Australian soccer has top programme

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 32

Australian soccer has top programme

Australia is about to embark on a programme of matches against opposition of the highest calibre, in contrast to New Zealand’s paucity of matches against top

International soccer teams. The Socceroos’ build-up must have All Whites coach Kevin Fallon green with envy.

First, Australia will be in a four-team tournament with Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Glasgow Celtic from May 25 to June 4. If Australia makes the final of the $37,000 competition, a B team will play Everton in Melbourne on June 3. A day later the A squad travels to Seoul for the President’s Cup, in which teams such as Chile, Kuwait, Nigeria, Sao Paulo, A.G Milan and both North and South Korea will play. In October Australia plays preliminary qualifying matches for the Olympics against Chinese Taipei. They then defend the Trans-Tas-man Cup against the All Whites before playing three friendlies against China. In contrast, the All Whites, who have just ended a fourmatch series against Russian club team Dynamo Minsk, will have much leaner pickings.

Mr Fallon hopes the national side will be allocated a match against Everton if their proposed visit goes ahead in June. At the end of the national league the AU Whites will have a series against China before going into the Olympic preliminary games against Pacific Island opposition. Safely through that round, the All Whites will go on to meet teams such as Australia and Israel in the final Olympic qualifying rounds. Mr Fallon hopes to get his squad together for a lengthy period after Christmas to prepare for these matches.