Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, the Socceroos have seen an increase in the quality and quantity of matches as well as the establishment of new rivalries.
The rivalry between Japan and the Socceroos is the highest profile of them all and is also one of the richest rivalries in Asia, but it was not established in 2006.
Matches between the Samurai Blue and Australia stretch back 66 years with the teams meeting in all major tournaments that Australia has qualified for: the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, AFC Asian Cup and the Olympic games.
In fact, Australia and Japan are the only two nations in history to have met at all four of these tournaments.
The upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier between Socceroos and Japan at Stadium Australia on Thursday 24 March will be the newest page in what is a back catalogue of high stakes match-ups: the first of which occurred back in 1956.
Our First Meeting
Before the modern rules come into play that restricted men’s football at the Olympics to an U23 level, the matches in that tournament used to be considered A-Internationals with relatively strong squads sent to the games to compete.
With Australia hosting the 1956 edition in Melbourne, the national team took on Japan in their opening match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the winner directly proceeding to the Quarter Final.
It was an omen of sorts, foreshadowing the role that the two nations would play against each other in future do-or-die matches. Australia won 2-0 with goals from Graham McMillan and Frank Loughran.
Our First Knockout Meeting
When Australia was still in the Oceania Football Confederation, participation in the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup was a regular occurrence with the Socceroos appearing in three editions from 1997 to 2005.
And while the national team struggled to qualify for the FIFA World Cup during that time, they had relative success in the warm-up tournament, securing a silver and bronze medal in 1997 and 2001 respectively.
It was the 2001 edition that captured the imagination of the public after a 1-0 win over reigning World Champions, France, gave the nation true belief that the Socceroos could be hoisting the Artemio Franchi Trophy at the end of the tournament.
But first, Japan stood in Australia’s way in the semi-final: hosting the Socceroos in front of 48,669 people in Yokohama in monsoonal rain. In the end it came down to a deflection as Koji Nakata’s free kick deflected into the net, and when Craig Moore was sent off with two minutes to go, it sealed Australia’s 1-0 loss.
Revenge at the World Cup
Fast forward five years and the two rivals met on the biggest stage in football: the FIFA World Cup. With the Socceroos desperate for the nation’s first ever win at a World Cup and several players having been in the losing squad in the Confederations Cup, the occasion was perfect.
The match itself is folklore with Shunsuke Nakamura opening the scoring after the referee missed a foul on Mark Schwarzer in the build-up. It took three goals in the final six minutes for Australia to come from behind and claim the classic 3-1 victory.
A double from Tim Cahill followed by John Aloisi’s stoppage-time sealer meant the Australians left Kaiserslautern with three points in the bag and revenge gained.
Asian Cup Defeats
While the World Cup win was a milestone in Australian football, it did not take long for Japan to gain the upper hand in knock-out matches.
In fact, it was only a year later when the Samurai Blue would face Australia again. This time it was the Quarter Final of the 2007 Asian Cup in Vietnam.
Aloisi gave the Socceroos the lead but six minutes later Vince Grella was sent off. This allowed Japan back into the game where it finished 1-1 after extra time with Australia falling 4-3 on penalties.
This defeat was followed four years later by a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Japan in the 2011 Asian Cup Final.
Following a very strong tournament from the Socceroos, the final was tense affair that was finally broken open in the 19th minute of extra time. A cruel but firm reminder that the matches between these two teams always have something on the line.
Our FIFA World Cup Qualifying battles
With 25 matches played between these two teams, the ledger is slightly in Japan’s favour with four more wins.
In recent times, contests between Australia and Japan have been as tight as ever – with 10 of the past 11 matches either being a draw or decided by a single goal.
In 2009, 74,100 fans at the MCG saw a Tim Cahill brace seal a 2-1 win that secured our position at the top of the group.
Back to the present day, and with qualification for Qatar on the line, this coming match has a do-or-die feel about it and it is sure to be another classic to add to this list.
Australia versus Japan is a rivalry 66 years in the making, taking place over a wide range of tournaments and in a variety of host nations. Now the next chapter is here, at Stadium Australia, with a spot in the World Cup on the line. Bring it on.
CLICK HERE to buy your tickets for March 24's massive FIFA World Cup Qualifier - our first ever meeting with Japan at Stadium Australia.
