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The Socceroos certified for his or her fifth consecutive World Cup, however face an uphill battle in Group D.
Earlier World Cup appearances: 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Titles: 0
Finest end: Spherical of 16 (2006)
World Cup file: W2 D2 L10
Objectives: 13
Largest win: 3-1 vs Japan (2006)
Participant to look at: Ajdin Hrustic (if he’s not injured)
Present rating: 38
Fixtures: France (November 22), Tunisia (November 26), Denmark (November 30)
Australians historically desire Aussie guidelines soccer, rugby or cricket over conventional soccer – or “soccer” as it’s identified down below.
Nonetheless, sports activities followers throughout the nation have embraced the Socceroos in the course of the previous twenty years, because of a golden era of gamers and 4 consecutive World Cup appearances.
This 12 months’s event might be no completely different, however expectations may have been tempered after drawing France, Denmark and Tunisia, nearly a replica of their 2018 World Cup group, which included Peru as an alternative of Tunisia and noticed the Socceroos exit on the group phases with a solitary level.
The golden era
The Socceroos first certified for the World Cup in 1974 with a staff made up of beginner footballers and crashed out of the event, having solely scored one personal objective.
It will take 32 years for the nation to achieve one other World Cup when the nation’s golden era, which included Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill, lastly secured a spot on the 2006 event in Germany.
This time they received off to a flying begin, defeating Japan 3-1 within the opening recreation. After a loss to Brazil and a draw in opposition to Croatia, the Socceroos certified for the spherical of 16, the place they had been narrowly overwhelmed 1-0 by the event’s eventual winner, Italy.
Australia would qualify for the following three tournaments however fail to make it previous the group stage. As a substitute, their most memorable second would are available in a triumphant 2015 AFC Asian Cup marketing campaign.
Greater than 76,000 folks packed the Stadium Australia in Sydney to witness an exciting last that noticed South Korea rating a last-minute equaliser to take it to further time earlier than James Troisi popped up within the one hundred and fifth minute to attain the winner and despatched the house crowd into raptures.
The present supervisor, Graham Arnold, took over in 2018 and led the staff by way of a collection of lacklustre performances within the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Nevertheless, redemption got here for the Sydney-born supervisor as Australia certified for his or her sixth World Cup by way of a powerful qualification marketing campaign which noticed them beat UAE and Peru within the playoffs.
Balanced squad
This Australian staff could lack family names in its World Cup squad, however they create an thrilling steadiness of skilled and younger expertise.
In objective, Australia can depend on the regular arms of Mathew Ryan, the previous Brighton and Hove goalkeeper who at present plies his commerce at Danish facet FC Copenhagen.
In defence, Trent Sainsbury is a shoo-in for the centre-back place. The journeyman defender, who at present performs for Al-Wakrah in Qatar, made a reputation for himself within the Dutch Eredivisie and has been capped greater than 50 occasions for his nation.
It’s in midfield that Arnold might want to make some laborious choices with a number of gamers competing for related positions. Aaron Mooy has impressed in performances for Celtic this season within the quantity 8 position, the place his creativity and sharp passing have resulted in a number of assists.
Mooy was to be joined by Ajdin Hrustic, however he’s now a doubt for the event because of damage.
Up entrance, the pacey Mathew Leckie will most definitely be deployed on the wings. The 31-year-old not too long ago returned to Melbourne Metropolis after a decade in Germany.
Leckie could also be joined up entrance by Garang Kuol, an 18-year-old wonderkid who got here to Australia together with his Sudanese household from Egypt as a refugee and not too long ago signed for Newcastle United.
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