Let’s discuss “Will Australia Impress At The 2022 FIFA World Cup?” For almost two decades, the Socceroos have been one of the FIFA World Cup’s only constants. The likes of Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, Lucas Neill and Mark Schwartzer led their nation to Germany back in 2006, which was the country’s first World Cup in over 30 years. Their journey to the last 16 that year – where they were heartbreakingly sunk by a 95th-minute Francesco Totti penalty – began a run which has seen Australia qualify for five World Cups in a row. Online bookmakers such as Bet365, who provide betting and free offers on the World Cup, have made Brazil and France the early favourites to lift the trophy in the desert. But how far can Graham Arnold’s men go this November?
The road to Qatar
In both 2010 and 2014, the Australians automatically qualified for the tournaments in South Africa and Brazil respectively. But last time around in Russia, they had to rely on the lottery of the playoffs to seal their flights to Moscow. Captain Mile Jedinak led by example, scoring a hat-trick in front of 77,000 fans in Sydney to secure a 3-1 over Honduras and a place at football’s biggest party.
Defeats home and away to Japan, and an away defeat against Saudi Arabia consigned them to the playoffs once again this year, which brought with it a gruelling schedule, consisting of two fixtures in six days amidst temperatures of around 35 degrees in Doha. Despite the soaring temperatures, the Socceroos kept their cool. Firstly, Ajdin Hrustic bagged an 84th minute winner to seal a 2-1 victory over the UAE. Then, goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne’s heroics clinched a penalty shoot-out victory over Peru.
Another group stage exit?
Despite the upcoming competition being the fifth in a row that they have qualified for, Australia have suffered group stage exits in each of the last three tournaments. In fact, 2006 is the only time in the country’s history that they have reached the knockout stages. Admittedly they have been faced with difficult draws. Last time around they were drawn alongside eventual winners France and Euro 2020 finalists Denmark. In Brazil, they had to contend with reigning champions Spain, finalists the Netherlands, and Chile, who would win the Copa America the following year. It hasn’t been the easiest of tasks and unfortunately Qatar will be no different.
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They have once again been drawn with the Danes and Les Bleus this time around, as well as Tunisia. It will take a herculean effort if they are to progress from the group stage, and the Socceroo’s look set to be battling it out with the North Africans to avoid Group D’s dreaded wooden spoon. That is unless they receive a little help from the famed curse of the World Cup winners. Reigning champions Germany, Spain and Italy have all exited at the group stages in recent tournaments and Didier Deschamps’ men will have to navigate that potential banana skin before they can think about becoming the first team to retain the trophy in 60 years.
What could await in the knockout stage?
Sometimes, the draw just opens up kindly for someone. In 2018, England famously lost their final group game to Belgium which secured them a favourable route through the knockout stages. At the final four stages, any one of the aforementioned Three Lions, Sweden, Russia and Croatia were going to be World Cup finalists, an unthinkable prospect when the tournament began. Should Australia somehow manoeuvre their way into the last 16, the draw may just open up for them too.
If they were to finish as runners-up in their group, a second-round tussle with Lionel Messi’s Argentina would await. Should they somehow win the group, it would likely be Mexico or Poland, before a potential quarter-final against Gareth Southgate’s England. Admittedly that does sound like an unlikely scenario, but football’s greatest stage always has the ability to shock, and Graham Arnold must ensure that his team is primed and ready to take opportunities that may come their way.
