The days before the final

Now the stage was set for the Asia/Oceania qualifying final between Australia and South Korea.

South Korea was not new to the Socceroos, who had played them first as long ago as 1967, when Australia beat them 3-2, and again twice later in 1969 in Seoul where Australia won 2-1 and drew one-all in the World Cup elimination round.

After that, Australia had played two matches, again in Seoul for a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 win. So this was the sixth encounter between these two countries, but the first before an Australian crowd. Australia is now ready for the big clash. They won a test against Victoria with 2-1.

Sunday, October 21, 1973

South Korea's World Cup Team flew into Sydney today. They will play Australia next Sunday in the first leg of the qualifying final. Coach Min Byoung Dae said: "I will be very happy if we can gain a point from the Sydney match. The Australians will be very hard to beat on their home ground, but I expect the finesse of our team to carry us through to the Munich finals."

Australia won today a test game versus a New South Wales Under 23 selection with 3-0. Mackay, Abonyi and Buljevic are the scorers.

Monday, October 22, 1973

Coach Rale Rasic put the 22-man squad through one solid afternoon session and will ease off fitness training over the next days. Only reserve Keeper Alan Maher came in for forward Peter Ollerton.

Max Tolson and Johnny Warren are back after an injury. Warren broke his nose playing against Victoria last week. Bobby Hogg is still out of the game after he received a badly broken leg playing for St George. Since the accident, he’s had two further operations on his damaged leg on the slow, painstaking road to recovery.

Assistant coach Les Scheinflug watched keenly as the Koreans went through their paces at Wentworth Park in their first workout. The 19-man squad looked very sharp.

Kim Jea Han will be the big danger when our boys clash with Korea. When Socceroo coach Rasic was in Korea earlier this month getting a line on the men who stand between the Australians, Rale said he was particularly impressed with his speed and skill for such a big man.

All attention was focussed on goalkeeper Jim Fraser at training this morning. Fraser, who pulled the muscles in his stomach and chest when doing a series of stretching exercises yesterday, was still feeling the injuries. "I have been taking pain killing tablets and will have a needle today," he said.

Rasic said that Peter Wilson and Johnny Watkiss are playing against star striker Kim.

Thursday, October 25, 1973

If Fraser fails to respond to treatment, Australia will take the field with a rookie goalie, either Milisavlejvic or Maher. The Fraser injury, if it does not clear up quickly, would force Rasic to add another goalkeeper to his squad. The new man would be Jack Reilly.

"I don’t care which way the ball comes on Sunday, right or left, I will be there banging em in," a goal-hungry Ray Baartz declared today.

Coach Rasic conducted a solid two-hour session at the Sports Ground, then promised he would taper down training before announcing the team on Saturday morning.

Luck for Australia: Fraser is back in the first team. "Australia cannot lose," said Rasic.

Sunday, 28, October 1973, AUSTRALIA – SOUTH KOREA 0-0

The match was one of the worst Australia produced. There is often something psychologically wrong with players in the Australian national colours, who are likely to follow a great display with an abysmally indifferent one, keeping their fans guessing how the team is going to behave on a particular day.

At the Sydney Sports Ground that Sunday, Australia gave a colourless display against the South Koreans.

The superlative midfield against Iran collapsed, causing coach Rasic to lament, "This department was woefully weak", and added that the midfielders not only failed to backup the forwards, but also failed to give a hand in defence when Korea attacked.

It was a severe indictment. Rasic was also critical of the strikers who never really worried the disciplined Korean defenders. It seemed that all that the coach had achieved with the players up to now, was going to be lost.

The only chance to score fell to Alston in the 32nd minute, and he sent it too wide.

Goalkeeper Fraser, who recovered from a back injury, wearing a wide bandage around his torso, saved certain goals by Cha Bum Keun and Park Ee Chun in the 37th and 43th minutes to enable Australia to escape with a lucky scoreless draw.

South Korea also missed two open-goals in the second half. It was a measure of the Korean's ruthlessness that Park Ee Chun, one of the culprits, was replaced after his miss in the 59th minute.

This match was at the wrong time of year for Australia. The Koreans were faster and fitter, apart from also being younger and more skilful.

The Korean's dominance was best illustrated by sweeper Yoo Kee Heung.

Australia’s best performers were typically in defence where goalie Fraser had a blinder. The forward line, so often the saviour, was disappointing with neither Tolson, Alston, nor Abonyi having much of the match.

Neither did Baartz, who also played as a striker, rather than in his best position of midfielder.

The South Koreans were jubilant, and after the match team manager, Min Byoung Dae declared, brimful of confidence: "We came to get one point, and we achieved our objective."

There was nothing one could say to this, even when the South Korean coach predicted a 2-0 win for his team in Seoul.

"Our midfield was woefully weak," said Rasic. "Not only did they fail to back up our forwards but they also failed to back up our defence when the Koreans broke. This will have to be rectified for the Seoul match."

The Socceroos played as if in a dream and played second fiddle to the Koreans for all of the game. Goalkeeper Fraser played brilliantly, skipper Wilson and full-backs Curran and Doug Utjesenovic played reasonably. There the credit list ends.

In fact, South Korea were unlucky not to have won 2-0 and only deplorable shooting stopped them from putting goals on the scoreboard.

Rasic said, "There is no need for panic. We are not out yet, these boys can do it. When we play in Seoul I can promise more effort. I also promise a better result."

Rasic will announce the 18 players to travel to Seoul later today.

Thursday, November 8, 1973

Atti Abonyi injured his ankle today. He twisted the ankle when he slipped in one of the many potholes in the uneven training ground preparing for Saturday's match against Korea. With Abonyi writhing on the ground, the practice match halted abruptly. Coach Rasic and physiotherapist Peter Van Ryn rushed to his attention. Abonyi was helped to the sideline. His ankle was swathed in ice-packs and he was taken back to the team's hotel.

After further treatment, Abonyi was able to walk on his injured ankle, but he was in considerabie pain.

Rasic complained bitterly about the condition of the training ground the Socceroos were forced to use. "The players are frightened to take any risks in case they injure themselves."

Goalkeeper Fraser reported sick early this morning with gastric flu. After treatment he recovered enough to report for training with his team-mates this afternoon.

Rasic held a two-hour training session concentrating on close marking exercises and shooting practice.

The Socceroos will wind up their pre-match preparation with a ninety minute stint at the Seoul National Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

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