World Club Championships - Brazil 2000

South qualified for the FIFA World Club Championships in Rio de Janeiro after defeating Nadi 5-1 in the final for the Oceania region. This set up a group stage involving Vasco da Gama, Necaxa and Manchester United. Despite losing all three matches, South put up an exceptional fight and showed that Australian teams could compete with the best in the world. John Anastasiadis’ goal against Necaxa proved a highlight, as did the team’s performance against Vasco in front of over 70,000 of its fans at the Maracana Stadium.

Photos by Paul Touliatos