'Critical days'

Oceania World Cup bid hit by Australian problems

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The dire on- and off-field situation in Australian soccer could work against the Oceania confederation's bid for a direct entry to the 2006 World Cup, new Soccer Australia chairman Remo Nogarotto said Wednesday.

During his election campaign before the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested the newest and smallest of the soccer's continental confederations get a direct berth at the 32-team World Cup finals.

Australian soccer has slumped from one crisis to the next in the meantime with its national league clubs losing money and the Socceroos losing an Oceania Cup title to New Zealand.

As the most powerful federation in Oceania, Australia has become counterproductive to the regional bid ahead of a FIFA vote on the issue next week.

"Have the events of the past few weeks hindered our position? I don't think they've necessarily helped, being perfectly candid," Nogarotto told Australia's Fox Sports News.

"It's a very critical seven to 10 days for us," he said. "The world is watching us, FIFA is watching us and we have to demonstrate we are steadying the ship."

Australia missed out on World Cup finals appearances in 1998 and 2002 after losing inter continental playoffs against Iran and Uruguay.

Nogarotto said Australia was "due a break" and hoped FIFA would hold good on giving the Oceania champion a direct entry to the World Cup.

Critics of an Oceania direct World Cup entry insist the Pacific region isn't strong enough to warrant an automatic spot at the quadrennial event.

 

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