Socceroos

It's believed FA considered alternative options but ultimately deemed the best course of action was to stick with Graham Arnold.

But where the Socceroos only missed out on automatic qualification on goal difference under Postecoglou, this time, Australia were seven points adrift of the top two positions, and only one point clear of fourth-placed Oman, who they drew 2-2 with in February in a critical slip-up. “By confirming that Graham will remain head coach of the Socceroos until the completion of our FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign, it enables Graham, his support staff and the playing group to move forward with certainty, and without delay, to ensure the best possible preparation for the next phase of qualification.” “The board of Football Australia believed it was important that we provided a stable environment and to get on with planning for the play-off phase given the very short turnaround,” FA chairman Chris Nikou said.

Football Australia has given its backing to the under-fire Socceroos coach, who will remain in charge until the end of the 2022 World Cup qualification ...

Australia’s hopes of automatically qualifying for the 2022 World Cup were ended with a 2-0 home defeat to Japan last week, rendering their final Group B match against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday a dead rubber. “As we have done throughout the campaign, we will work closely with Graham to ensure the team has the necessary resources, support and the approach required to achieve the best possible outcome and ultimately qualification to our fifth consecutive Fifth World Cup.” “By confirming that Graham will remain head coach of the Socceroos until the completion of our Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign, it enables Graham, his support staff and the playing group to move forward with certainty, and without delay, to ensure the best possible preparation for the next phase of qualification.”

Graham Arnold made a host of changes from Thursday's clash with Japan, as Bruno Fornaroli and Nathaniel Atkinson earned starting debuts for Australia while Nick ...

However, a lengthy VAR check at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium ruled out what would have been Boyle's sixth goal in Green and Gold. The match against the UAE will be broadcast live and free in Australia on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Play. After applying plenty of pressure in the first half, Martin Boyle thought he had netted his sixth goal in Green and Gold, but the Scottish-born-Australian was eventually ruled slightly offside in the build-up.

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In one of the best moments of the game, he fooled the defender as he cut inside onto his right foot and unleashed a scorching, swerving attempt on goal – but it went to the keeper, where a metre either side it would have found the net. That was to be his only touch in the penalty area. As Australia fell flat in the latter stages, Tilio did little to inspire a revival. Missed Australia’s best chance in the opening quarter of an hour when he scuffed his shot wide from eight yards out and directly in front of goal. On another day that could have been a goal, and he could well have picked up an assist for a perfect cross to Mabil early on. Is he the answer to Australia’s problems in attack? Facing two of the best sides in Asia in his first two internationals was always going to be a significant step up from domestic football, and Stensness hasn’t yet improved his performances to match the required level. Kept Australia in the game with some exceptional saves at the death, while his distribution was exceptional – particularly a raking long ball to Ajdin Hrustic in the first half that started a dangerous counter-attack. Faced an extremely difficult test in trying to contain Salem Al-Dawsari and did a more than reasonable job in the first half. Hrustic was extremely unlucky to miss out on the assist for Boyle’s overturned goal. Particularly notable was his attempt to combine down the flanks and involve the wingers. His seven touches in Australia’s 18-yard area told the story of his last-ditch defence.

With Australia bound for the play-offs and Saudi Arabia already qualified for Qatar, there was little on offer for either side. Graham Arnold did give a few ...

With nothing on the line in this match, Graham Arnold gave some younger players a chance to stake their claim. Graham Arnold did give a few younger players a chance to impress in the match, while VAR reminded fans why it remains a work in progress. The Socceroos suffered a 1-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning in a World Cup qualifier that meant very little.

A 1-0 dead-rubber World Cup qualifying defeat has marked what could be the end of Arnold's tenure as coach.

Nonetheless, in the wake of the defeat, the eyes of Australian football will now inevitably turn to Football Australia in coming days, speculating on the moment if/when black smoke will emerge from the federation’s metaphorical chimney at its Barangaroo office. Of course, in the high-stakes world of international football, the future is never guaranteed. In the end, it really should have surprised no one that Graham Arnold constructed his own reality in the build-up to the Socceroos 1-0 loss to Saudi Arabia. “I’ve been around the national team now for 40 years and I’ve never known a game to be a dead rubber,” he declared.

