World Cup: World Cup helping to boost popularity of Australian soccer

It's jumpers for goalposts in parks these days as Australia catches World Cup fever and tens of thousands of youngsters switch from rugby to the round-ball game.

"Clearly we are seeing the knock-on effect from the Socceroos' success in Germany," Adelaide United spokeswoman Sharon Dobbs said.

Adelaide one of eight teams in the national league formed last year. Sales of season tickets have gone through the stadium roof since Australia played in its first World Cup finals since 1974.

The Socceroos didn't come close to winning the competition. They played four games, losing two without scoring, drawing one and winning one. But for a team that went to Germany ranked 44th in the world, getting into the last 16 was a phenomenal performance.

Kicking ball around against the likes of Brazil and Italy has done wonders for a game that didn't rate against rugby.

`really positive'

"Our membership sales are significantly in front of where they were this time last year," said Melbourne Victory's Gary Cole said. "It's been really, really positive and obviously with our new Brazilian signings and our new squad coming together there's a significantly higher interest."

Half million Australians pull on a soccer jersey at the weekends and play for a team. It's a level of participation that is higher than the rugby codes and cricket combined.

Cole predicting that local councils will soon be converting rugby pitches to soccer format as more young people vote with their feet for the round-ball game.

Australia's showing in Germany has had an immediate impact on the cash reserves of the eight league teams. Champions Sydney FC, who boast ex-Manchester United star Dwight Yorke in their lineup, are racking up record pre-season sales and courting new sponsors.

"The response has been phenomenal," chief executive Tim Parker said. "A lot of new people will have been brought in and the faithful will be flocking back."

The league competition starts up in August, when World Cup euphoria will have died down and the household names that make up the national team will be back playing in their European club sides. Only two of the 23-man Socceroos squad play in Australia's new A-League.

contrast

The contrast with rugby is stark, where a stint abroad usually comes as a swansong to a glittering career at home. The best rugby players play in Australia. The best soccer players, to a man, play in the European leagues.

How quickly that will change depends on whether the World Cup momentum can be maintained. That will depend on building an infrastructure so that the best of the kids playing in the parks can aim for a spot in an A-League team as an audition performance for the big-money jobs in Europe.

Socceroos Mark Schwarzer, who plays for English side Middlesbrough, reckons success in Germany has been the fillip the local game needs.

"It's a massive boost for the country," he said. "A lot of Australian kids thinking about another sport will want to play football now."