Latest news with #FootballAustralia
ABC News
8 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Socceroos veteran Miloš Degenek believes heavy police presence and flare ban restricts Australia's home ground advantage
Socceroos veteran Miloš Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian football matches, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 spectators are expected on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Perth Stadium. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called to control unruly fans walking to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, two-and-a-half years on from Victory's infamous pitch invasion. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have played before plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile," Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final — a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. Victory chairman John Dovaston and managing director Caroline Carnegie lashed police for their "disproportionate" presence. "The scenes we saw prior to the grand final on Swan Street were overwhelming and unacceptable," Carnegie and Dovaston said in an email to fans. "Instead of promoting a fun and exciting spectacle of football, the extent of the police presence created fear amongst families and football fans alike. "We need to create and demand long-term change. "There is a line between keeping people safe and creating fear in the first place, and we believe the latter is what occurred. This is not acceptable. We will not allow our members and fans to continue to be treated this way. "While we would never accept anti-social behaviour, the disproportionate deployment only served to justify a narrative about football fans in this country." Degenek believes tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence leads to more problems. "In the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk," he said. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup. AAP
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Amy Sayer double ensures Matildas celebrate Tom Sermanni's farewell in style
The first time Tom Sermanni coached the Matildas in Canberra, three decades ago, the match took place not at GIO Stadium but at an unassuming training field next door. A warm-up encounter ahead of the 1995 Women's World Cup, the Matildas put four unanswered goals past New Zealand in front of a handful of spectators. It warranted three paragraphs deep in the sports section of the local newspaper; the report described the win as a 'great result' for Sermanni. Thirty years later, in his 151st and final game as Matildas boss, at the end of his third stint at the helm of the national team, it was another great result: a 4-1 friendly victory over Argentina on a chilly Monday night. A brace by Amy Sayer and second-half strikes from Emily van Egmond and local hero Michelle Heyman were enough to see off a valiant Argentine effort. Advertisement Related: Football Australia get right coach in Joe Montemurro, but why did it take so long? | Joey Lynch But it was also an encounter that underscored the remarkable rise of the women's game since Sermanni first led the Matildas in the nation's capital. A capacity crowd of 25,125 broke the record for the best attended women's sporting event in Canberra. Local newspaper Canberra Times heralded the game on its front page: 'Tillies Time!'. News of the appointment of Sermanni's successor, Joe Montemurro, had dominated national media all day. 70-year-old Sermanni has been a loyal servant for the Matildas, playing an important role in the team's progression across more than a decade in charge – including leading the Matildas to their most significant silverware yet, the 2010 Women's Asian Cup. It was a fitting send-off as the Matildas now prepare for a critical lead-up to a home Asian Cup next year, and then a period of generational transition ahead. After seeing off La Albiceleste with two unanswered goals in Melbourne on Friday, the Matildas started strongly – notching their first attempt within minutes. The one-way traffic soon proved decisive, as Matildas midfield maestro Sayer connected with a ball from Kahli Johnson to coolly open the scoring after 14 minutes. Sayer's gloves hinted at the arctic Canberra temperatures, but her opener gave the crowd a reason to keep warm. Advertisement Sermanni's send-off was not going to be a procession, though. Argentina hit back less than 10 minutes later; 19-year-old Kishi Núñez – a stand-out for the South Americans at last year's U20 World Cup – made a decisive break down the left flank before blazing the ball past a diving Teagan Micah. The Argentinian goal left the Matildas unsettled; a feeling compounded when Johnson was forced off with an injury, replaced by Melbourne City rising star Holly McNamara. A more evenly-matched period of play followed, as the Matildas rallied to regain the momentum. Then, suddenly, Caitlin Foord pounced. The Arsenal star, fresh off winning the Women's Champions League, collected the ball in the middle of the park and went on a marauding run forward. Foord sliced through the heart of the Argentine defence before offloading to Sayer, who only had to beat custodian Solana Pereyra to double her tally. Both teams had chances early in the second half, the Matildas with the better of the opportunities but Argentina continuing to threaten. The biggest roar of the night was reserved for the addition of Canberra United legend Heyman, brought on after 60 minutes for Sayer. Related: Matildas' European conquerors inspire new generation in Argentina win Advertisement The veteran striker was immediately in the thick of the action, and her darting run into the Argentine box created the Matildas' third goal – poked home by van Egmond after Heyman and Pereyra had collided. Heyman then sealed the dominant victory with a goal in the dying minutes, attacking a loose ball before outwitting Pereyra. The win caps an improved run of friendlies for the Matildas – successive wins over Argentina and South Korea – after three consecutive losses at the SheBelieves Cup in February. Montemurro will begin his national team tenure with two friendlies against Slovenia at the end of June. When Sermanni first directed the Matildas in Canberra, the team's very name had only just begun to find widespread use – it was chosen by a fan poll in the lead up to the 1995 Women's World Cup. Indeed the match report from that first Canberra outing used the team's prior name, the Female Socceroos. How things have changed.
