Socceroos

2022 - 3 - 24

Australia v Japan - Australia vs Japan - australia japan - socceroos vs japan

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Socceroos"

What's next for the Socceroos? (Socceroos)

The Socceroos may have missed out on automatic qualification for the FIFA World Cup, but it is not the end of the line. The journey continues in June, ...

While Australia will be playing for one of the three undecided places at the FIFA World Cup in June, the draw will be revealed on Friday, April 1. That will also be a one-off match played in Qatar, with the winner securing their place in the FIFA World Cup. The match will be held in Qatar, Doha on Tuesday, 7 June, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental play-off.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold defends choices after Australia's ... (ABC News)

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has defended his choices during his team's key World Cup loss to Japan — a defeat that forces Australia to go through the ...

But we've got to brush the dust off and get ourselves ready. They're going to learn a lot from the experience," Arnold said. We did that in 2018 [and qualified for the World Cup] and we've just got to move forward."

Why Football Australia must consider Socceroos coaching change ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

The question for Football Australia after Thursday night's sobering 2-0 defeat to Japan is: can Graham Arnold take this team any further?

And even if they did, it might not work out any better. That’s all on the horizon. Sure, the Socceroos were heavily depleted against Japan. And yes, Japan are clearly a better side - but this isn’t exactly a vintage Samurai Blue outfit, either. Had those been wins, it would still be all to play for on Wednesday morning (AEDT) in Jeddah. The Socceroos are a team in crisis. His wedding is actually next week.

Japan show up poor Socceroos' failings (The Singleton Argus)

Australia's hopes of automatic qualification for the World Cup in Qatar have ended with a whimper while their...

The Socceroos are in a state of paralysis. Australian football has a ... (The Guardian)

World Cup qualifying defeat to Japan in Sydney should prompt a period of introspection centred around youth development.

This problem is evident at all levels of the domestic game but it is the most perceptible at the top of the inverted pyramid. Before that is even a consideration Australia must beat the other third-placed team from Group A in a sudden-death playoff. The FFA Centre of Excellence, a talent factory for the golden generation, has long been shut down. And perhaps this is not an entirely irrelevant lens through which to consider the Socceroos’ predicament – a mortifying mess which is also confusing because this team which symbolises so much to so many people now looks like bric-a-brac of a past era. This online conversation would barely register for the many Australians who tune in only to watch the national team play the big games – the matches trumpeted as those that matter. There is a special corner of Twitter which spends much of its time lamenting the flaws of football in this country.

Youngsters' brutal baptism of fire as Socceroos flop across the park ... (Fox Sports)

From front to back, the Socceroos were woefully outplayed and found wanting by a slick Japanese in a 2-0 defeat that ended Australia's hopes of ...

Was never going to break the game open, but did his job and stemmed the bleeding. Had rare moments of magic, with two in as many minutes to start the second half. Showed plenty of intent with the ball at his feet, always looking to attack the opposition. Duke was handed an opportunity that appeared tailor-made for the striker who plies his trade in Japan’s second tier, when a Hrustic cross found him unmarked in the box. Brought in as a target for long lofted balls, the hardworking veteran struggled to have any real impact on the game despite throwing his weight around. Was swamped in midfield, regularly giving up the ball in bad positions – though that was also due to the lack of movement around him. Was woefully misused as a second striker, particularly in the first half. Stopped a goal with a diving block on the line. Improved in the second half when Jeggo joined him. Had a torrid time of it as Australia’s midfield was overrun and Japan’s wingers ran at him – or around him – time and again. Deserves a spray for his poor defending of the two goals. On another day he could have picked the ball out the back of the net five or six times, had Japan been more clinical.

Socceroos wait to learn play-off opponents (The West Australian)

Australia still don't know who their opponents will be in the World Cup Asian play-off tie after Iraq's win over UAE only raised more question marks.

The Saudis weren't able to celebrate it in Sharjah later on Thursday by beating China and they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Even if Australia were to win their June playoff, they would then have to play the fifth-placed side in the South American group in an intercontinental playoff. But Iraq won 1-0 in the neutral venue of Riyadh, courtesy of Hussein Ali's 53rd-minute winner, to leave the play-off place in Group A up in the air again.