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World Cup History - Australia

26 April 2006 | 21:16 - PA Sport

One of the reasons why Australia’s qualification for this year's World Cup finals was greeted with such delirious celebrations is because they have only appeared at the game’s biggest showcase on one previous occasion.

 

Another reason is because that success was too far back for many Socceroos fans to remember, back in the 1974 tournament that was hosted by West Germany.

Australia's part-timers were up against it from the outset having been drawn in the same group as the hosts and their neighbours from East Germany but they battled hard and were in no way disgraced. The group was completed by Chile.

Australia’s opening game in the World Cup finals was against East Germany on June 14, 1974, in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.

The Aussies did well to hold their opponents until the break, but two minutes before the hour mark they fell behind to an own goal from Colin Curran and, with 18 minutes remaining, Joachim Streich sealed a 2-0 win for East Germany.

West Germany were next up but Australia found them in imperious form, with the hosts going two-up within 34 minutes through goals from Wolfgang Overath and Bernhard Cullmann.

German great Gerd Muller then wrapped up a 3-0 victory for the eventual winners just after the break.

Australia were already out of the competition but they were hoping to bow out with a positive result against Chile, and although Ray Richards was dismissed late on, a 0-0 draw gave Australia their first World Cup point.

Little did they know it would be another 32 years before they would get a chance to get their next one.

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