After what began as an impressive performance against Mexico in Arlington last Sunday, things turned a little sour for the Socceroos during the second half.
Defensive errors cost the team badly, on what looked a dodgy pitch, with the Mexicans charging home amidst a mass of support that fuelled the comeback. Eventually, the match would finish in a 2-2 draw, yet Socceroo coach Graham Arnold again would have walked away with plenty of positives.
Qatar 2022 brought much of the same. The Socceroos lost to the eventual champions in the Round of 16, frightening the life out of them in the process and played almost no poor football, barring the battering they took after scoring first against the French in the opening match of the group stage.
The A-League experience in the group was much celebrated and finally, after inching forward for so many years and with the men in their early twenties now representing the national team at the highest level being some of the first to travel the entire journey of the much-discussed national curriculum, the seeds for future success do appear to be germinating.
Jordan Bos, Nathaniel Atkinson, Tom Glover, Joe Gauci, Kye Rowles, Keanu Baccus, Cameron Devlin, Connor Metcalfe, Ryan Strain, Sam Silvera, Marco Tilio and Nick D’Agostino all cut their teeth in Australia in a competition that is still, unfortunately, much maligned by some.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Yet these men appear to be the type Arnold most enjoys supporting and selecting; no doubt harking back to his days with both Sydney FC and the Central Coast Mariners, as well as a wonderfully passionate belief in local talent and the future of the Australian game.
Combined with a handful of immensely talented players who look like being long-term Socceroos after having served the majority of their apprenticeships abroad; Alex Robertson, Aiden O’Neill, Riley McGree, Harry Souttar, Awer Mabil, Ajdin Hrustic and Alessandro Circati add further class to the group of men Arnold has at his disposal leading into the 2024 Asian Cup in Qatar.
Japan will no doubt be thinking precisely the same thing. South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia will have aspirations of lifting the trophy as well.
However, when the splash of experience found in Aziz Behich, Craig Goodwin. Milos Degenek, Mitchell Duke, Jamie Maclaren, Jackson Irvine, Mathew Leckie and Maty Ryan is also considered, along with raw and brilliant talent of Garang Kuol and Nestory Irankunda, the squad the Aussies will take into the tournament is certain to capture the attention of the other leading lights and make them an intimidating presence.
However, it could well be the battle between Robertson and O’Neill to determine which takes ownership of the 6 role that is the determining factor in Qatar in January.
Despite Aaron Mooy’s legs looking like they could well have carted him around the pitch for another season or two, the man capped 57 times for the Socceroos decided that he would retire soon after Qatar.
All credit to him, with an awareness of work-life balance bringing him to the decision far earlier than many players after they have reached the heights and then held on for dear life as the body and mind subsequently failed them.
We were not to be punished by watching a washed-up Mooy at age 37 still grappling in the A-League, and thank goodness. Yet, somehow, as a Socceroo fan, it does feel as though he was here one minute and gone the next.
I’m not sure how many players have lifted a Scottish Premier League trophy and an Asian Cup. There surely cannot have been too many to complete what is a rare double.
The five-foot-nine-inch balding defensive midfielder is arguably Australia’s greatest-ever in that position. So safe, solid, poised and so pleasant to watch as a footballer, his absence leaves a pair of shoes to fill that a member of the next generation will need to do briskly, if the Socceroos are indeed to head to Qatar with a chance to win the trophy.
O’Neill has now debuted for Standard Liege and is the man most likely, yet Portsmouth’s Alex Robertson could well have claims to the shirt, impressing whilst on loan from Manchester City and at 20 years of age, blessed with the gift of long-term potential should Arnold choose to invest fully in it.
Socceroos midfielder Aiden O’Neill (Photo by Di Yin/Getty Images)
Whilst being used a little more advanced in the Portsmouth set-up, Robertson does look built to be able to handle the rigours of the defensive midfield position, just as O’Neill is showing in ever increasing quantities.
There is no doubt the Socceroo team with which Graham Arnold enters the opening phase of World Cup qualification in November, and the team he selects for the Asian Cup in Qatar will be talented ones. Yet will they possess a man able to fill the chasm left by one of Australia’s best-ever footballers?
Should one of the new men manage to do so, the Socceroos will be tough to beat and the positivity of the last 12 months in the Australian game set to continue with a stellar challenge in Qatar.
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Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
