‘In Asia, We Might Not Speak the Same Language but We All Speak Football’

Huge wins in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers worsened Australian disillusionment with Oceanian football, culminating in their defecting to the Asian Football Confederation three years later.

Australia’s Tim Cahill celebrating after scoring in a 2-1 win over Japan in a fourth-round Asian Football Confederation World Cup qualifier in Melbourne in 2009 (Socceroos.com.au).

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This post is part of the ‘Research and Reflections’ occasional series, consisting of pieces based on my ongoing academic research, as well as on my musings on and responses to current affairs and personal developments.