The Spanish Australian Club of Canberra is likely to cancel their community screening of the Socceroos match due to a lack of interest in a dead rubber game with a lowly ranked team.
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Spanish club treasurer Chris Lander said football has been the basis of the Narrabundah club and the Spanish community in Canberra for more than 40 years, but this alone was not enough to ensure a turn-out on Tuesday night.
“If the Australians had knocked off Holland then this would have been such a game for us but it’s turned into a bit of a fizz,” he said.
“It’s a shame because there’s a good chance the Australians could have given them a rally up as they’ve taken a lot of confidence from the game with the Dutch. If they’d scored that goal I’m sure they would have had Australia in a tail spin.”
Mr Lander said the club committee had planned to invite delegates from the Spanish embassy to the screening although these plans had been put on hold given the sudden lack of interest in the match.
A final decision will be made over the weekend although a lack of enthusiasm from the affiliated Narrabundah Football Club - which the Spanish club sponsor - means the event will likely be abandoned.
Mr Lander said he didn't blame the community at all and realised they knew the draw was not going to contribute to either the Australian or Spanish campaigns.
“It’s the exact same situation as the Blues and the Maroons next game in the State of Origin – it’s only bragging rights and if you lose then big deal,” he said.
“It’s almost like a friendly game now and for Spain it’s not really a bragging right to beat one of the lowest ranked teams in the World Cup. It’s a disappointing position we’re in because it’s a dead rubber game really”
Mr Lander said his mother-in-law has a tradition of making Spanish churros doughnuts and hot chocolate for the matches, although these plans may now be abandoned unless further interest was expressed by the community.
Back in 2008, the Spanish Club was filled with hundreds of people who cheered their national team to win the World Cup in a final against the Netherlands.
Mr Lander is still hopeful the community will rally for the event despite the 2am kick off and the poor form of the Spanish team.
“The opportunity is for the community to come down and celebration the foundational sport of the club, which is one of the very reasons we formed,” he said.
Mr Lander encouraged anyone who wished to attend the event – and sample his mother-in-law’s churros – to call the Spanish club and let them know.
