{"id":2018,"date":"2026-06-13T16:09:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T16:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2026-06-13T16:09:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T16:09:46","slug":"kurtenbach-layers-grit-and-vegemite-the-alameda-aussies-are-the-east-bays-world-cup-sidepiece-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2018","title":{"rendered":"Kurtenbach: Layers, grit, and Vegemite\u00a0\u2014 the ‘Alameda Aussies’ are the East Bay’s World Cup sidepiece team"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALAMEDA \u2014 The Australian World Cup team carried a rare distinction amongst their peers earlier this week.<\/p>

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Yes, they might have been the only team preparing for the tournament who needed light jackets \u2014 perhaps even a sweatshirt \u2014 to practice.<\/p>\n

The refrain of the day for the Aussies: \u201cIt\u2019s supposed to be summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing makes you a true Bay Area team like having to figure out your layers in June.<\/p>\n

It is, in fact, summer, and as such, the every-four-year spectacle, the World Cup, will kick off this week. And with it, soccer\u2019s most wonderful spectacle \u2014\u00a039 days of insane skill and incredible intrigue, all taking place in our backyard.<\/p>\n

And while I\u2019m certain we\u2019re all rooting for home countries \u2014 be that Team USA, Mexico, or somewhere else on the globe \u2014 may I recommend that you pick up a second team for this tournament; a little sidepiece, if you will:<\/p>\n

The Alameda Aussies.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Soccerroos (what a nickname) are playing in my backyard, training at the Raiders\u2019 former facility, now home of the second-division Oakland Roots soccer team, and staying at the Claremont in the Berkeley Hills.<\/p>

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I even rode my bike to practice, flanked by light-pole banners that said \u201cAlameda Celebrates World Soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n

(I\u2019m sure FIFA would be extremely litigious about using \u201cWorld Cup.\u201d)<\/p>\n

Sure, the East Bay might not have a top-flight professional sports team anymore. The A\u2019s? Barnstorming their way around minor-league parks. The Raiders? Long gone to the desert. The Warriors? Sipping wine across the bridge.<\/p>\n

But you know what Sacramento, Las Vegas, and San Francisco don\u2019t have?<\/p>

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A World Cup soccer team training facility.<\/p>\n

Is it bizarre to see a tub of Vegemite and some Allen\u2019s Minties next to Raiders wall art the team decided not to take with them (there\u2019s a lot of it)? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

But we take the wins where we can get \u2019em, folks.<\/p>\n

The Aussies, who open their tournament against Turkey tonight in Vancouver, are saying all the nice things you\u2019d like to hear about their time in the East Bay. Good job hosting, everybody. And, of course, they love the weather, especially compared to the alternatives \u2014 England is out here training with palm coolers to battle the heat and humidity in South Florida; Spain, for some reason, is in Chattanooga, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

(Who booked that? Probably the same travel agent who thought the A\u2019s playing in Sacramento in the summer was a good idea.)<\/p>\n

And while the Aussies will go up against the U.S. on June 19 in Seattle, they, unlike the Yanks, also have a game scheduled at Levi\u2019s Stadium. There\u2019s an argument that they\u2019re the region\u2019s premier attraction this World Cup.<\/p>\n

Now, the sell job for the team on the field. This is a likable operation:<\/p>\n

The Aussies carry so many characteristics of past USMNT teams \u2014 they\u2019re a sum-of-its-parts operation that\u2019s tough at all three levels.<\/p>\n

And like those past USMNT teams, they consistently get results that are beyond original expectations. They might lack international superstars, but they consistently punch above their weight.<\/p>

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Four years ago, they made a thrilling run to the Round of 16. They even gave eventual champion Argentina a massive scare.<\/p>\n

Historically, Australia makes World Cup qualifying a dramatic, high-stakes affair \u2014 they carry that battle-tested temperament into play.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see how they do in this World Cup because they cruised through qualifying this time around.<\/p>\n

The defense is this team\u2019s calling card, but don\u2019t hold that against them. Anchored by Alessandro Circati, a highly rated 22-year-old playing in Italy\u2019s Serie A, and Harry Souttar, the defensive hero from their last World Cup run, the backline is out to crunch some bones.<\/p>\n

Behind them is Maty Ryan, continuing Australia\u2019s proud, stubborn legacy of brick-wall goalkeeping.<\/p>\n