vote

Both fantastic episodes. I chose Australia, though Homer's hatred of New York is perfect.

The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson

At Moe's Tavern, Moe informs Homer and his friends that one of them must be a designated driver, and Barney loses the choosing draw. After Barney drives the drunken men home in Homer's car, Homer allows him to use it to drive himself home, expecting Barney to return it the following morning. In his distressed state, Barney disappears with the car. Two months later, Barney returns to Moe's Tavern, unable to recall where he left the car. Homer later receives a letter from the New York City government, which informs him that his car has been found parked in the World Trade Center plaza. Homer reveals to the family that he had once been to New York before when he was 17 years old and had a horrible experience. Marge and the children persuade Homer to go retrieve the car and he reluctantly agrees.

When the family arrives in Manhattan, they decide to split up. Upon arrival at his car, Homer discovers it has been issued many parking tickets and has been wheel clamped. While waiting for a parking officer to come remove the clamp, Homer drinks an excessive amount of crab juice from a food vendor and needs to urinate, but is afraid to leave his car behind. After several hours of holding it in, he finally goes to the restroom at the South Tower's indoor observation deck, but discovers that it is out of order and must use the one at the top of the North Tower. While he is doing that, the officer arrives at the car and finding no one present, issues another ticket and leaves; Homer's subsequent "D'oh!" echoes across the city. Meanwhile, the rest of the family tours the Statue of Liberty, Little Italy, China Town and the Empire State Building. Bart leaves the group to visit the offices of Mad magazine, and is in awe when he sees Alfred E. Neuman. The family attends a Broadway musical about the Betty Ford Clinic, and then take a carriage through Central Park to where they are planning to meet Homer.

Upon returning to the car, Homer realizes he must make it to Central Park to find his family and leave. Ignoring the wheel clamp, he tries to accelerate and in the process destroys the car's fender. Homer stops by a road construction crew and steals a jackhammer so he can use it to remove the clamp. The car is free from the clamp, but further damaged as a result. Homer flees after being shot at for stopping traffic, then races to Central Park, and reunites with his family. While driving back to Springfield, the family reflects on their wonderful time, while Homer's hatred for New York remains.


Bart vs. Australia

While in the bathroom, Bart notices that the water in the sink always drains counterclockwise. Lisa explains (not entirely correctly) that the water never drains the other way except in the southern hemisphere, due to the Coriolis effect, but Bart does not believe her. To confirm this, Bart makes phone calls to various countries in the southern hemisphere. Lisa points out how expensive international calls are, so Bart decides to make a collect call instead. He calls Australia, where a little boy answers the phone. Pretending to represent the "International Drainage Commission", Bart is informed that the toilet and sink are both draining clockwise. Frustrated, Bart asks him to go and check the toilets of the neighbors. The call takes six hours to complete, since the boy lives in the outback, and Bart forgets to hang up the phone. Later, the boy's father is billed A$900 (referred to as "dollarydoos"). The father calls Bart and demands that he pay, but Bart only taunts him. Unfortunately for Bart, the father's neighbour is a federal Member of Parliament, who reports Bart's offense to the Prime Minister—who is relaxing naked in a nearby pond.

After a long series of ignored letters, Australia indicts Bart for fraud. The United States Department of State wants to send him to prison in order to placate the Australian government, but Marge furiously objects to this idea. The State Department then settles on having Bart publicly apologize in Australia. The family is sent to Australia and they stay in the American Embassy, which is fitted with all the comforts of their home country, including a specially modified toilet that overcomes an exaggerated Coriolis effect. Then they start exploring the local culture.

After Bart makes his apology, the Parliament reveals that they want to give him the additional punishment of a "booting", which is a kick in the buttocks using a giant boot. Bart and Homer escape and the family flees to the American Embassy. After a prolonged standoff, the two governments propose a compromise to the Simpson family: one kick from the Prime Minister, through the gate of the embassy, with a regular shoe, believed to be a wingtip. Marge is opposed to the idea, but Bart agrees. However, Bart dodges the kick, moons the Australians with the words "don't tread on me" written on his buttocks, then hums "The Star-Spangled Banner". In a scene reminiscent of the Fall of Saigon the Simpson family flees the outraged country in a helicopter. Looking down on Australia, they see that bullfrogs have begun to overpopulate and destroy the Australian ecosystem, due to a bullfrog Bart left earlier at the airport. Viewing the devastation, the family remark upon the destruction that can be caused by introducing a foreign species into a new environment, and laugh at the Australians' misfortune, unaware that a koala is hanging onto the helicopter. The camera zooms in on the koala, ending with a close-up of its eye, implying that America will face a similar fate as Australia.

bart v australia. That's another potential top 20

City of NY vs Homer Simpson, but it's a tough one.

I love the gag in the NY episode where Marge is excited about all of the 2nd-tier NYC landmarks.

But my vote goes to Bart vs. Australia.

This matchup should not be in the first round.

No pizza, only khlav kalash.

I'll take a crab juice.

stip: in the bracket, these are actually listed as facing two different episodes (NYC vs. Homer's Night Out; Australia vs. Lisa's Sax). Just a boo-boo?

let's scrap this one and let them meet later down the road

...they probably would've met in the 2nd round.