1996–97 in Australian soccer

28th season of national competitive association football in Australia

Soccer in Australia
Season1996–97
Men's soccer
NSL PremiershipSydney United
NSL ChampionshipBrisbane Strikers
NSL CupCollingwood Warriors
← 1995–96 Australia 1997–98 →

The 1996–97 season was the 28th season of national competitive association football in Australia and 114th overall.

National teams

Men's senior

Results and fixtures

Friendlies
Saudi Arabia  v  Australia
9 October 1996 Saudi Arabia  0–0  Australia Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Report
Australia  v  New Zealand
18 January 1997 Australia  1–0  New Zealand Melbourne, Australia
 Report Stadium: Lakeside Stadium
Attendance: 10,496
Referee: Eugene Brazzale (Australia)
Australia  v  South Korea
22 January 1997 Australia  2–1  South Korea Brisbane, Australia
 Report
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 15,161
Referee: Simon Micallef (Australia)
Australia  v  Norway
25 January 1997 Australia  1–0  Norway Sydney, Australia
 Report Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 17,429
Referee: Eddie Lennie (Australia)
Macedonia  v  Australia
12 March 1997 Macedonia  0–1  Australia Skopje, Macedonia
Report Stadium: Gradski Stadion
Referee: Slavko Radulovic (Yugoslavia)
Hungary  v  Australia
2 April 1997 Hungary  1–3  Australia Budapest, Hungary
 Report
Stadium: Népstadion
Referee: Hermann Albrecht (Germany)
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
Second round
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia (H) 4 4 0 0 26 2 +24 12 Advance to final round
2  Solomon Islands 4 2 0 2 7 21 −14 6
3  Tahiti 4 1 0 3 2 12 −10 3
Source: RSSSF
(H) Hosts
Australia  v  Solomon Islands
11 June 1997 Australia  13–0  Solomon Islands Sydney, Australia
 Report Stadium: Parramatta Stadium
Attendance: 3,127
Referee: Bruce Grimshaw (New Zealand)
Australia  v  Tahiti
13 June 1997 Australia  5–0  Tahiti Sydney, Australia
 Report Stadium: Parramatta Stadium
Attendance: 2,869
Referee: Brian Precious (New Zealand)
Solomon Islands  v  Australia
17 June 1997 Solomon Islands  2–6  Australia Sydney, Australia
  • Peli 59'
  • Suri 65'
 Report
Stadium: Parramatta Stadium
Attendance: 2,122
Referee: Brian Precious (New Zealand)
Tahiti  v  Australia
19 June 1997 Tahiti  0–2  Australia Sydney, Australia
Report
Stadium: Parramatta Stadium
Attendance: 2,122
Referee: Bruce Grimshaw (New Zealand)
Final round
New Zealand  v  Australia
28 June 1997 First leg New Zealand  0–3  Australia Auckland, New Zealand
Report Stadium: North Harbour Stadium
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)
1996 OFC Nations Cup
Knockout stage
Tahiti  v  Australia
26 October 1996 Final 1st Leg Tahiti  0–6  Australia Papeete, Tahiti
Report
Stadium: Olympic Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Barry Tasker (New Zealand)
Australia  v  Tahiti
1 November 1996 Final 2nd Leg Australia  5–0
(11–0 agg.)		  Tahiti Canberra, Australia
 Report Stadium: Bruce Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Barry Tasker (New Zealand)
1996 Simba Cup
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  South Africa (C) 3 2 1 0 3 0 +3 7
2  Australia 3 2 0 1 6 2 +4 6
3  Ghana 3 1 1 1 1 2 −1 4
4  Kenya 3 0 0 3 0 6 −6 0
Source: RSSSF
(C) Champions
Australia  v  Ghana
14 September 1996 Australia  2–0  Ghana Durban, South Africa
 Report Stadium: Kings Park Stadium
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Petros Mathabela (South Africa)
South Africa  v  Australia
18 September 1996 South Africa  2–0  Australia Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Masilela 13'
  • Williams 71'
 Report Stadium: Johannesburg Athletics Stadium
Attendance: 29,000
Referee: Suleiman Gharib (Kenya)
Australia  v  Kenya
21 September 1996 Australia  4–0  Kenya Pretoria, South Africa
 Report Stadium: Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Ian McLeod (South Africa)