ABC News
a day ago
- General
- ABC News
Montemurro named Matilda's coach
Samantha Donovan: Well, the long-running search for a new coach of Australia's favourite national sporting team is over. Joe Montemurro has been picked to lead the Matildas after a 10-month recruitment process. His first game in charge is only a few weeks away and the pressure is on for him to return the Tillys to the form they showed at the Home World Cup nearly two years ago. Myles Houlbrook-Walk prepared this report. Soccer Commentator: Courtney Vine can write the Matildas into history. Cue the party! Myles Houlbrook-Walk: It was an almighty peak for Australia's most popular sporting team. Watched on by millions, they won a thrilling penalty shootout against France and Brisbane to get through to the semi-final of the Women's Football World Cup. But since then, the team has floundered with a poor Olympics and then a long hunt for a new coach. Now, Football Australia is confident they've got the right person for the Matildas. Heather Garriock: We have finally got our man, the right man who will take this team to the next level. I am sure. This moment is now and Joe is the coach. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: They've picked Melbourne-born coach Joe Montemurro. The process to get him into the role took so long, the interim coach Tom Sermani says it was wasted time. Interim Chief Executive Heather Garriock today defended the length of the recruitment process and cited complex contractual arrangements. Heather Garriock: I don't think it's a missed opportunity. Everything happens for a reason. And I believe this moment is now and to have Joe with a French championship under his belt is only going to help the Matildas. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: So, who is Joe Montemurro? He's coached women's teams all over the world. Most recently, he led one of the most successful clubs, Lyon, to become champions of France. Joe Montemurro: I said to myself and obviously my wife and family and said, look, this is now an exciting cycle for the Matildas, the Asian Cup, World Cup, Olympic Games and the opportunity was too good. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: And with the Asian Cup just around the corner in March next year, Montemurro has a good feeling. Joe Montemurro: I can smell some success, so let's hope it goes that way. The only promise I make is that we will play an exciting brand of football and that the integrity and the level and the respect of the Matildas will always be at the top of my thinking. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Amy Duggan played 27 games for the Matildas and believes the playing group is likely to be on board with his appointment. Amy Duggan: The girls will be comfortable with the decision. They'll be excited. And as I said, there's a number of Matildas who've been coached by him previously. So he is very familiar with the culture of Australian football, with a lot of the players and a lot of their history. Myles Houlbrook-Walk: Amy Duggan says there's not much time before Joe Montemurro's first major tournament, the Asian Cup, but it won't just be that tournament that he and the rest of the nation will want to see the Tillys do well in. Amy Duggan: The real work for the Asian Cup starts now. Players will be vying for places and what that means for the next four year cycle. Because it's not just the Asian Cup. He'll also have a World Cup and an Olympics over the next four years, too. So, yeah, Joe will hit the ground running. There's no doubt about that. And with the success that he's had previously, I'm hopeful that that will continue to be the blueprint for what's going to happen with the Matildas moving forward. Samantha Donovan: That's former Matildas player Amy Duggan. That report from Myles Houlbrook-Walk.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Premiership flop embroiled in football betting scandal after being hit with bombshell alleged corruption charge
The controversy has rocked the game in Australia and an ex Motherwell player as at the heart of it Former Motherwell player Riku Danzaki is at the centre of a betting scandal. The Japanese star, who is currently at Western United, has been charged as part of a probe into alleged gambling on A-League matches. The attacker has been hit with 10 offences relating to accusations of betting corruption in Australian top-flight games in April and May. It is claimed he received a red or yellow card in games to manipulate the outcome of online betting. He is one of two men who have been charged as a result of an investigation by detectives from the Sporting Integrity Intelligence United, who worked in conjunction with Football Australia. The pair have been bailed and are due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 31st July. Western United confirmed one of its players has been charged. A club spokesperson said: 'The club is aware that one Western United player has been charged in relation to an alleged breach of sports betting guidelines. 'We take this matter seriously, condemn any actions that compromise the integrity of the game, and are cooperating fully with the investigation. 'Given the ongoing nature of the investigation, we cannot comment any further.' Football Australia confirmed its involvement. 'Football Australia takes the integrity of the game very seriously and has worked closely with Victoria Police and the Australian Professional Leagues throughout this investigation,' the governing body stated. Danzaki had a year at Motherwell but struggled to make an impression in the Premiership and moved to Western United in 2023. He played just four times in Claret and Amber following his move from Japanese side Sapporo.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Matildas vs Argentina LIVE: Tom Sermanni takes reins for 151st and final time
Latest posts Latest posts 7.05pm 'I can smell success': Montemurro aims for Asian Cup glory with Matildas The fog has lifted. Just as Joe Montemurro was walking to the lectern on Monday morning at his unveiling as Matildas coach, the thick clouds behind him obscuring the iconic view of Sydney Harbour from Mrs. Macquarie's Point seemingly evaporated. Now, too, the path forward for the Matildas is clear at last. It has taken 10 months for a full-time coach to be appointed, and there was only one candidate who was worth such an excruciating wait - one which players had long grown tired of, concerned that their hopes of Asian Cup glory next year were reducing by the day. The challenge for Montemurro, and the Football Australia apparatus supporting him, is to live up to the billing. 6.54pm Poll: Your thoughts on Montemurro? 6.51pm Team news: Aus-enal trio named to start It's a strong starting XI for the Matildas, with Arsenal trio Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross all starting. 6.49pm Good evening Hello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight's friendly between the Matildas and Argentina at a sold-out GIO Stadium in Canberra. I'm Vince Rugari, and I'll be taking you through every moment of what will be Tom Sermanni's 151st and final match in charge of the national team. Yes, his seemingly never-ending interim stint is finally coming to an end after this morning's appointment of Joe Montemurro as the new Matildas coach - the worst-kept secret in the business. Montemurro was unveiled in Sydney but has travelled down to Canberra to address the players for the first time and watch the match from the stands, before he takes charge later this month. But before then… this. Another important audition for those looking to impress Montemurro and work their way into his plans for next year's Asian Cup and beyond.
