Australia are the unluckiest football team on the planet; they always draw the ‘group of death’.
So unfortunate we are, it could be suggested that there is an international footballing conspiracy against the Socceroos. It is too coincidental that once again, the World Cup draw has produced a lousy lottery result.
Ever since the Johnny Warren led Socceroos of 1974 faced the intimidating prospect of both Germanys – East and West – and Chile in order to advance, the national team has been well and truly shafted.
To our credit, we have coped with FIFA and their transparent attempts to eliminate us as early as possible from the tournament and even managed to navigate our way beyond the group stage in Germany in 2006.
The world body obviously doesn’t want us there and continues to stack our group with football powerhouses. It is clearly choreographed to ensure that the Socceroos never march off into the sunset with the World Cup trophy.
2006 saw our boys face the might of Brazil, the slick Croatians and our arch enemy Japan. 2010 was no better with Germany, Ghana and Serbia offering another hellish group and the pattern continued in 2014, with the squad given little or no chance after drawing Spain, Chile and the Netherlands.
Tim Cahill scores a beautiful volley against the Netherlands (Instagram: Tim Cahill)
This time around it is France, one of the pre-tournament favourites, as well as Peru and Denmark.
For the fourth World Cup in succession, it is an undeniable ‘group of death’ and a scenario that other countries avoid by getting lucky with soft draws!
Hopefully, by now, you have identified the presence of a tongue firmly planted in a cheek with these opening remarks, because I always get a chuckle when I hear over-analysis of the draw.
Hypothesising on results, potential crossover matches and the relative strength of a group opposed to another is mostly guesswork and has no bearing on Australian football whatsoever.
The simple reason being, every group into which we are ever pooled will be our group of death. As a nation that hovers somewhere around 30th to 50th in the FIFA world rankings it is just how it should be.
I often hear people hope for a lucky draw with just one ‘weaker’ team in the four, so the Socceroos have a better chance of progressing through the first stage. I then ask them to identify the so called ‘weaker’ teams that might fit that billing.
There are no weak teams in the World Cup. There might be the odd side that looks a little weak to Brazil or Germany, but to the Socceroos, they all look as bloody difficult as each other.
It is what the World Cup means to us as fans and the Socceroos themselves: a death-defying mission with only a remote chance of success and many potential casualties along the way.
However, we wouldn’t have it any other way. We live the pain, the challenge and the glory of participation all at the same time.
As we scratched and crawled our way through qualification last year, (I just had a little hair standing moment, remembering Mile Jedinak running towards me after that second penalty) we saw exactly what a few of those supposed ‘weaker’ teams are capable of.
(Photo by Cameron J Spencer/Getty Images)
The now 76th-ranked Syria went about their work with passion and purpose, led the Socceroos and scared the living you know what out of them. The bouncy 122nd-ranked Thais did even more than that and but for two Jedinak penalties, had the points against us at home.
These are just two examples of so called ‘weaker’ teams that, as you know, failed to qualify. Based on that evidence, we are lucky to be there at all.
Never forgetting two significant threats in Asia, Japan and Korea Republic who sit at 60th and 61st in the current rankings. According to those rankings, they are another two of the so called ‘weaker’ teams in the World Cup yet both qualified automatically and cause headaches for the Socceroos each and every time they meet.
In reality, Australia’s group of death is the entire planet.
Perhaps in 35 years when I am sitting in a very state of the art chair with a microchip inserted in my finger that changes television stations, the Socceroos might be in an ‘easy’ group.
Maybe our newly non salary-capped league, international superstars playing abroad and status as a top ten powerhouse of world football, makes us a seeded nation heading into the 2054 World Cup in Fiji.
Veteran manager Matt Simon might have the team humming and captain Tim Cahill junior could be primed for one last hurrah.
As fanciful and ridiculous as all that sounds, it is exactly the kind of absurd, futuristic scenario required if the Socceroos are ever to be deemed part of an ‘easy’ or ‘weak’ group at the World Cup.
Group C in Russia certainly isn’t one, neither will be our group of opponents in Qatar, if we manage to qualify.
It is highly likely that the Socceroos will be in a group of death for the next hundred years or so.
Not the group of death, but our group of death; the rest of the globe.
Except for Italy and the Netherlands this is; they are no threat. They missed out, but we didn’t.
tommo
Guest
Making excuses already. No matter what group Australia were in still going to lose every match.
chris
Guest
I don't think you understand what a group of death actually means. It usually means that there are 3 teams that are considered all worthy of making it to the second round. Peru, France and Denmark are all ranked in the top 15 of world football. If you go purely on FIFA's rankings then Group C is actually the toughest.