Women's senior

Results and fixtures

Friendlies
United States  v  Australia
4 July 1996 United States  2–1  Australia Florida, United States
 Report
Stadium: Tampa Stadium
United States  v  Australia
6 July 1996 United States  2–1  Australia Florida, United States
Report
Stadium: Pensacola Soccer Complex
Australia  v  Japan
10 July 1996 Australia  2–2  Japan Florida, United States
 Report Stadium: Fort Lauderdale Stadium
Australia  v  China
11 July 1996 Australia  0–1  China Florida, United States
Report
Australia  v  China
14 July 1996 Australia  1–2  China Florida, United States
Report Stadium: Adidas Soccer Complex
Australia  v  United States
28 February 1997 Australia  0–4  United States Melbourne, Australia
Report
Stadium: Bob Jane Stadium
Australia  v  United States
2 March 1997 Australia  1–3  United States Bathurst, Australia
 Report
Stadium: Carrington Park
Attendance: 3,228
Referee: Jenny Bray (Australia)
Australia  v  United States
5 March 1997 Australia  0–3  United States Canberra, Australia
Report
Stadium: Bruce Stadium
Attendance: 4,031
Referee: Tamm Peacock (Australia)
1997 Women's U.S. Cup
Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  United States (C, H) 3 3 0 0 15 1 +14 9
2  Italy 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 6
3  Australia 3 1 0 2 4 14 −10 3
4  Canada 3 0 0 3 3 9 −6 0
Source: RSSSF
(C) Champions; (H) Hosts
Italy  v  Australia
31 May 1997 Italy  3–0  Australia Salem, United States
 Report Stadium: Grant Field
Attendance: 2,127
United States  v  Australia
5 June 1997 United States  9–1  Australia Philadelphia, United States
 Report
Stadium: Upper Dublin High School
Attendance: 4,826
Australia  v  Canada
7 June 1997 Australia  3–2  Canada Philadelphia, United States
 Report
  • O'Neil ?'
  • Bertini ?'
 Stadium: United German Hungarian Club

Men's under-23

Results and fixtures

1996 Summer Olympics
Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  France 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Spain 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
3  Australia 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2 3
4  Saudi Arabia 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
Source: RSSSF
France  v  Australia
20 July 1996 France  2–0  Australia Miami, United States
18:30
Report Stadium: Miami Orange Bowl
Attendance: 14,322
Referee: Roberto Ruben Ruscio (Argentina)
Australia  v  Saudi Arabia
22 July 1996 Australia  2–1  Saudi Arabia Miami, United States
19:00
Report Stadium: Miami Orange Bowl
Attendance: 5,997
Referee: Esfandiar Baharmast (United States)
Spain  v  Australia
24 July 1996 Spain  3–2  Australia Miami, United States
19:00
Report
Stadium: Miami Orange Bowl
Attendance: 12,050
Referee: Hugh Dallas (Great Britain)

