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The World Cup is off to a stunning start. Teams have played attacking football, tactics have been positive, and once again watching the Socceroos was at times about as fun as taking a trip to the dentist.
No offence to Ange Postecoglou, whose Australian side turned in one of their most impressive World Cup performances, but watching the Socceroos can be indescribably stressful.
There were times in the gallant 3-1 defeat to Chile when it felt like shooting pains down the left arm were just a corner away, and a life-threatening heart attack was imminent.
What is it about Australia that can make watching them about as pleasurable as going through a tax audit?
Surely a starting point is the fact we remain one of the unluckiest national teams on the planet.
Take the build-up to the game against Chile. For no apparent logical reason, FIFA ordered the Socceroos to wear gold shorts instead of their traditional green in a vital World Cup opener.
Granted, Australia were the designated away team, but why does it always seem to be us?
It may be a trivial complaint, but when every 50-50 decision goes against the Socceroos in practically every big match they play, it becomes a recurring theme.
There’s no disputing the fact the first 15 minutes against Chile were some of the most naïve football the Socceroos have recently played. But even then, just how unlucky can goalkeeper Mat Ryan and his defenders get?
It was no surprise to see Alexis Sanchez get on the score sheet, but did he really have to score by being the beneficiary of the luckiest bounce in the game?
Not only did Ryan originally squander the chance to clear the ball, but Mile Jedinak’s attempted header fell straight to Sanchez – who still managed to shoot straight at Ryan, only for the Australia goalkeeper to palm the ball into the back of the net.
Then, as Australia reeled from that inopportune opener, Jorge Valdivia was afforded acres of space in which to pick his spot as he – of course – hit the underside of the crossbar en route to putting Chile two goals ahead.
As dreadful as the defending was, would it have been too much to ask for the Socceroos to get a bit lucky and see Valdivia’s shot bounce back off the bar?
Then there’s the saga of our right-back. Is it a case of bad luck or plain mismanagement that Australia will go into their next clash with The Netherlands with such an inexperienced back four?
It’s not that Ryan McGowan can’t do the job – he’s clearly a capable right-back – it’s just that Ivan Franjic’s unfortunate but completely unnecessary hamstring injury brings into sharp relief the fact Postecoglou jettisoned the experienced Luke Wilkshire at the last minute.
And given that experienced duo Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano – along with the bullocking Mathew Leckie – were among our best against Chile, perhaps Wilkshire’s presence might have been advantageous after all.
Bresciano turned in a Herculean effort in a frenetic encounter in Cuiaba, putting his foot on the ball when others lost their heads, probing the Chilean defence with his incisive passing game and generally putting his vast experience to good use.
Cahill was similarly effective, and like Bresciano he was desperately unlucky not to equalise after heading home from a fractionally offside position.
From saved volleys to offside flags to the plethora of free-kicks called against us – how on earth was James Troisi not fouled on the edge of the penalty area late on? – it seemed like every decision went against the Socceroos.
But then, it often seems like that when Australia play.
That’s football though. And after The Netherlands’ 5-1 trouncing of Spain in Group B’s other encounter, the Socceroos may just need all the luck in the world to stay in the tournament.