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Sunday 16 December 2007

2007: Top Ten Australian Football moments

Favourite moments of the Year?


Thought it was time to review the year. Australian football had the Asia Cup, the A-League 6-0 Grand Final, Matilda's World Cup and release of the Technical Report. New Players broke through, and the game kicked on to a new level.

Here are my top ten football moments in descending order.

Coming in at:
10. John Howard handing over $16 million to the FFA. Finally we can have the Technical Report released, a Coach for the Socceroos, A Women's A-League expected, A Youth League to come, and Christmas still to come:)

9.Collette McCallum bends it like, you know who, to score against Canada in the World Cup.

8. David Carney surprising us all by stepping up to Socceroo level, at left back. The A-League rose a notch with Carney's performances in Asia.

7. Football on Channel Ten. Sydney beat Beckham 5-3. We purists weren't sure but 80,000 at a friendly, pumped on FTA Television. A highlight of sorts.

6. Bruce Djite. Watching Bruce at work is absolutely joyous. coupled with the rise of the young players in the A-League. Robbie Kruse Michael Zullo Nathan Burns and Nikita Rukavystya to name a few. Great to see.

5. Steve Corica's goal away to Shanghai Shenhua in the opening game of Sydney FC's Asian Champions League campaign. The first Australian goal in the ACL. That it was away from home in China was special. That it was a superb goal and a great goal for Australian football merely added to the sense of history.

4. The Olyroos defeating Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others to reach the Olympics. Well done to Graham Arnold, and Robert Baan. A great achievement, even in the crucial goal in the last game was the hand of Leijer!

3. Lisa De Vanna scores that vital goal against Norway in the World Cup. A breath-taking piece of football, and at such a crucial part of the game.

2. Archie Thompson leaving the field in the Grand Final after having scored 5 for Melbourne Victory in their 6-0 thrashing of Adelaide United. The crowd roared his name as he walked around the stadium with the game still in play. It was amazing to see in the Dome, in the city of AFL. Pinched myself!

1. Cheryl Salisbury stroking the ball home in the last minutes of the crucial World Cup game against Canada. With the score at 2-1 Australia were out. History was made as Lisa De Vanna tricked her way into the box. Salisbury scored. The Matilda's went to the World Cup Quarter Finals for the first time ever.

and joint first...Live on FTA The Matilda's brought the women's game into mainstream Australian sport for the first time. People didn't just talk football, they talked women's football.

Missed any, I'm sure I have..feel free to tell me what I missed and add your favourite moment.

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