http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/a-cha...2019118417.htmlA chance to stick it to 'new football
Kevin Muscat, pictured in his days as a South Melbourne player, returns to Bob Jane Stadium tonight as captain of A-League team Melbourne Victory.Ian Syson
June 20, 2007
AS A Melbourne soccer fan, I have a terrible confession to make: I don't support the Victory. There. I've said it. My heart lies elsewhere: with South Melbourne, the four-time National Soccer League champion, one-time Oceania club champion and provider of more Socceroos than you could wave a souvlaki at.
But how the mighty fall. In 2004, stigmatised by its ethnic alignment and economically crippled, South was unable and unwelcome to join the A-League. It eventually ended up in the Victorian Premier League and the despair of suburban soccer in Melbourne's industrial belt.
Like many, I initially climbed aboard the Victory bandwagon, believing South was finished as a meaningful entity.
But the trappings of "new football" soon started to disappoint. The Olympic Park North Terrace and Southern Death Crew were (and still are) loud and passionate, but they were drowned out by the gee-up music and the announcer telling us all to cheer (er … we already were, thanks!). It's all very well having giant video screens thrusting replays at us, but what's the point when they censor all the contentious ones?
Paradoxically, the A-League's "success" has driven me back to South and the VPL, where decimated crowds struggle to create a decent atmosphere; where the quality of play (though not the fitness of players) sometimes can match the much-hyped A-League; where passion is still high. The recent 3-3 draw between South and Preston deserved an A-League crowd but got little more than 500.
While I won't see much of the Victory this year, I will be watching it tonight when it plays South in a practice match at Bob Jane Stadium.
There's a truism in soccer that friendlies are meaningless. Tonight that truism is on hold because this may be the most significant friendly ever played in Australia.
Despite having not met on the field, the two clubs already have a deep sense of rivalry. Some South supporters see Victory as the entity that stole their future. For some Victory fans, South represents the forces that held back Australian soccer for decades. Many are casting the game as old soccer versus new football.
So there's a lot at stake tonight. On the field, the contest will bristle. Several players will have points to prove: South's Ricky Diaco and Fernando de Moraes will be looking to press their A-League claims; Kevin Muscat and Daniel Allsopp will have mixed feelings about returning to Bob Jane Stadium in opposition colours.
But it's off the field where most is at stake. While the game is an opportunity for the supporters to display passion and commitment in a crackling atmosphere, any eruption of violence will reflect badly on old soccer and new football alike.
It is my hope that the future of Australian soccer can begin tonight; that this game can usher in a new era in which old and new can meet in mutual respect; that the idea of a Melbourne derby will be seeded in a night of brilliant attacking play and vociferous support.
Oh. And South to win 2-1, with Mitchell Langerak saving a last-minute Muscat penalty.