The Socceroos go down to Saudi Arabia 1-0 as pressure mounts on coach Graham Arnold to keep his job.

Attention now turns to the sudden-death play-off against the UAE, with the winner of that match to face South America's fifth-placed nation for a spot at the World Cup. The undermanned Socceroos handed debuts to Nathaniel Atkinson and substitute Nicholas D'Agostino in Jeddah, but were undone by a Salem Al-Dawsari penalty in the second half to suffer a third defeat in the group. Australia lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia as the third stage of Asian World Cup qualifying came to a disappointing end for the Socceroos and heaped more pressure on Graham Arnold.

The Socceroos will now face the UAE on June 7 in a do-or-die play-off, with the winner to face South America's fifth-best team - although who will guide ...

Now the boys have to go back to their clubs and need to work hard.” Based on current form, the UAE will be a significant challenge, let alone Peru. It is first time Australia has lost back-to-back World Cup qualifiers since 1977. Instead, with Bert van Marwijk as coach on short-term contract after Postecoglou’s resignation, Peru scored a comfortable 2-0 victory. The Socceroos will need to beat the team that knocked them out of the last Asian Cup - and then one of the teams that outclassed them at Russia 2018 - to get to the World Cup in Qatar later this year. Their history against Peru is not much better: at the 2018 World Cup, in the first and only meeting between the two nations at senior international level, Australia needed to win to have any hope of progressing to the round of 16.

The Socceroos dramatic fall from grace in Asian qualifying was completed on Wednesday morning, as they slum...

And it's not working still," he said. Australia's fate will now be decided over the course of a week in June, with two sudden death play-off games standing between them and one of the last spots at the World Cup. "We started the game well, we had a midfield, and that seemed to disappear in the second half," former Socceroo Archie Thompson said afterwards.

The Socceroos did little to give fans cause for optimism as they ended the first phase of their World Cup qualifying process on a flat note, going down 1-0 ...

That’s not in the best interest of the game. The result was inconsequential — a loss to Japan last week had already consigned Australia to the long road if it wants to make an appearance in Qatar later this year. Fox Sports football reporter James Dodd wrote: “It took Nearly FIVE MINUTES for the VAR to decide that Boyle was offside after his shot crossed the line. After the loss to the Saudis, ex-Socceroos Luke Wilkshire — who was scathing in his criticism after the loss to Japan — was concerned the home team was smiling and high-fiving towards the end of the game, saying it’s not a good reflection on what it’s like to play Australia. Whether he stays in the hot seat and is in a position to guide the Socceroos to a miracle World Cup berth remains to be seen and depends on the powerbrokers at Football Australia. Nobody watching the game in Australia agreed with the call, blowing up at how the official could possibly have come to that conclusion — as well as the amount of time it took to make a decision.

The 48-year-old is renowned for his disciplined and often defensive coaching tactics - two things Australia could use heading into the play-offs. Popovic is, ...

"I never talked about retirement. The 66-year-old has expressed interest in working with Australia in the past and currently remains without a job despite links to Bolivia. A new name for the list of potential candidates, Queiroz has only just parted ways with Egypt after they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. "We used to do a video review session with the ball and without the ball everyday." With just over two months to prepare before the play-offs, Football Australia need to act quickly if they are to bring in a new coach. With one win from his last seven games in charge, Arnold has seen Australia stumble in World Cup qualification with the team now needing to win two play-offs in June if they are to book a place in Qatar.

The Socceroos will take poor form into Junes World Cup playoffs after finishing their group campaign with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Saudi Arabia in ...

The Arnold line that reveals big flaw; candidates for 'Aussie Guus' 2.0: Socceroos Talking Points.

