Relax, fans, I’ve got this covered. Let’s get one thing out of the way right from the start: FIFA don’t like countries questioning their integrity.
Cast your mind back to the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.
Russia and Qatar’s gain was most certainly England, Australia and USA’s pain, and didn’t we all let FIFA know about our displeasure with the “brown paper bag” nature of those decisions?
(Well, actually, the USA didn’t say much, but England and Australia were vocal in their disgust).
Now, let’s fast-forward to last night’s draw and look at the groups Australia, England, and the USA drew.
The Socceroos have Spain, Netherlands and Chile. England copped Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. The USA are grouped with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. It doesn’t pay to criticise FIFA.
(What’s that? Oliver Stone’s on the phone?)
But this is the optimist’s guide and I’m here to tell Socceroos fans that it’s not as bad as it seems.
So how can drawing the current champions, the last runners-up and a highly ranked South American side playing on their home continent be a good thing, you ask? Well, let’s look at history.
Spain: current World and European champions
The nation everyone wants to play like but no-one really wants to play.
Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Villa, the names roll off the tongue like exotic recipes.
But the recent history of the World Cup holder’s next tournament isn’t so tip-top.
Italy, 2006 champions, didn’t make it out of their group in 2010, and that was a group that included New Zealand.
1998 champions France didn’t score a goal in their 2002 group and were sensationally beaten by Senegal in their opening game.
Brazil were holders going into the 2006 tournament and were knocked out in the quarter finals, which is akin to failure for the Samba boys.
Therefore, drawing the reigning champions is a good thing.
Besides, Socceroos’ coach Ange Postecoglou had the Brisbane Roar playing like Spain and Barcelona over two seasons and he did that with a salary cap.
There were unconfirmed whispers around the Nou Camp that the Catalan giants were being referred to as Barcaroar once they saw the Ange revolution taking place in Brisbane.
Nothing to fear here, the Socceroos and Spain have never played each other at senior level. The Spanish are running scared.
The Netherlands: Runners-up in the last World Cup
The Dutch are a powerhouse of European football despite their small population.
In Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie they have two of the most lethal attacking weapons in world football not called Neymar or Suarez.
But hang on a second. The Australian national coaching curriculum is almost a carbon copy of the Dutch system.
Han Berger, Australia’s Technical Coaching director, is Dutch.
Two of our last four Socceroos coaches were Dutch.
If any nation knows how to beat the Dutch at their own game, it has to be Australia.
Many past and current Socceroos have plied their trade in the Dutch Erividise. Tommy Oar and Jason Davidson currently call the league home, and that’s most of the Socceroos left side!
Besides, the Dutch hate each other. Come on, it’s true, they manage to implode at every second World Cup.
Who could forget all the controversy over the non-selection of Ruud Van Nistelrooy for the 2006 round of 16 match against Portugal?
Even when they went 1-0 down, the Dutch didn’t send Van Nistelrooy on and he was caught smiling at his side’s demise at full-time.
Australia can bank on the Dutch eight-year cycle of in-fighting and use it to their advantage, perhaps with some sledging tips from the Australian cricket team.
The Netherlands have never beaten Australia at senior level in three previous matches. We’ve got the wood on them.
Really, the danger team in the group are Chile.
The Chileans are ranked 15th in the world, are playing on their home continent and with players like Arturo Vidal, David Pizzaro and Mauricio Isla to call on, have the skill and tenacity to do some damage.
They are also able to resort to shenanigans, if a bizarre incident in 1989 is a guide.
Back then, Chile were playing a qualifying game against Brazil.
Down 1-0 with 20 minutes to go, and with defeat in the game meaning elimination from the qualifiers, Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas, who was playing an absolute blinder on the day, went down clutching his head, having been struck by a firework or flare thrown by the crowd.
Rojas was carried off, blood streaming down his face.
The Chilean players refused to continue and the game was unfinished.
A later investigation revealed that the flare had gone nowhere near Rojas, and that he had cut himself open with a razor blade hidden in his glove.
