Uruguay look to dent Aussie chances

The Socceroos 'Destiny 2006', Adam McBride takes a look at the hurdle the Uruguayans are planning to put infront of the Australians in their quest for that elusive World Cup spot.

Relations between Australia and Uruguay, when it comes to football, are very much at an all-time low right now.

With the Socceroos and Football Federation Australia (FFA) refusing to allow a shift forward of the biggest showdown since 2001, the Uruguayans are retaliating with their own hard-ball tactics in a desperate attempt to put the Australians at a disadvantage when it comes to the all important second match in Sydney.

The Montevideo match, on November 12, was recently scheduled for a 5pm (local time) kick-off but after negotiations for the match to be brought forward 24 hours broke down the Uruguayan Football Association has done a back-flip and intend to announce a revised start time as late as 9pm.

To many Australians it would seem strange to start a match so late in the evening, however for sport in other nations this is not the case. Uruguay's final match in the qualifying process against Argentina kicked off locally at 10pm.

Method to this 'madness' by Uruguay is aimed to hopefully disrupt the Australian preparation for the return match in Sydney. With a direct charter flight already confirmed following the match the Uruguayan team hope to 'welcome' the Aussie team home.

Due to the hostile reception the Socceroos received in 2001, FFA have planned for the Socceroos to again stay in Montevideo for the bare minimum required before and after the match. Argentina will again host the Australian preparations but the lack of flights following the match has football officials here re-thinking the option of a direct charter flight home themselves.

It is almost on par with the TV series 'The Amazing Race' and who can get to Sydney first, not that anyone involved would be thinking along those lines once the first game is done and dusted (finished).

The FFA have been informed that the kick-off time is likely to be changed and have no problems with that. Chief Executive John O'Neill said, "We've got a number of contingency plans which I'm sure will hold us in good stead, but I'd prefer not to say any more."

O'Neill added, "We'll deal with whatever circumstances are handed to us. I'm sure within the next 24 hours we'll hear what the kick-off time arrangements are."

With the deadline of final confirmation for all remaining play-off matches set for the end of this week by FIFA, officials here have already confirmed Sydney's Telstra Stadium will host the second match on November 16 with kick-off at 8pm.

If the late kick-off in Uruguay does go ahead TV viewers back here in Australia will be treated to a user-friendly timeslot of 10am (Sydney time) on Sunday morning.

The series between the two countries has been named 'Destiny 2006' in which the winner will progress to, the prestigious tournament scheduled to be hosted by Germany, the FIFA World Cup.