Men's under-20

Results and fixtures

1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
Group E
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Argentina 3 2 0 1 8 5 +3 6
3  Canada 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
4  Hungary 3 0 0 3 1 6 −5 0
Source: RSSSF
Australia  v  Canada
18 June 1997 Australia  0–0  Canada Kangar, Malaysia
20:00 Report Stadium: Utama Stadium
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Karl-Erik Nilsson (Sweden)
Hungary  v  Australia
20 June 1997 Hungary  0–1  Australia Kangar, Malaysia
17:30 Report
Stadium: Utama Stadium
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Abderrahim El Arjoun (Morocco)
Australia  v  Argentina
23 June 1997 Australia  4–3  Argentina Kangar, Malaysia
20:00
Report
Stadium: Utama Stadium
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Armand Ancion (Belgium)
Knockout stage
Australia  v  Japan
26 June 1997 Australia  0–1  Japan Kangar, Malaysia
16:30 Report Stadium: Utama Stadium
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: León Padro Borja (Mexico)
1997 OFC U-20 Championship
First round
Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 3 3 0 0 23 0 +23 9 Advance to Final
2  New Zealand 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 6
3  Fiji 3 1 0 2 5 15 −10 3 Advance to Third place play-off
4  Tahiti (H) 3 0 0 3 2 19 −17 0
Source: RSSSF
(H) Hosts
Australia  v  Fiji
4 January 1997 Australia  10–0  Fiji Tahiti
Report
Australia  v  New Zealand
6 January 1997 Australia  3–0  New Zealand Tahiti
Report
Tahiti  v  Australia
8 January 1997 Tahiti  0–10  Australia Tahiti
Report
Final
Australia  v  New Zealand
10 January 1997 Australia  2–1  New Zealand Tahiti
Report

Men's under-17

1997 OFC U-17 Championship

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 3 3 0 0 26 0 +26 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Tahiti 3 2 0 1 5 6 −1 6
3  Fiji 3 1 0 2 10 9 +1 3
4  Cook Islands 3 0 0 3 0 26 −26 0
Source: RSSSF
Australia  v  Cook Islands
15 April 1997 Australia  14–0  Cook Islands Christchurch, New Zealand
Report
Australia  v  Tahiti
17 April 1997 Australia  7–0  Tahiti Christchurch, New Zealand
Report
Fiji  v  Australia
19 April 1997 Fiji  0–5  Australia Christchurch, New Zealand
Report
Knockout stage
Australia  v  Solomon Islands
22 April 1997 Semi-finals Australia  4–0  Solomon Islands Christchurch, New Zealand
Report
New Zealand  v  Australia
25 April 1997 Final New Zealand  1–0  Australia Christchurch, New Zealand
Report

Domestic soccer

National Soccer League

[1]

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Sydney United 26 17 5 4 67 33 +34 56 Qualification for the Finals series
2 Brisbane Strikers (C) 26 15 2 9 55 40 +15 47
3 South Melbourne 26 14 4 8 39 25 +14 46
4 Adelaide City 26 11 10 5 32 22 +10 43
5 Marconi Fairfield 26 12 4 10 41 37 +4 40
6 Melbourne Knights 26 11 6 9 36 32 +4 39
7 Perth Glory 26 11 5 10 48 41 +7 38
8 West Adelaide 26 10 3 13 39 51 −12 33
9 UTS Olympic 26 8 8 10 41 46 −5 32
10 Wollongong Wolves 26 8 8 10 42 48 −6 32
11 Newcastle Breakers 26 7 9 10 40 46 −6 30
12 Gippsland Falcons 26 8 6 12 33 41 −8 30
13 Collingwood Warriors 26 6 9 11 32 44 −12 27
14 Canberra Cosmos 26 2 5 19 30 69 −39 11
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Grand Final

[2]

Brisbane Strikers2–0Sydney United
Farina 47'
Brown 69'		 Reports[3]
Attendance: 40,446
Referee: Simon Micallef

NSL Cup

[4]

Final

[5]

Collingwood Warriors1–0Marconi Fairfield
Report
Attendance: 2,327
Referee: Eddie Lennie


References

  1. ^ "1996-97 Season A-League Table". OzFootball.
  2. ^ Lutton, Phil (10 March 2011). "Strikers miracle to spur on Roar". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  3. ^ "1997 NSL Final". Oz Football. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ Esamie, Thomas. "1996/97 National Soccer League Cup". OzFootball.
  5. ^ Tuffnell, Dwyght. "NEW BOYS SHOCK ELITE". Australian Soccer Weekly. Vol. 17, no. 794. p. 3.
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