The Brazil World Cup promises to be a fascinating event for myriad of reasons. Firstly, the global football community will have the opportunity to see two of history’s finest go head-to-head on the world stage, arguably at the peak of their powers.
Like a fine wine, Cristiano Ronaldo just gets better with time, and the world is just waiting to see what records he’ll break next.
His fierce rival, Lionel Messi, has been cautious for Barcelona since returning from injury, most noticeably holding back from his amazing runs that contributed to his fame in the first place.
It should go without saying all eyes will be on these two come June.
But looking closer to home, what will Australia’s role be in this World Cup, and what can we reasonably expect from the Socceroos?
Our golden generation has tarnished, and we currently do not possess a particularly strong side, but there are a few factors Australians should be getting excited about.
New beginnings
The South Africa 2010 World Cup showed we cannot rely on the team that went to the Germany 2006 World Cup. Naturally, this applies even more so four years on, as Brazil 2014 approaches.
Lucas Neil, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka are pillars we cannot rely on any longer, either through retirement or a lack of form.
Australians want to see the Socceroos excel, but to do this, we need to give opportunities to young bloods, and with Ange Postecoglou, fans are given the chance to discover the next Australian star.
Ecuador wasn’t a failure
Yes, leading 3-0 at halftime then getting hammered with four goals in the second half is embarrassing, but Ange’s experimental side showed we can score goals.
This has been an issue of contention since 2006 – as good as our squad has been at times, there were many frustrating matches where we couldn’t get a good enough run into the opposition’s goal.
Our midfield and defence was solid, but our attackers? Not so much.
Ecuador was a loss, but it showed most importantly that Ange is prepared to introduce flair and confidence into the Australian game.
Australia’s attitude is everything
I’ll be in Brazil for the Australia versus Spain match, joining tens of thousands of other Australians for an epic encounter.
One thing we can count on for Australia is their ‘never say die’ attitude. Australia want to win, and they’ll come for blood.
Australian supporters are some of the best in the world, so come game time, the attitude of our new, younger squad, and the collective 12th man in the stadiums could be the difference between winning and losing.
Brazil will be a good moment for the Socceroos, despite the fact the odds are stacked against us. Will it be possible to progress to the next stage?
Nobody can say for sure, because in truth, Ange is introducing a new style with new players, so we may just be in for the ride of our lives!
But more importantly, this is an opportunity to start afresh. An opportunity to see what the rest of the Aussies can do who haven’t previously been given a chance, and that is more than exciting: That is reason enough to watch the Brazil World Cup!
Anthony is the author of “Football Obsession: An Inside Look Into The Global Game”, which peaked at #2 on the Amazon Bestsellers Charts. It’s available from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. Get your copy today.
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