Glen
Guest
Big Socceroos fan here but agree. It can't be the group of death simply because Australia is in it. Yes we are Asian Champions which was a great feat but we are still minnows at the end of the day
chris
Guest
Some interesting reading... https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/nabbout-reveals-van-marwijks-influence-caltex-socceroos?utm_source=&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=&utm_term=872334
Tom Simon
Roar Pro
"at this stage of our development, with football not being too strong in this country, we should probably be grateful to just be allowed to take part" Well said. As Australians we love the underdog tag, but even more than that, we love winning! Some realistic expectations and perspective would say that qualifying for the world cup and just having the opportunity to test ourselves against a country as strong as France is reward enough!
chris
Guest
Yes of course MQ
MQ
Guest
relatively speaking, Stu is probably right, we were drawn from the 4th pot, we are the 4th seed in our group, and rightly or wrongly, the three other teams would be looking at Australia as a certain 3 points
MQ
Guest
is that a picture of Leo Sayer?
chris
Guest
Stu what do you base your view that Australia is a weak team? Given that in the past 12 months or so we got a draw with Sth American champions Chile, a draw against the African champions Cameroon and lost by a single goal to wc favourites Germany? Also a draw against Colombia. Yes goal scoring is a worry but the above results would suggest not a weak team?
stu
Guest
Stuart, you mention there are no weak teams in the World Cup. Australia is a weak team. No particular fault on Australia's part, rather that the WC is an opportunity to have representatives of various level of ability represent their region. I think the hardest International competition to complete in, where it would be safe to say there are no weak teams is the Euro.
lunchboxexpert
Guest
You are marking way to hard for the Australian team that is there. If Australia finishes third in Group C then its an A. If they make the round of 16 then its an A+. Anything beyond given the Australian team that is at the world cup is pure fantasy. If Australia lose in a relatively close game to France by no more than 2 goals and it draws against either Peru or Denmark and loses the other game by only a goal then its B or B-+ grade for the team and coach. If Australia gets beaten convincingly by France by 3 or more goals, loses to both Denmark and Peru by no more than a goal in each game then it is pass (grade C). As the team would have performed as expected against better teams. If Australia loses all three games by two or more goals then its a fail, i.e. grade F. Having said all this it would be very nice to at least draw against Peru. Just to show, that while Australia would have definitely lost an Inter-Confederation play off against Chile, Australia would have had a pretty good chance (slightly better than 50%) of beating Peru in a two game play off.
mark bp
Guest
the group is one of the 2 or 3 toughest for russia. but it is much better rhan our group in brazil. peru are eratic..... they are brazil brillant or play like rubble. it could be a goal fest. denmark are rigid and organized. it could be a dull game. whoever takes their opportunities will win. our goal scorers need to wear their lucky boots against denmark and peru and hope that we catch them on off days. we will have passed my expectations if we progress to the knockout round. a pass will to be finish 3rd in the group.
chris
Guest
John some good points about local media. They really are embarrassing but thats to be expected given that the majority of them are ex "footy" players.
lunchboxexpert
Guest
Peru is probably the worst team in pot B and Denmark is clearly the best team in pot C. In fact Denmark wouldn't have been out of place in pot B and is a team that is likely to beat Peru. France and Denmark are the most likely teams to make it through from group C.
lunchboxexpert
Guest
If Australia finishes third in its group then it can consider that it has done very well at this world cup and Marwjck gets an A grade for his coaching performance. It is important to note that this says more about the quality of the Australian team at this world cup than the difficulty of the group.
lunchboxexpert
Guest
In 2014 Australia really was in a group of death, Group B. This was illustrated perfectly by Spain, one of the favourites for the event and the number one FIFA rated team failing to make it out of the group. In 2014 Australia had a pretty good team and in a couple of the other groups Australia could possibly have made it through to the group of 16, but not in a group that contained Spain, Netherlands (eventually finished third) and Chile (who always have a good team). Now contrast this with Australia's situation in 2018. Firstly the team in 2018 is not as good as the 2014 Australian team and while the 2018 Group C is a tough group (but by no means a group of death), the fact that Australia is very unlikely to make it through this group says more about the quality of the Australian team than the difficulty of the group per se.
Mitcher
Guest
I hope you find the help you need.
John
Guest
This article is coming from an ex rugby player? of course these things will be said as the local media cannot fathom football here. Enough with the underdog status already. you play against the best you cant complain. Its always Fifa, but never the local game. Why is the game played in Summer here for a start? It would be eaten by eggball codes. Why Join Asia? Is it for the football or for other reasons? Look at local free to air bar sbs. Its a month before the world cup and the only thing that the local news bar sbs can report on is policies and drug taking. they cant comprehend 1-1 draws. Talking about weaker teams. In 2002 korea/japan, korea came 3rd, but they arent celebrating now. Costa rica did some damage in 2014 but they arent saying they are the best in the world. Face it, football is not the commonwealth games. Its a game of passion and skill.
MQ
Guest
True, at this stage of our development, with football not being too strong in this country, we should probably be grateful to just be allowed to take part.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Its an honour and a privelege to be represented in the world's biggest and most keenly contested sporting competition. This is our fifth FIFA World Cup and our 4th in a row since 2006. Its fantastic that we can be measured against the world's best footballing nations, we a country with a proud sporting and cultural history will surely give it our best shot, no matter the score. Who says we can't actually win it some day.