The Sun-Herald

Bring Back Australian Romance

Last week's win by the USA over Spain has wider implications than just another case of flukey giant killing.

Australian football would do well to take notice.

I knew something was up when my US mobile phone began buzzing after the Yanks improbable victory.

"USA! USA!" read text messages from Brazilian and Bulgarian friends.

An email pinged from a friend in California, more usually inspired by Budweiser beer and the Oakland Raiders and As: "How about THAT?!"

The 2-0 victory, where the USA was initially pitched as whipping boys against European Champions trying to extend a record unbeaten streak, had touched many corners of the country.

"Has all of America got Confederations Cup fever?" emailed football fanatic from Sydney.

Well, no. But in a new American era of "Yes, we can," the win had cut into the American psyche.

"I can't explain it any more than you can," said US goalkeeper Tim Howard, a teammate of Socceroo Tim Cahill, after the match.

There are many parallels between football's development in America and Australia.

Similar histories, similar demographics, similar challenges, and for the administrators, similar goals.

Both countries, too, are now rivals to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cups, each in their own style.

While the US has called on a statesman like Henry Kissinger or California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to talk up its credentials, Australia's campaign has called on a truck driver, as representative of an everyman Aussie, to invite the world to "Come play".

Like Australia, 16 members of the 23-man US squad in South Africa play abroad in Europe.

Unlike Pim Verbeek, US coach Bob Bradley does believe in players who play in Major League Soccer, the US professional league.

His goalscorers against Spain, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, played for Fulham in the Premier League and in Spain's second division last season but the team's engine and pin-up boy is Landon Donovan, a clean-cut, prematurely-balding, local hero who plays for Los Angeles Galaxy.

It was Donovan who relinquished the team's captaincy after the arrival of David Beckham in LA, an experiment that proved celebrity and marquee names are no guarantee of success.

But, when glitz and glamour has run back to Europe, what does capture the US imagination is inspiration.

It's the have-a-go attitude missing in many of Australia's more recent performances.

When was the last time you truly rallied to a Socceroos performance?

Was it 2006? The Japan match? The drama against Croatia in Stuttgart? Italy?

Unknown, unheard of, written of, Australia had something to prove in Germany and we sort of proved it.

Historically, Australian football has inspired when we've stood no chance - against Argentina in 1988 when Frank Arok's team of mongrels pulled style from out of the back of the closet to beat then World Champions Argentina 4-1.

Not to bore you with too much nostalgia but the US win has caught the imagination because of its unlikely romance, something that Australian football might like to consider rekindling.

Oh, and another thing. It's a win that will have Champagne corks popping at the US Soccer Federation in Chicago for another reason.

The United States may lose the 2018 World Cup bid to Europe but beating the best team on that continent in a FIFA tournament will do a lot for their 2022 bid's credibility.

Australia - take notice.