Australia men's national soccer B team

Australia B
Association	Football Australia
Most caps	Jim Patikas (9)
Top scorer	Doug Brown (2)
FIFA code	AUS
First colours	Second colours
First international
	Australia B 0–0 Rangers ; (Melbourne, Australia; 27 May 1984)
Biggest win
	Australia B 2–0 China ; (Canberra, Australia; 23 September 1985)
Biggest defeat
	Australia B 4–0 Rangers ; (Newcastle, Australia; 7 June 1984)

Last updated April 22, 2025

Australia B is a secondary soccer team occasionally as support for the Australia national soccer team. The team has only ever played nine matches; winning one, drawing six, and losing two. It has been inactive since 1985.

Concept and history

The national B team was designed to give games to players who were being considered for call-up to the full national squad. Generally, the team played in friendly matches against other international B teams or club sides.

Australia B were one of several teams which entered a "World Series" held in Australia in 1984, which included Rangers, Juventus, Australia A, Nottingham Forest and Iraklis. They were coached in the tournament by Eddie Thomson ^[1]

In 1985, Australia B played two games against China in the leadup to the 1987 Ampol Cup between China and Australia. They were coached by John Margaritis in both games.^[2]

In 2007, then-Australia coach Graham Arnold, himself a former B international, flagged the idea of reviving the national B team.^[3]

Statistics

Results and fixtures

1984

27 May	Australia B	0–0	Rangers	Melbourne, Australia
		^[4]		Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Jim Fearn (Australia)

31 May	Australia B	1–2	Rangers	Brisbane, Australia
	Egan 38'		Clark 43' Ferguson 74'	Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,257 Referee: Bill Monteverde (Australia)

5 June	Australia B	1–1	Rangers	Adelaide, Australia
	McCulloch 30'		McClelland 32'	Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Jim Rossis (Australia)

7 June	Australia B	2–4	Rangers	Newcastle, Australia
	Blair 18' Brown 85' (pen.)		Paterson 19' Burns 67' McCoist 75' Cooper 78'	Stadium: Adamstown Oval Attendance: 6,292 Referee: Jim Reeves (Australia)

11 June	Australia B	0–0	Nottingham Forest	Sydney, Australia
				Stadium: Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Garry Power (Australia)

13 June	Australia B	0–0	Iraklis	Brisbane, Australia
				Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Alan Kibbler (Australia)

17 June	Australia B	1–1	Iraklis	Melbourne, Australia
	Brown 67' (pen.)	Report	Papadopoulos	Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 18,732 Referee: Spiers (Australia)

1985

23 September	Australia B	2–0	China	Queanbeyan, Australia
	Petersen 50' Wade 72'			Stadium: Seiffert Oval Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Richard Lorenc (Australia)

25 September	Australia B	1–1	China	Sydney, Australia
	Arnold 76'		Ma 28'	Stadium: St George Stadium Attendance: 1,530 Referee: Garry Power (Australia)

Historical statistics

Highest attendance: 18,300 vs. Iraklis at Melbourne.
Biggest victory: 2–0 vs. China , 23 September 1985 at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
Heaviest defeat: 2–4 vs. Rangers, 7 June 1984 at Adamstown Oval, Newcastle

Player records

Most appearances

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Years
1	Jim Patikas	9	0	1984–1985
2	Steve Blair	7	1	1984
	Tony Henderson	7	0	1984
	Mike O'Shea	7	0	1984
5	Charlie Egan	6	1	1984
	Peter Katholos	6	0	1984
	Peter Lewis	6	0	1984
	Richard Miranda	6	0	1984–1985
	John O'Shea	6	0	1984

Goalscorers

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Years
1	Doug Brown	5	2	1984
2	Graham Arnold	2	1	1985
	Steve Blair	7	1	1984
	Charlie Egan	6	1	1984
	Tom McCulloch	3	1	1984–1985
	Mike Petersen	2	1	1985
	Paul Wade	2	1	1985

Managers

Eddie Thomson 1984
John Margaritis 1985

References

↑ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1984". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
↑ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1985". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
↑ Cockerill, Michael (17 March 2017). "Arnold's plan B: Socceroos seconds to nurture the next generation of stars". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 26 May 2020.
↑ "Franken earns Australia draw". Sydney Morning Herald . 28 May 1984. p. 33.

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[1] Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1984". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.

[2] Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1985". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.

[3] Cockerill, Michael (17 March 2017). "Arnold's plan B: Socceroos seconds to nurture the next generation of stars". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 26 May 2020.

[4] "Franken earns Australia draw". Sydney Morning Herald . 28 May 1984. p. 33.

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