Chile were banned from the next World Cup and Rojas was banned for life. Memo to Mitch Langerak, Mat Ryan and co; don’t forget the razor blades!
The Socceroos have never beaten Chile at senior level, a 0-0 draw in the group stage of the 1974 World Cup is as close as we’ve come. Given they provide the opposition in the opening group game for Australia, it’s time to re-dress that record.
Obviously then, it looks like Australia and Chile will progress to the knockout rounds and Spain and The Netherlands can hit the Rio beaches once the group stages are over. You heard it here first.
(There is no truth to the rumour that the author is being treated for an overdose of Prozac)
toma
Guest
hahaha. Love this article. We can do it! Right!?
AZ_RBB
Guest
have no fear AZ_RBB is here :P So WSW first, of course. Ulsan are 2012 champions, so not rating our chances too highly. Guizhou, have a couple of Bosnian stars and a former Sydney FC Aussie and have had a couple of good seasons in a row. Our Japanese opponents aren't guaranteed but Yokohama seem most likely. They too will be super super tough. Hope we get 3 massive home crowds and that we can have a good finish to the A-League season. CCM face J-League champions Hiroshima, who have been very strong domestically but struggle in Asia. FC Seoul are 2013 runners up. enough said. The other qualifier will probably be Bejing Guoan, one of the biggest clubs in China and get big crowds to every game. MVFC if they qualify have to play Guangzhou. That should be fun.
Matthew Skellett
Roar Rookie
Why the heck isnt anyone talking about the ACL draw right now? :-/
apaway
Roar Guru
So Adrian, you're saying past World Cup winners DID fail? Well, hey, so am I!
apaway
Roar Guru
Nick It WAS tongue in cheek, you realise that, don't you? :)
Eddy Bramley
Roar Pro
Regardless of who Australia drew they were unlikely to advance. So to be testing themselves against the world absolute best wont be such a bad thing and gives them the opportunity to pull off a massive upset and turn the tournament on its head.
ciudadmarron
Guest
They played some friendlies in SE Asia and by doing so lowered their ranking points average by a few points which was enough for Switzerland to leapfrog them.
AZ_RBB
Guest
4 years is a long time in football. In that time Netherlands have had a woeful Euro 2012, which has a much greater weighting than World Cup qualifiers where they did very well. They are nowhere near the team they were in 2010.
Kasey
Guest
I’m enjoying the "heads on fire" reaction from the fan-every-4-years brigade…Horror draw my backside. The last World Cup horror draw for Australia was the WC draw for Japorea 2002. Every draw since then has been somewhere between good and great IMO. As for our performance in Brazil…I’ll just be hoping we can score a goal or two. Any points we achieve in our group will be the hardest fought points in Australia’s Sporting history :)
Luke Smyke
Roar Pro
The world cup is generally full of surprises. I find it difficult to fathom how the two world cup finalists from the most recent tournament could be placed together in the same pool.. that is utter nonsense
danno
Guest
I think you might have missed the point of the article.... by a fair margin
Adrian
Roar Pro
Sorry but to start of i dont agree with your analysis of past world cup winners failing in the next touranment, in the sense, that this Spain team, is one of the most gifted, they consist of winners and they will not easily fail like their predecessor world cup winners...cant see that happening here. On the contrary i expect them to come blazing against teams that are not on the same page as them or just below them.....thus socceroos would be realistically humbled by spain. Talking about Holland..and knowing them inside our, common we need to be realistic....if we didnt pla against them, why would be know too much about them....would we expect the coaches of dutch background whilst coaching to talk about dutch weakness??..cant see any logic in this.
Bondy
Guest
Jb Also I was thinking overnight that this is the first time we've had a proper domestic football league to both breed and play our players in, only a few now remain that have not been involved playing domestic A League football Cahill Neill Bresciano among the few, with the likes of Oar Ryan Rogic Langerak Amini Vidosic all playing domestically at some stage this is the first time the HAL has had a two phase function delivering quality play domestically and players for the National Team all on our doorstep. I do believe that Ivan could take Bresc's position only marginal thinking abilities go to Bresc their or potential time on the ball, and yes I think Covic is just as good as a M Ryan. I understand the complexities Ange has to deal with "players all over the world" but theres no better of knowledge with A League or former HAL players than Ange "he built most of them" who've left. Why can't we naturalise the Albanian, your No 9. And also I wonder whats rolling through Schwarzer's mind right now, retirement timed to perfection . If our boys get close to getting out of the group phase they will be carried back to Australia as heroes.
