“It is soccer that can cross ethnic groups and social classes, sprouting a nationalism not felt by many.”

Yep we see that in the continuing violence, and riots soccer provides for its followers in every country its played in. Note how soccer grounds around the world have high fences to contain the violence and the fact lots of games are held without spectators because of the rioting. You will also note the current world cup has lots of violence on the streets of Germany, certainly a violent ethnic sport.

In an intelligent place like Australia, we have a game that rarely has any form of violence off the field and only spot violence on the field. Unlike soccer with its boring theatrics and whining wimpy players, in Aussie rules, they can charge players for taking a dive. In soccer, a dive is sometimes the only way they have a win or get a result.

Sure the socceroo's did well, but a world game that come across so corrupt, violent and biased is certainly a game we don't want here as our principal sporting attraction. Who wants to end up like the rest of the world fighting amongst themselves over a bunch of wimps, unable to kick a ball into a net.

The Socceroo's showed the world soccer can be played with passion and constant skill, not just kick the kick or how you can fall over and roll around the ground in faked agony when the TV shows you never even got touched. Look what happened to the socceroo's, cheated. Who wants a game like that as the major sporting attraction

I've played soccer since I was a kid and I've lived in Brazil for seven years, but I still find the round ball game pretty dull to watch, except when it is played exceptionally well (like France against Brazil, for example). I think Brazilian club soccer is a bore, but there are millions who will disagree with me. I think most of the World Cup games have been insufferably tedious, but there are hundreds of millions who will disagree with that.

I would much rather watch Super14 rugby, Australian League, any AFL match you care to name, a decent spot of one day cricket or, if I had the time, an Ashes Test. Is that a problem? Why are so many people so keen to manipulate sports as a means of social engineering? Do we really need a brand-name national identity based on green and gold t-ishirts at international sporting event?

Soccer isn't much of a spectacle. The boredom that ensues leads to violence, and when (as this article's author points out) you have the "not-so-educated" classes following it, it's not surprising. All I can say is I hope Australia never does well at this game, as Aussies will faithfully follow it just out of duty. It's not a true world game either, it's really just Europe vs the European dominated South America, the other teams in most cases just "make up the numbers". Pity an interesting sport that rarely, if ever, leads to crowd violence couldn't have "taken over the world" (ie. Aussie Rules)

"Perhaps we will even begin to call it football."

Some appropriate cliches: Over my dead body, Tanveer, not until they prise the oval ball from my cold, dead fingers and I follow Aussie Rules AND I vote.....anyone may feel free to add their own cliches.

Aussie rules is a fast high scoring game. There is little to no violence by fans - many are the times I have exchanged witty repartee with supporters of the other side to mine - I have never experienced aggression. The most physical after game behaviour has been a kick of the footy regardless of whose team won. When the round-ball game can achieve the same, then I might even deign to even watch an entire match.

Until then, Aussie Rules, RULES

Ozie Ozie Ozie Rules Rules Rules,
The soccer is already forgotten and interest has swung back to our real games Aussie rules, and to a lesser extent the various rugby codes. The author needs to get out of Sydney more often. Aussie rules is our national Winter sport. it's played in all states with TAS, Vic, SA and WA being the main ones. There are teams from NSW and QLD as well at the moment 500,000 people in Australian are none competing members of Footie clubs in Australia, Soccer can't even get on a free to air commercial station. You pass over the fact that just about all nationalities are playing this game that the author dismissed. Go to a footy game you'll love it.

Yep

Soccer united Australians for a few hours.

Do a spot check, ask around. Who are the quarter-finalists in the world cup? Only a few who know.

Ask who beat Carlton or how the Swans went or ...

Ask what international match will be played on saturday afternoon ... overseas. Ask who captains Australia.

Ask who knocked off the Raiders or the Sharkies the on the weekend. That'll give you an insight into the popularity of the relative sports ... among males and females.

Have a bopeep at the players lists for many of these teams. Check out the names. More than a few are 'ethnic' origin. Amazing really.
Try going to a Doggies game, then an Origin Match.

Yep soccer did unite Australians but so do other sports, most for much more than a few hours.

Cricket is a fine game that not only displays talent but to win requires a fearful grasp and use of tactics. Luck plays far less a part in obtaining a result than it does in soccer.

But you want to see Australians united ... criticise them and their icons. Aussies rules and league are two. Or ignore or belittle their contributions in literature, law, the arts, sciences and numerous other fields of human endeavour.

Mate everyone celebrated winning the Americas cup. It was one of the greatest sporting and technological feats the world has witnessed.

Btw Phar Lap was an immigrant and a transient one at that. I prefer the Aussie bred filly that won three Melbourne Cups and Cox Plate. Name her? ... Bet you cannot.

Your assertion about Australians being united against the Iraqi liberation is wrong.

Australian Nationalism has roots deeper than those sprouted by sporting achievements or by the the tolerance and multiculturalism 'discovered' only in the last couple of decades.

You'll see future generations of Australians from most ethnic backgrounds united in defending the values and culture of Australia.

While modern influences will modify the look of that culture most of the historical, tried and tested underlying values, strenghts and characteristic's won't change.

We won't let it!