Written by Thomas Esamie. For more details see credits.
| After much handwringing and doubt about Australias attendance at this tournament a side comprised of locally based players (except Chipperfield) was dispatched to New Zealand with only a warm up against a NSW side as preparation. The result, though positive, was a bit of a worry. This was a Oceania Nations Cup match. | ||||
| Played : July 6 | Venue : Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
| Vanuatu David Chilia, Wilkins Simon Lauru, Lexa Bule Bibi, Willie August Marango, Seimata Chilia, Etienne Mermer, Maki Gerard Haitong (Alphonse W. Qorig 85), Graham Demas, Richard Iwai (Jean Robert Yelou 60), Pita David Maki (Philip Tomake 64), Daniel Koko Alick |
0 | - | 2 | Australia Jason Petkovic, Fausto de Amicis, Jade North, Mehmet Durakovic, Steve Horvat (c), Patrick Kisnorbo, Damian Mori, Scott Chipperfield (Robert Middleby 72), Tom Pondeljak (Slobodan Despotovski 62), Milan Blagojevic, Ante Milicic (Paul Trimboli 62) Goals : Mori 69, Despotovski 85 |
| Referee : Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti) Linesmen : Michel Angot (Tahiti), Tevita Vea (Tonga) Attendance : 1000+ Coaches : Frank Farina (Australia), Carlos Buzzetti (Vanuatu) | ||||
| Match Report by Peter Rees | ||||
| The Australians managed to perform a little better in the second match of the tournament, despite the opposing captains best efforts. Well actually a lot better but it's not always easy to tell why this was seeing as there's no coverage of this continental championship. Maybe some highlights on the weekend sports shows nicely predigested for an uninterested audience. This was a Oceania Nations Cup match. | ||||
| Played : July 8 | Venue : Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
| New Caledonia Michel Hne, Franck Oiremoin, Jean Marc Case (c), Steeven Longue, Iamel Kabeu, Marius Mapou, Pierre Tidjine (Steven Longue 40), Robert Kauma (Maurice Cawa 64), Andre Sinedo (Ricardo Nepamondou 53), Maurice Cawa, David Hay |
0 | - | 11 | Australia Dean Anastasiadis, Jade North, Mehmet Durakovic, Steve Horvat (c) (Patrick Kisnorbo 46), Robert Middleby, Damian Mori (Joel Porter 59), Slobodan Despotovski, Scott Chipperfield (Paul Trimboli 46), Milan Blagojevic, Angelo Costanzo, Ante Juric Goals : Despotovski 3, 55pk, 75, 77, Horvat 14, Chipperfield 21, 35, Mori 34, Costanzo 82, Porter 86, Trimboli 91 |
| Referee : Derek Rugg (New Zealand) Linesmen : Tevita Vea (Tonga), John Berry (New Zealand) Attendance : 200 Coaches : Frank Farina (Australia), Martingengo Serge De Novack (New Caledonia) | ||||
| Match Report by Peter Rees | ||||
| Fiji needed to win to get to the semi-finals, their efforts really didn't reflect this desperation and Australia looked like they might be getting into their stride. This was a Oceania Nations Cup match. | ||||
| Played : July 10 | Venue : Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
| Fiji Laisenia Tuba (Luke Tavuyara 20), Viliame Toma, Seveci Rokotakala, Valerio Nasema, Manoa Masi, Junior Bukalidi (Esala Masi 59), Keni Doidoi, Lorima Dau, Meli Delai, Stewart Bola, Malakai Kainihewe (Emosi Baleinuku 68), Veresa Toma |
0 | - | 8 | Australia Jason Petkovic, Fausto De Amicis, Steve Horvat (c) (Mehmet Durakovic 46), Patrick Kisnorbo, Joel Porter, Scott Chipperfield (Robert Middleby 59), Tom Pondeljak, Angelo Costanzo (Milan Blagojevic 52), Ante Milicic 16, Paul Trimboli, Ante Juric Goals : Milicic 5, Porter 8, 13, 44, 53, Juric 36, Timboli 47, deAmicis 89 |
| Referee : Joakim Sosongan (PNG) Linesmen : John Berry (New Zealand), Gray Vuke (Vanuatu) Attendance : 1000+ Coaches : Frank Farina (Australia), Billy Singh (Fiji) | ||||
| Match Report by Peter Rees | ||||
| Australia, as you would expect, reached the semi-finals, but as you would not expect faced the very real danger that that was as far as they would get. In the end a scrambled goal took the match to extra time and Tahiti were broken as the famous win eluded them. Mori sealed it with a golden goal. This was a Oceania Nations Cup match. | ||||
| Played : July 12 | Venue : Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
| Tahiti Steeve Fatupua-Lecaill, Sylvain Booene, Tetahio Auraa, Samuel Garcia, Teva Zaveroni, Felix Tagawa (Gabriel Wajoka 93), Naea Bennett, Harry Tong Song, Abel Terevarua, Angelo Tchen (Tony Senechal 62), Xavier Samin Goal : Zaveroni 38 |
1 asdet |
- | 2 asdet |
Australia Jason Petkovic, Fausto de Amicis (Robert Middleby 51), Jade North, Mehmet Durakovic, Damian Mori, Slobodan Despotovski (Joel Porter 51), Scott Chipperfield, Tom Pondeljak, Milan Blagojevic (Paul Trimboli 65), Angelo Costanzo, Ante Juric Goals : Durakovic 88, Mori 96 |
| Referee : Derek Rugg (NZ) Linesmen : John Berry (NZ), Gray Vuke (Vanuatu) Attendance : 400 Coaches : Frank Farina (Australia), P Jacquemet (Tahiti) | ||||
| Match Report by Peter Rees | ||||
| Well if you learn one thing from history it is that nobody learns from history. Just as in Brisbane on October 8, 1998 Australia lost the chance to represent Oceania as its champion. Funnily enough their next match was against the USA in a friendly, in November of that year. Have a guess what Australia have planned for November at this stage. This was a Oceania Nations Cup match. | ||||
| Played : July 14 | Venue : Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
| New Zealand Jason Batty (James Bannatyne 57), Duncan Oughton, Chris Zoricich, Mark Burton, Aaron Lines, Chris Jackson, Chris Killen, Simon Elliot, Ryan Nelsen, Ivan Vicelich, Gerard Davies Goal : Nelson 78 |
1 | - | 0 | Australia Jason Petkovic, Fausto De Amicis (Robert Middleby 82), Jade North (Tom Pondeljak 82), Mehmet Durakovic, Steve Horvat, Patrick Kisnorbo, Joel Porter (Slobodan Despotovski 73), Damian Mori, Scott Chipperfield, Angelo Costanzo, Ante Juric |
| Referee : Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti) Linesmen : Michel Angot (Tahiti), Gray Vuke (Vanuatu) Attendance : 3000 Coaches : Frank Farina (Australia), M. Waitt (New Zealand) | ||||
| Match Report by Peter Rees Match Report by Fred Legget Match Report by Michael Huckle Match Report by Tony D'Alfonso Match Report by David Paton | ||||