No more Matildas or Socceroos blockbuster matches if top teams won’t make the trip | Jack Snape

The pressure is on Football Australia to sustain interest in the national sides but luring elite opposition to play friendlies at home is ‘bloody difficult’

The memories flow freely: John Aloisi’s penalty, James Troisi’s Asian Cup winning-goal. There was Mile Jedinak’s hat-trick against Honduras, the wiggling Andrew Redmayne against Peru. Cortnee Vine from the spot, or Sam Kerr’s World Cup semi-final goal.

Unfortunately, this era – of unmissable football blockbusters played in front of packed Australian stadiums that brought a nation together – is now at an end.