The gnashing of teeth can probably be heard across the Tasman.
The explosions over world governing body Fifa's reneging on a decision to allow the Oceania confederation winners direct entry into the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany have turned into implosions in Australia.
Accusations have even been made that members of
Soccer Australia are responsible for Fifa's backflip.
It's been widely interpreted that the decision was to placate the powerful South Americans, who had lost the berth given to Oceania. Now they have been handed it back.
What seems to have made it so easy for Fifa were letters from the three remaining board members of Australia's most dysfunctional sporting body, Soccer Australia.
The board members wrote twice in the past few months, citing their concerns that undue Government influence was being used to put billionaire businessman Frank Lowy in charge of Soccer Australia with a new team in support of him.
The board wanted Fifa to intervene, but Fifa said it wouldn't.
Oceania president Basil Scarsella said the letter had been sent without his knowledge and while it wasn't the reason for Fifa rescinding its decision, it was the ammunition it needed.
"It gave Fifa the rope to hang Oceania," he said.
Hence the implosions - which are nothing new at Soccer Australia, where civil war is commonplace.
In April, the Crawford report commissioned by the Federal Government recommended that the board step down and be replaced by Lowy, supported by business people, such as media magnate John Singleton.
"Without significant change the sport will continue to suffer from the factionalism, infighting and poor management that has bedevilled it in the past," said the author of the report, David Crawford.
The board initially accepted the recommendations, but when three members quit early in May, saying they were at odds with other members, a standoff emerged.
Left in charge were board members not in favour of Lowy, despite a vote of no confidence by the game's stakeholders.
They have now promised to stand down this month, but seem to have done irreparable damage to Oceania in the meantime.
Not that everyone agreed Oceania should gain direct entry into the World Cup finals.
Daily Telegraph newspaper columnist Ray Chesterton is one who is thankful for Fifa's reversal.
"By recanting your earlier decision to give the Socceroos an easy slippery slide into the 2006 World Cup you have given Australian soccer a chance to mature instead of remaining in its permanently-retarded developmental state as a wimpish, breast-fed, constantly mewling, grossly under-performing petulant sook."
Chesterton said the Australians would now have to work hard to make it to the World Cup - "no short cuts, no easy gains, no backroom deals and no lowering of standards."
Fifa cited New Zealand's poor performances at the recent Confederations Cup, as well as the confused state of the sport's administration in Australia, for its change of heart.
But even Australian commentators thought New Zealand's poor form was a red herring.
And the other thing they were unanimous about was that Oceania's promised finals berth was Australia's for the taking, "a virtual free ride."
New Zealand's win over them a year ago to get into the Confederations Cup is a very dim memory here.
- NZPA
The gnashing of teeth can probably be heard across the Tasman.
The explosions over world governing body Fifa's reneging on a decision to allow the Oceania confederation winners direct entry into the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany have turned into implosions in Australia.
Accusations have even been made that members of
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