Tonight will be about the future

Realisation.

That is what will unfold tonight.

The focus and thoughts of 20 million people in a land down under will look to Germany. To a game that embodies the future and the past.

The past in the blue and the future of the green and gold.

Much of Australia today has to thank the blue Azzuri and its mediterranean neighbours. When Italians, Greeks and other Europeans flocked to Australia post WW2, they brought a variety that would embed itself within Australia.

From the food, we derived a love of pasta and a thrist for good brewed coffee. We understood that it was enjoyable to sit in a cafe on a cold afternoon watching the world go by while we socialised with friends.

The decendants of southern Europe have forged a part in the Australian identity and made way for others. For if they could so it, then why can't a person born in Malaysian, of Indian-Sikh heritage also play a part.

It was the wogs, as they were referred to, who played their game of football here. They were the ones who used it as a means to touch base with their culture back home on the weekends. Australians would focus on the AFL and rugby codes but the italians, greeks, english, scots, they were the ones who wanted to bring the roundball game here. They were the ones who dlaid the foundation, a bare foundation, but a foundation nonetheless.

It was they who resulted in the game slowly and quitely enter the ether of Australiana.

That was the past.

Tonight, it could be the dawn of a new age.

Since that fabulous night of 16 November 2005, since John Aloisi hit the top left corner of the goal, the game has stormed into the Australian culture.

We were drawn with the world champions, a twist of fate that would have only been matched if we were to draw the old enemy - England.

We were asked to play against Japan, the best team in Asia. The confederation that we would be a part off, so why not play the best. Then we were to play Croatia, a team that comprised a number of players that were born here but chose toplay there. Similarly, we had 7 players who were of Croatian decendent who wanted to play wearing a gold jersey.

With each victory, the Australian public, who did not consider football or soccer a real sport have taken notice. After all is said and done, football may not have as much hype, butit has shown the children and afl/rugby mad public that this is truly THE WORLD GAME.

Tonight we play a team that we have never met at this level. Yet the ties Italy has with us makes it even more significant.

We have a coach who lead an unfacied South Korea to an extra time victory.

Both sides hae something to prove.

Australian football supporters want to show the Australian public that the sport is legitimate. That the football players should be reverred with sporting icons such as Waugh, Bradman, Silvagni, Warne and Hird to name a few.

And

Australia wants to show the world, that the assumption that we are backwater football nation was a foolish notion and that we belong.

My heart wants to see the green and gold overcome the blue. But my head, Metria and the world of football say otherwise.

The future awaits.