dutch coach, Pim Verbeek. The current squad includes English Premier League stars Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill, Richard Garcia and Brett Emerton. How many of them will be released to travel to Sydney for a friendly is open to debate – although the match does come four days before a crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Oman.

Title holders the Netherlands, of course, can call on a host of stars from the Premier League and other top leagues. But the Netherlands do not play again until a friendly visit to Italy in November, so how many Dutch stars will travel down under to play the Socceroos?

We’ll have all the build up to the match right here at www.ufwc.co.uk.

Match Previews australia, Netherlands