Australia B is a secondary soccer team occasionally as support for the Australia national soccer team. The team has only ever played nine matches; winning one, drawing six, and losing two. It has been inactive since 1985.
 | |||
| Association | Football Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Most caps | Jim Patikas (9) | ||
| Top scorer | Doug Brown (2) | ||
| FIFA code | AUS | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Australia B 0–0 Rangers  (Melbourne, Australia; 27 May 1984) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Australia B 2–0 China  (Canberra, Australia; 23 September 1985) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Australia B 4–0 Rangers (Newcastle, Australia; 7 June 1984) | |||
Concept and history edit
The national B team was designed to give games to players who were being considered for call-up to the full national squad. Generally, the team played in friendly matches against other international B teams or club sides.
Australia B were one of several teams which entered a "World Series" held in Australia in 1984, which included Rangers, Juventus, Australia A, Nottingham Forest and Iraklis. They were coached in the tournament by Eddie Thomson[1]
In 1985, Australia B played two games against China in the leadup to the 1987 Ampol Cup between China and Australia. They were coached by John Margaritis in both games.[2]
In 2007, then-Australia coach Graham Arnold, himself a former B international, flagged the idea of reviving the national B team.[3]
Statistics edit
Results and fixtures edit
1984 edit
| 27 May | Australia B | 0–0 | Rangers | Melbourne, Australia |
| [4] | Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Jim Fearn (Australia) |
| 31 May | Australia B | 1–2 | Rangers | Brisbane, Australia |
Egan  38' |
Clark 43' Ferguson 74' |
Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,257 Referee: Bill Monteverde (Australia) |
| 5 June | Australia B | 1–1 | Rangers | Adelaide, Australia |
| McCulloch 30' |
McClelland 32' |
Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Jim Rossis (Australia) |
| 7 June | Australia B | 2–4 | Rangers | Newcastle, Australia |
| Blair 18' Brown 85' (pen.) |
Paterson 19' Burns 67'McCoist 75'Cooper 78' |
Stadium: Adamstown Oval Attendance: 6,292 Referee: Jim Reeves (Australia) |
| 11 June | Australia B | 0–0 |  Nottingham Forest | Sydney, Australia |
| Stadium: Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Garry Power (Australia) |
| 13 June | Australia B | 0–0 |  Iraklis | Brisbane, Australia |
| Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Alan Kibbler (Australia) |
| 17 June | Australia B | 1–1 | Iraklis | Melbourne, Australia |
| Brown 67' (pen.) |
Report | Papadopoulos | Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 18,732 Referee: Spiers (Australia) |
1985 edit
| 23 September | Australia B | 2–0 | China | Queanbeyan, Australia |
| Petersen 50' Wade 72' |
Stadium: Seiffert Oval Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Richard Lorenc (Australia) |
| 25 September | Australia B | 1–1 | China | Sydney, Australia |
| Arnold 76' |
Ma 28' |
Stadium: St George Stadium Attendance: 1,530 Referee: Garry Power (Australia) |
Historical statistics edit
- Highest attendance: 18,300 vs.
Iraklis at Melbourne. - Biggest victory: 2–0 vs.
China, 23 September 1985 at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan - Heaviest defeat: 2–4 vs.
Rangers, 7 June 1984 at Adamstown Oval, Newcastle
Player records edit
Most appearances edit
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Patikas | 9 | 0 | 1984–1985 |
| 2 | Steve Blair | 7 | 1 | 1984 |
| Tony Henderson | 7 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Mike O'Shea | 7 | 0 | 1984 | |
| 5 | Charlie Egan | 6 | 1 | 1984 |
| Peter Katholos | 6 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Peter Lewis | 6 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Richard Miranda | 6 | 0 | 1984–1985 | |
| John O'Shea | 6 | 0 | 1984 |
Goalscorers edit
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doug Brown | 5 | 2 | 1984 |
| 2 | Graham Arnold | 2 | 1 | 1985 |
| Steve Blair | 7 | 1 | 1984 | |
| Charlie Egan | 6 | 1 | 1984 | |
| Tom McCulloch | 3 | 1 | 1984–1985 | |
| Mike Petersen | 2 | 1 | 1985 | |
| Paul Wade | 2 | 1 | 1985 |
Managers edit
- Eddie Thomson 1984
John Margaritis 1985
References edit
- ^ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1984". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1985". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Cockerill, Michael (17 March 2017). "Arnold's plan B: Socceroos seconds to nurture the next generation of stars". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Franken earns Australia draw". Sydney Morning Herald. 28 May 1984. p. 33.