The Netherlands national soccer team is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association and is one of the world's strongest national teams having won the European Championship in 1988, and having reached two consecutive World Cup finals, but never won it (1974 and 1978). At the peak of its success in the 1970s, the team was nicknamed "Clockwork Orange" for its precise passing, and is usually among favorites to win the cup by many Sportsbook odds. The Netherlands made their first World Cup appearance in 1934, and after coming back in 1938, entered the world of soccer wilderness.
They came out of it in the 1970s with the invention of Total Football. Pioneered by Ajax Amsterdam and lead by the creative genius of Johan Cruijff and Rinus Michels, the Dutch made huge strides, getting to two World Cup finals in the decade. The team has been strong since, winning Euro 88, reaching the semi-finals in Euro 92, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, and finishing fourth in the 1998 World Cup.
The National Soccer team of Australia called "the Socceroos" was constituted in 1922 for a tour of New Zealand. During that tour, Australia suffered two defeats and scraped together a draw. Australia, New Zealand, China and South Africa would become regular opponents in "Test" or "Friendly" matches for the next 25 years.
With the advent of cheap air travel, Australia would diversify its range of opponents. However, its geographical isolation continued to play a role in its destiny for the next 80 years. The national team played at the World Cup finals in West Germany in 1974, which would prove to be their only appearance until 2006. Over that 32 year time span, the Australian team was known for its near misses in its attempts to qualify for the World Cup, most notably the 1998 and 2002 events.
However, Australia's notoriously roundabout path to World Cup Qualification is not a recent development. Throughout its history of attempted World Cup qualification, FIFA had consistently awarded Australia sequences of matches which could be considered illogical.
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