TheVolley
Guest
Well if we think the draw was 'manipulated' as punishment for voicing discontent against FIFA, then the best revenge is cause some upsets at the WC. If we deny Spain or Holland a place in the last 16, then the 'punishment' would have backfired! Go for gold Socceroos!
j binnie
Guest
Bondy. - Many will ridicule your suggestion about a team of 18 year olds but is that suggestion so far away from what could be accomplished if say the strongest of Australian born players were drawn from our present HAL teams?.For example would the picking of Covic or Vudovic be all that much of a step down from Ryan who was playing HAL just weeks ago. With Milligan,Franjic & Mackay already in the squad where else could we look?.Can the fit effervescent Franjic do what Bresciano does?,would the physical proven goal getter in McBreen be any less of a threat than Kennedy,I could go on but the question is there for all to answer as they see fit. The other thing to be considered is the time frame.!!! Ange picked his first team for a game on Nov 19th. Now,almost 3 weeks later he has been in Brazil checking out accomodation etc,but apparently has had no connection with the players he picked for that Costa Rica game other than Milligan,Mackay & Franjic.To do so he would have to visit Belgium,China, England,Germany,Holland,Japan,the Middle East, Scotland,Switzerland,& the USA, where,he would see most of his chosen but would have no guarantee as to what standard of league they would be appearing in. What do we really expect from this human being. If we put him in a blue suit with a red monogram he might, just might, I say manage to do what has to be done in the next 3 months. So once again I ask, is your suggestion,albeit it with minor differences, all that stupid?. If not Ange could probably set out a program where he could be working with his players at least once or maybe twice a week for the next 14 weeks.That I feel would be a much fairer playing field for him to perform his dutes. Cheers jb
Bondy
Guest
Nice read Apaway, The beauty also for Ange is he can take a squad of 23 18yr olds from the A league and nobody would know the difference in our group results wise,if Postecoglou ever wanted to experiment for the Asian Champs than it is now he has the luxury to do this in full blown tournament mode. I'm firmly convinced that we will draw a match at the tournament and do our nation quite proud overall. I've got the Dutch winning the group and Spain second also I have America to advance but the Germans to win the group mercilessly again. England won't make it out of the group stage also Uruguay and Italy to advance with comfort. This tournament is getting tougher and tougher for every nation not just the Aussies. Go the Mariners.
Mike
Roar Guru
The Soccerwhose tag will only be for non-football fans who don't really have any regard for the sport anyway. But regardless of the Aussies' performance at the WC, football in Oz is growing. I'm just happy we're in the WC and that we get to walk away with 8 million just for qualifying! Getting into the Round of 16 would be awesome, but I'm satisfied if they can just at least qualify for each and every WC from here on out.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Agree that the bidding process for the next 2 WC (and probably most of the previous ones if you ask me) wasn't transparent to say the least but to say that FIFA targeted USA, England and Oz at the draw is a bit of a stretch imo. Oz is one of the weakest team at this level so its pretty obvious they would have to face much stronger teams (on paper). When japan or Tonga get NZ or France at the rwc, you don't hear them complain that the draw was fixed (same during the recent league WC). I think its better to accept the draw graciously and work on how to perform rather than whinge and find excuses 6 months before the first game is played.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
And if they lose to us, their World Cup could be over. Pressure cuts both ways, and no one expects us to get out of the Group of Death. Remember, whats the difference between Italy and a triangle :)
whiskeymac
Guest
Play well and the result is a bonus. Play badly and scared and the soccerwhose tag will be hard to shake. I hope we give it the best of the underdog and scare and rattle the other prima donnas . We aren't in their group, they are in ours ...