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Kewell, Viduka, Emerton, Schwarzer, Bresciano, Aloisi, Grella – Australia’s golden generation.
This team undoubtedly set the foundation for what has been a rapid growth for football in this country at a grassroots and professional level. The A-League has flourished on the back of three successful World Cup qualifications with the Socceroos playing in front of packed houses every time they play on home soil.
The golden generation did the unthinkable in qualifying for the World Cup after an agonising absence of 32 years. The repercussions of this performance were significant in laying the seeds for football’s flourishment in Australia.
It is unfortunate that this generation never quite had the same chance of success that our current Socceroos have.
Australia’s place within Oceania at the time meant that we had to qualify the hard way and despite a memorable 2006 campaign in Germany, the following year’s Asian Cup in Thailand was one certainly to forget with this star-studded team failing to make any real impact.
For a few years there, supporters were left scratching their heads as to whether football at a national level would ever pick up like it did a few years prior. Many certainly then feared for the worst after the Socceroos scraped into Brazil 2014 and suffered heavy defeats to the likes of Brazil and France.
Granted these were friendlies, but it did very little in fuelling our optimism for the future. It looked as though our golden generation was a thing of the past.
Until now that is.
It may be early in the qualification campaign and our soldiers in the green and gold may still be young, but one cannot help get excited about what this team is capable of delivering.
Ange Postecoglou has single-handedly revived the Socceroos after many had us fearing for the future of Australian Football. His bold decisions in blooding stars such as Massimo Luongo as well as taking advantage of the quality of players emerging out of the A-League has ensured a decent level of depth within the ranks.
In addition, a strong core group of players have begun to settle in among the starting eleven, making them well known in their respective leagues as well.
Australia’s midfield at the moment is impeccable with players like Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic, Robbie Kruse, Mathew Leckie and Mass Luongo all impressing for their clubs and country as well as the solid pairing of Jedinak and Milligan at the heart of midfield.
Gone are the days where our team would consist of players well and truly past their best with the national team now containing a strong core group of players as well as having many eager and determined players knocking on the door for selection.
Dubbed the ‘Aussie Zidane’, Aaron Mooy has more than exceeded expectations for Huddlesfield in England’s second tier. Mooy has received the ‘Player of the Month Award’ for the second month in a row for Huddlesfield and has been a significant influence in his side’s gallant performance this season positioning themselves in serious contention for Premier League promotion.
Likewise, it feels as though every time I check social media it is filled with articles praising the performance of wunderkind Tom Rogic for Celtic. Rogic, has for a while now been one of our great shining hopes and is beginning to meet those expectations – scoring goals and being a pivotal part in the Celtic line-up.
Honourable mentions also go to Jackson Irvine leading the way for Burton Albion having scored five goals already this season.
But football is not won on paper and these newly blooded Socceroos have shown us just that. This may well be the best Socceroos team since that 2006 squad, having laid the foundations with a determined group of players that know what it takes to take it to the next level.
While the class and precision of the golden generation may not be there, Ange’s team certainly has a greater chance of success and has already begun to take advantage of it having claimed Australia’s first piece of major silverware in the Asian Cup.
The Socceroos have performed to satisfactory standards in their opening World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and the UAE, with two arduous matches against Saudi Arabia and Japan looming.
Where we would be satisfied with attaining four points out of a possible six from our next to matches, under Ange and with this new team anything less than two wins would be below par.
The Socceroos have now reached a stage where qualification into major tournaments such as the World Cup is expected, however, we know have the quality to making an impact when there.
This type of mindset and culture has surfaced many times among Ange and many of the players, demonstrating the hunger and establishment of a winning culture which sets the framework for future success.
Of course no line up is ever perfect. The ‘Tim Cahill problem’ is one that is often revisited in relation to Australia’s shortage of attacking options. Striking options such as Tomi Juric and Apostolos Giannou have shown glimpses of what they’re capable of, but are they capable of filling Cahill’s shoes?
Only time will tell.
Socceroos fans are hence buoyed with optimism with the emerging talent coming out of the ranks. This is no doubt an exciting time for football in Australia, with the Socceroos once again being on the threshold of success led by the second coming of a golden generation.
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