Hardy(T)'s World Soccer Diary

18/1/97, Melbourne, Australia.
Optus World Series

 

Norway 0 S Korea 1
At the Bob Jane Stadium, South Melbourne

The pompously named Optus World Series kicked off with a game between Norway and South Korea or, should I say, Norway reserves vs. South Korea reserves, since neither coach had brought his first choice squad with him. This was my fisrt visit to the Bob Jane Stadium, new home of South Melbourne in the Ericsson Cup. Had our beloved premier, Jeff Kennett, not destroyed Albert Park in order to host a Formula One Grand Prix and make loads of cash for his business buddies, they wouldn't have needed a new stadium, but I digress...

 

Anyway, if I'm honest, I didn't see too much of this first game of the Optus double header as, firstly, I was pretty late getting into the ground and, secondly, the game was a magnet for all the ex-pat Brits out here, desperate to see some soccer action, so I had to catch up with a few Pommie football fans. I was particularly pleased to catch up with Tony "Seaweed" Phillips, who was there in his sad Brighton shirt. Hi Tony!

 

Anyway, the Norwegian secoond string were just as negative as their first-team counterparts and didn't do much except defend like all fury and occasionally hope to catch the Koreans on the break. This didn't work, and they themselves were caught out by the pace and skill of the recent Asian Cup finalists and ended up losing by the solitary goal.

 

Bring on the Socceroos...

 

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