“Arnie’s had enough time, we haven’t seen enough flexibility or energy in the team at a crucial time. Carlos Queiroz only today departed Egypt’s national team after they failed to qualify for the World Cup in a heartbreaking penalty shootout, and has experience at a number of other nations – including in Asia and South America. Whether he wants to start his tenure with the possibility of a bruising failure is uncertain. We hear all the right things, but talk is different to what we’re seeing.” Most famously, Guus Hiddink was hired prior to the knockouts against Solomon Islands then Uruguay in 2005, to qualify for the drought-breaking 2006 World Cup. Would FA even be willing to part with the required cash – knowing they’d have to pay out Arnold’s contract as well? Against Japan and Saudi Arabia, the Socceroos showed courage aplenty, only to drop their heads when the opponents opened the scoring. Rogic, Irvine and Mooy also started in the 2-1 defeat to Japan in October, too. After all, they were forced to hire a fresh man to replace Postecoglou for the 2018 World Cup. Postecoglou himself was hired prior to the 2014 World Cup after consecutive 6-0 defeats to Brazil and France saw Holger Osieck axed. Australia also successfully fought through knockout matches to reach the 1974 and 2006 editions of the tournament (and lost in the playoffs on many other painful occasions too). Sure, there was confidence aplenty when the Socceroos won 11-straight against weaker opponents earlier in the campaign. Some of those debutants have been left bloodied and bruised by the experience - thrown into deep water without a life raft.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has been spared the axe after failing to automatically qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. After considering his position ...

Football Australia Chair Chris Nikou said in a statement: “The Board of Football Australia believed it was important that we provided a stable environment and to get on with planning for the playoff phase given the very short turnaround. “We now turn our sights to the difficult playoff stage in June, our final opportunity to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. As we have done throughout the campaign, we will work closely with Graham to ensure the team has the necessary resources, support and the approach required to achieve the best possible outcome and ultimately qualification to our fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup.” By confirming that Graham will remain Head Coach of the Socceroos until the completion of our FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM campaign, it enables Graham, his support staff and the playing group to move forward with certainty, and without delay, to ensure the best possible preparation for the next phase of qualification.”

Football Australia has made its decision as the national team faces missing its first World Cup in two decades.

There’s a lot of questions being asked and not too many answers.” I don’t think so,” Archie Thompson said. I don’t know.

Australian men's soccer team Graham Arnold will keep his job until the end of the Socceroos' World Cup qualifying campaign, Football Australia says.

"As we have done throughout the campaign, we will work closely with Graham to ensure the team has the necessary resources, support and the approach required to achieve the best possible outcome and ultimately qualification to our fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup." "By confirming that Graham will remain head coach of the Socceroos until the completion of our FIFA World Cup campaign, it enables Graham, his support staff and the playing group to move forward with certainty, and without delay, to ensure the best possible preparation for the next phase of qualification." "The board of Football Australia believed it was important that we provided a stable environment and to get on with planning for the play-off phase given the very short turn-around," Nikou said in a statement.

Mounting losses have created serious pressure on the Socceroos coach, and a decision has finally been made on his future.

Originally published as Socceroos make call on coach Graham Arnold amid World Cup qualifying disaster Football Australia hasn’t blinked amid the Socceroos’ spluttering World Cup qualifying campaign and has backed coach Graham Arnold to continue and “finish the job” he started in 2018. Socceroos make call on coach Graham Arnold amid World Cup qualifying disaster

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has avoided the axe and will see out the remainder of Australia's World Cup...

Football Australia today confirmed that Australian men's national team Head Coach, Graham Arnold will remain in his position until the end of Australia's ...

Should the Socceroos win in this AFC play-off match, there will be another one-off match, also played in Qatar, against the fifth-placed CONMEBOL side, Peru, on 13 or 14 June, with the winner securing a place in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Chair of Football Australia, Chris Nikou said: “The Board of Football Australia believed it was important that we provided a stable environment and to get on with planning for the play-off phase given the very short turn-around. With 4.5 slots available to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, Australia will now participate in the play-off stage which will commence with a one-off match against the third-place finisher in Group A, United Arab Emirates, to be played in Qatar on 7 June 2022.