{"id":12171,"date":"2013-12-10T22:11:49","date_gmt":"2013-12-10T12:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=12171"},"modified":"2013-12-16T16:30:02","modified_gmt":"2013-12-16T06:30:02","slug":"a-league-201314-round-10-settling-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=12171","title":{"rendered":"A-League 2013\/14 \u2013 Round 9 \u2013 Who Knows, We Might Draw With Chile"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tagfootball\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"worldcupdraw\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ADELAIDE UNITED 1 BRISBANE ROAR 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

PERTH GLORY 4 WELLINGTON PHOENIX 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 1 MELBOURNE HEART 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 1 SYDNEY FC 0<\/strong><\/p>\n

MELBOURNE VICTORY 1 NEWCASTLE JETS 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The World Cup Draw
\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"brazile\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The draw for the Group Stage of the World Cup was held on the weekend.\u00a0 Prior to Saturday, it was hoped that the Socceroos would get a favourable group, to ease our chances of qualifying through to the knockout stages.\u00a0 Perhaps an Iran or Honduras.\u00a0 Why not Costa Rica or even an out of form Mexico?\u00a0 Here’s what we got:<\/p>\n

Group B<\/em><\/p>\n

SPAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

NETHERLANDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

CHILE<\/strong><\/p>\n

AUSTRALIA<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was pretty much one of the most stupidly difficult groups that we could have drawn.<\/p>\n

That initial horror and pessimism has soon turned into a cheerful<\/a> optimism<\/a> though.\u00a0 In Australia’s national psyche, they love being the underdog and if you’re going to be playing on the biggest sporting stage of them all, why not play against one of the tournament favourites and defending champions of the competition?\u00a0 All it means is a chance to make history.\u00a0 No one expects you to win.\u00a0 You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.<\/p>\n

At this point, I have nothing but great envy for my friend Rich who’s booked his tickets and will be in Brazil for all three Socceroos games.\u00a0 It will be an amazing once in a lifetime experience.\u00a0 I wish I had the foresight to plan and save for something like that.\u00a0 Pity the next two World Cups after Brazil are in such lousy locations \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n