Queensland "again missed out on hosting the Socceroos," according to Marco Monteverde of the Brisbane COURIER-MAIL. Football Federation Australia will announce as early as Thursday that Sydney’s ANZ Stadium "will host the second-leg of the World Cup playoff between the Socceroos and Syria" on Oct. 10. The winner of that Asian Football Confederation match "will progress to another two-legged playoff," this time against the fourth-placed CONCACAF nation, in November for a place at next year’s World Cup. While Suncorp Stadium at this stage "remains an option to host that match should Australia overcome Syria," Rugby League World Cup commitments and Brisbane Roar A-League home games "could hurt its chances." Brisbane has not hosted a FIFA World Cup qualifier since June '12. Since then, the Socceroos have played 12 World Cup qualifiers in Australia -- four in Sydney, three in Melbourne, two apiece in Perth and Adelaide and one in Canberra. The absence of World Cup qualifiers for more than five years has "angered" Queensland supporters, who have "often directed their rage at FFA" and Tourism & Events Queensland. FFA is "often accused of snubbing Queensland," while TEQ is criticized for "failing to throw the necessary dollars needed to bring the Socceroos to Brisbane" (COURIER-MAIL, 9/6).
