1 / 10

Australia 1 Uruguay 2 - 61,795 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, June 2, 2007
A clash with Uruguay is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and something to keep in mind for those times when the FFA needs to top up the petty cash. Missing seven of their regular line-up, the Socceroos got off to a dream start with a scrambled goal from Mile Sterjovski in the seventh minute. Diego Forlan equalised five minutes from half time and a draw seemed like a fair result. But this game was memorable for the 77th howler from Brad Jones on his international debut. The then-Middlesbrough goalkeeper flapped at a high cross, opening the door for Alvaro Recoba to clinch Uruguay’s first win in Australia in five matches. Perhaps it was an omen of things to come. A month later, and with much fanfare, coach Graham Arnold and the Socceroos embarked on their ill-fated first tilt at the Asian Cup.

2 / 10

Australia 0 China 1 - 70,054 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, June 22, 2008
Two years after Germany 2006, the Socceroos showed they could still pull a crowd. The Aussies were through to the next round of World Cup qualifiers with a game in hand and rested some big names. So, Generation Next was trotted out with one eye on the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Coach Pim Verbeek brought in the likes of Neil Kilkenny, Stuart Musialik, Kristian Sarkies and David Williams. China, whose campaign was already over, sealed the win in the 12th minute thanks to a 20-metre bullet from Sun Xiang.

3 / 10

Australia 0 Argentima 1 - 70,171 at the MCG, Melbourne, September 11, 2007
Remember the days when David Carney seemed like the answer to our leftback woes? MIA of late, the former Sydney FC player had a blinder on this spring night back in 2007. It was a game riddled with subtext. Freakishly gifted Lionel Messi took to the field, Australia farewelled veteran midfielder Josip Skoko and Graham Arnold was preparing to hand over the reins to new boss Dick Advocaat (and we all know how that ended). Plenty of reason to draw a big crowd and the fans didn’t disappoint. An unmarked Martin Demichelis put the under-strength Aussie outfit to the sword in the 49th minute, heading the ball in off the far post. That aside, the performances of Mark Bresciano, Vince Grella and Tim Cahill – and the promise shown by towering forward Josh Kennedy – gave every impression of bigger and better things to come.

4 / 10

Australia 2 Brazil 2 - 70,795 at the MCG, Melbourne, November 17, 1999
The two-match series against the boys from Brazil marked the start of Frank Farina’s reign as Socceroos coach. The Aussies were downed 2-0 in front of 50,000 plus people in Sydney but three days later a much bigger crowd was drawn to the MCG to help the side to a 2-2 draw with the samba kings. Paul Agostino got the home side off to a flyer with a brace (11’ and 60’) but the World Cup veterans stormed back with goals to Ronaldinho (74’) and Fabio Junior (86’).

5 / 10

Australia 2 Japan 1 - 74,100 at the MCG, Melbourne, June 17, 2009
Yet another epic battle between two fierce rivals who had nothing to play for but bragging rights. Both teams had already punched their tickets for the 2010 World Cup but it was the Aussies who emerged top of the qualification pile. Snatched straight from the files of “you can’t write this” Tim Cahill’s brace (59’ and 76’) brought the place down, evoking memories of the player’s heroic turn in Kaiserslautern and ensuring the battle cry “CAAAAHILLLL” remains forever seared in the Japanese consciousness. Tulio Tanaka’s 40th minute strike ended Mark Schwarzer’s streak of seven clean sheets but that was no consolation in the face of another Aussie comeback.

6 / 10

Australia 1 Uruguay 0 - 82,698 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, November 16, 2005
What’s left to write about this match? One of those “where were you when” moments. Game-changing, history-making, nation-defining – and not a bad party! A no holds barred, all or nothing, white knuckle roller coaster ride, and that was just in the stands. This was the game that lanced the boil of a thousand years of football frustration (okay 32 but it felt longer). Guus Hiddink’s inspired substitution, Harry Kewell’s miskick, Mark Bresciano’s goal, Mark Schwarzer’s double save and John Aloisi’s penalty which catapulted the Socceroos back on the World Cup stage for the first time since 1974 and sent the crowd of green and gold into a frenzy of exhilaration. But you knew that.

7 / 10

Australia 1 Uruguay 0 - 84,656 at the MCG, Melbourne, November 20, 2001
Four years before the Aussies defeated Uruguay to qualify for the Germany 2006, the two nations put it all on the line in another World Cup play-off. This time though there was to be no iconic sporting moment for fans of the green and gold. Farina’s men took a 1-0 advantage to Montevideo thanks to a 79 minute Kevin Muscat penalty after Paul Agostino was fouled in the area but it was all downhill from there. Both teams had their chances in the second leg but it was La Celeste that took them, winning the playoff 3-1 on aggregate and dooming the Socceroos to another four years in World Cup wilderness.

8 / 10

Australia 2 Iran 2 - 85,022 at the MCG, Melbourne, November 29, 1997
We’re reluctant to even go here without some serious medication. One of Australian football’s car crash moments, witnessed by a then-record crowd which was left mentally shattered by the whole gut-churning experience. After a 1-1 draw in Tehran the Aussies returned home for the second leg where a first half goal from Harry Kewell and a second half salvo from Aurelio Vidmar had the Socceroos well on the road to France 1998. But before you could say pass me that baguette, serial pest Peter Hore crashed our World Cup party. It took just 20-minutes for the game to unravel and a horror of Stephen King proportions gripped the nation. The break in play allowed the Iranians to regroup and the Aussies failed to respond. Two late goals to Khodadad Azizi and Karim Bagheri proved once and for all that football fans really are the playthings of the gods.

9 / 10

Australia 3 World Stars 2 - 82,698 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, June 12, 1999
Billed as the official opening act to the Olympic Stadium ahead of the Sydney 2000 games, the pitch had already been subjected to the Bee Gees and a rugby league double header. The match was memorable for a number of reasons – not least of which was that most of the big names begged off at the last minute. In the end it was not so much a Who’s Who but Who? of world football. To be fair the visiting roster did include Christian Vieri – at that time the game’s most expensive player – and one Jurgen Klinsmann. Coach Roy Hodgson was apparently in talks for the Socceroos job at the time. This was the biggest football crowd ever pulled in the country (at that point). The real stars of the night were the Socceroos and goals to Ned Zelic (46’) and Brett Emerton (57’) sealed the deal with some help from an own goal by Chilean defender Javier Margas. Swiss international Murat Yakin got the World Stars off to a fast start in the 9th and Kiwi Wynton Rufer clawed one back 80 minutes later.

10 / 10

Australia 1 Greece 0 - 95,103 at the MCG, Melbourne, May 25, 2006
Hard to see this mega-record being broken any time soon. Still flying high on the euphoric vapours of World Cup qualification, fans packed into the MCG for a farewell blockbuster to the Germany-bound Socceroos. It was a dominant performance that gave supporters plenty of hope for what lay ahead. Bar some poor finishing, Guus Hiddink’s men might have ramped up the scoreline against the 2004 European champions who had no punch up front...but What. A. Crowd.