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Say what you like about the Socceroos chances at the World Cup in Brazil, early signs are positive.
Ange Postecoglou’s regeneration of the national team, following an uninspiring few years, means things are now looking up for the boys in green and gold.
After an uncomfortable World Cup qualifying campaign under Holger Osieck, which included losses to Oman and Jordan, as well as multiple lacklustre draws on home soil, it took an 83rd minute header from relative veteran Josh Kennedy to ensure yet another intercontinental play off was avoided.
This averted the possible disaster of failing to make the cut for Brazil.
Despite Osieck managing to guide the Socceroos to a third-consecutive World Cup, the need to breathe new life into the side was obvious following two 6-0 defeats at the hands of France and Brazil, ultimately leading to Oseick’s contract being terminated by the FFA.
Since replacing Osieck in October last year, Postecoglou has rectified the growing rot that had been converging on the squad since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The rebuilding process never occurred, leading to many people questioning whether Australia had the talent necessary to build for another golden generation.
Now though, this rebuild has been officially backed by the FFA, through to the five-year contract deal given to the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory manager.
The wheels have been set in motion for the development of a thriving national team set up.
It hasn’t taken long to see the effect of the man who led both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar to two NSL and A-League championships respectively.
The highly attractive and high-tempo Postecoglou style of play, which led to his Brisbane side of 2011 being dubbed ‘Roarcelona’, has been evident during the first three games under Postecoglou.
This was most noticeably in the first half against Ecuador in March and in a frantic opening half hour against South Africa on Monday.
While most people chose to take a ‘glass half empty’ approach in reviewing the game against South Africa in Sydney earlier this week, the obvious flaws in a slightly disjointed and often erratic performance can be attributed largely to inexperience and a lack of team chemistry.
What else was to be expected?
The young squad though showed glimpses of the exciting future for Australian football under Ange in a match where both fatigue, caused by a heavy training regime, as well as pitch conditions on the much criticised ANZ Stadium surface made it difficult for the young Roos to get into a truly efficient groove.
Regardless of conditions though, the 50,000 strong crowd should have been impressed with the work of FC Utrecht midfielder Tommy Oar and fellow attacker, former Adelaide United youngster Matthew Leckie, who both showed promising signs against a depleted Bafana Bafana outfit.
Aided by the evergreen Tim Cahill, who captained his country for the first time and provided a trademark goal and assault of a corner flag, both Oar and Leckie would be hoping to create troubles against Australia’s much more fancied opponents in Brazil.
While the nations collective expectations ahead of our Group of Death fixtures seem to lie somewhere between sheer hope and downright fear of what may happen, the success of the Postecoglou rebuild was never going to be defined by Brazil.
However, as noted by Mark Milligan, the injection of youth should mean the Socceroos carry an element of fearlessness into the Cup.
A similar fearlessness is what supporters should take into the tournament. While it might prove easy to pick out weaknesses in the team if things go as so many predict it will for Australia, one eye should be kept on the future.
For the Australian players who will forge this future, like Oar, Leckie, Tom Rogic, Jason Davidson and Preston North End’s Bailey Wright, Brazil will prove to be the ultimate learning curve ahead of the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia and the 2018 World Cup.
The next month will hopefully provide great view into the talent of the current crop of Australian youngsters. Who’s to say history might not look back on this World Cup as an experience which kick-started Australia’s rise onto the forefront of the global football landscape?
Let’s wait and see.
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