The Socceroos’ run can only be viewed as a resounding success story. Just before we’re ready to move on, Kyle Robbins recaps an absolute whirlwind two weeks.
There is an Ange Postecoglou speech from his time as the Socceroos head coach where, in no uncertain terms, the Celtic manager tells his players he wants the country to talk about football. To talk about “our game.”
For two weeks, Graham Arnold’s men achieved this. Federation Square bounced like the Stade Velodrome, Australian media dropped the football vendetta, and fans from all codes paused their lives for 90 minutes to ride the historic Socceroos wave.
Deservedly so, the Socceroos became the hottest property in Australian sport.
In the end, their efforts fell just short of an unprecedented quarter-final berth. A Mat Ryan error, Emi Martinez save, Lisandro Martinez block, and sublime overall performance from Argentina’s little magician, Lionel Messi, culminated to an Albiceleste victory. Yet, defeat brought pride. Immense pride. The country, united under the Socceroos banner, exited the many homes, pubs, and live sites around the country with their chests puffed out, heads held a little higher than a fortnight earlier when reigning world champions, France, put Australia to the sword in a clinical display which incited Royal Commission levels of inquiry into Graham Arnold’s tactical aptitude and Australia’s right-back problems.
To say the Socceroos exceeded expectations could be the understatement of the decade. Drawn into a group with the French, European championship semi-finalists Denmark, and a Tunisia side which went to the quarter finals of this year’s AFCON, Australian progression beyond the group was written off, brandished a pipedream by pundits and fans abroad and at home. In fact, an Australian victory was seen as near-on impossible, especially considering the Socceroos’ four years earlier in Russia.
What transpired is utterly extraordinary. Not only did Graham Arnold inspire his players to recover from an opening matchday drubbing at the hands of Kylian Mbappe and the frightening French, but he took them to a first World Cup victory in 12 years – 1-0 against Tunisia in front of approximately 1.7 million tv’s – and crucially achieved the same scoreline and result four days later against Denmark.
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For the first time ever, Australia won back-to-back matches at football’s peak tournament. For the first time ever, Australia scored goals in all three group games. For the first time since 1974, Australia kept a World Cup clean sheet.
For the second time ever, Australia advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup and anyone who claims to have forecast such an outcome for the Socceroos is a liar or an oracle.
The reality is expectations were low for Graham Arnold’s side heading to Qatar. Having qualified by the skin of their teeth, drawn against (on paper) two of the ten best sides in the world, it was understandable to see why knockout advancement was seen as a Herculean task for a squad of mortals. Yet, it was a feat achieved, capturing the hearts and imagination of domestic and international football fans.
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Based on this evidence, it is safe to say the Socceroos’ monumental World Cup exponentially exceeded expectations. To secure a single victory would have done so. To score a single open play goal would have done that. But to win twice, keep two clean sheets, defeat the 10th ranked side in the world, score four goals from open play, and take the South American champions to the death in the round of 16 hangs the 2022 campaign alongside the 2006 version as the greatest in Australian history.
The Socceroos’ resilience throughout the campaign is to be admired. Against Tunisia and Denmark, Australia’s defensive resoluteness was astounding. Ball after ball was thrust into their box, each time met with a repelling head, foot, or glove to preserve the necessary clean sheet.
On top of this, Australia’s three group game goals were brilliantly constructed within their own right. Craig Goodwin’s opener against France was a by-product of a delicate long-ball from Harry Souttar. Mitch Duke’s excellent header that downed Tunisia created by the striker’s deft touch in build-up. Matt Leckie’s knockout clinching strike against Denmark produced by a swift, effective counterattack and finished beautifully by the Melbourne City winger, turning impressive Danish Atalanta wing-back Joakim Maehle to create the goal.
Qatar has been a resounding success. The Socceroos overperformed on just about every key metric, produced the best World Cup campaign in 16 years and provided a much-needed gust in Football Australia’s sails.
Post-game, Graham Arnold said “I hope that everyone back in Australia really respects what we’ve done and are proud of us as well.”
It’s safe to say they have.
