Key posts
Australia’s turn to mount pressure
It’s time for the Socceroos to have their own offensive, led by Keanu Baccus down the right-hand-side who sends the ball across the box for Lewis Miller.
It’s the right idea, but the execution looked like it was happening in slow motion.
It might have been in the box, but the Kiwis had plenty of time to block the attack.
Callum McCowatt takes the ball back up field for New Zealand.
Australia 0, New Zealand 0 after 10 minutes
Strong start from the All Whites
New Zealand get the games first corner after mounting some early pressure down the left-hand side.
Callum McCowatt takes the corner, and the ball lingers in the box a little too long for comfort for the Socceroos, but eventually it’s cleared, and the Australians breathe a sigh of relief.
A sharp start in Brentford for the Kiwis, and a sleepy one for the Aussies.
Australia 0, New Zealand 0 after three minutes
Kick off in west London
The anthems are sung, the coin is flipped, and our players are on the pitch.
This is a friendly ground for Australia; it’s where the Matildas beat the Lionesses ahead of their World Cup campaign.
The Socceroos are coming off the back of a 1-0 loss to England last week, but they’ll be wanting to one-up the New Zealanders for the “Soccer Ashes”.
New Zealand get us under way at the home of Premier League side Brentford.
The prized trophy was sitting in a garage for half a century.Credit: Football Australia
Who owns the word football? Soccer is winning the battle
The world game is winning the war for the word “football” in Australia, according to new data which Football Australia says is evidence of the code’s growing status among younger generations.
It has been almost 20 years since soccer’s national governing body began officially embracing the name used widely around the world in an effort to reposition the sport ahead of the launch of the A-League in 2005.
While the delineation between “old soccer” clubs and the “new football” era under then-chairman Frank Lowy caused ructions within the sport that remain unresolved, there is little doubt the symbolic pivot helped establish soccer – or football – as a mainstream pursuit in Australia.
But if it ever caused confusion for supporters of Aussie rules, rugby league and rugby union, those days would appear to be over – or, at least, nearing an end.
Team lists
Welcome
Good morning football fans and welcome to our live coverage of the Socceroos’ friendly against the All Whites.
This morning’s match kicks off at 5.45am (AEDT) with the Aussies the favourites, having beaten their friends across the ditch on their last two meetings.
So, grab yourself a cup of coffee and soak up some Socceroos ahead of the start of the A-League this weekend.
