Graham Arnold

Now Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is laughing last, having led his Australian side through do-or-die playoffs to stun hot favourites Peru and secure a place in ...

The Socceroos are back in the World Cup for a fifth-straight time. The players bought into his philosophy and his tactics, and each one played his part, whether that was for one minute or 120. The Socceroos showed that fight from the opening minute, from the youngest player to the oldest. And then there was the defining moment of the match, one that took everyone by surprise – even the Australian players. 68th-ranked UAE was the highest-ranked opponent Arnold’s Socceroos had beaten in his entire tenure – and it was arguably the best performance they had delivered in his three years in charge. Football Australia considered hiring a coach for the playoffs, not that there was much confidence in the squad set with the task of beating the UAE and Peru. The team overcame a sloppy start to deliver a brilliant second half and a 2-1 win. Six of the players that were used in that game took no part in the matches against the UAE or Peru. It included a debut for young centre-back Kye Rowles alongside Bailey Wright, who hadn’t played for the Socceroos since 2019. He inherited a team in transition and in need of a makeover. Never mind that the Socceroos took a two-year break from playing due to Covid-19, and hardly had the opportunity to train together even when action did resume. Today, Arnold revealed he came within a hair of quitting due to the brutal toll the qualifying journey took on him. But the wins started coming – and coming in droves.