This winter Australia will make its c fifth consecutive appearance on the biggest international stage, having crossed the intercontinental play-offs after failing to qualify directly for the tournament. The Australians beat both the United Arab Emirates and Peru on a memorable route to Doha, with the match against the Peruvians in particular going to the wire. The tie was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, where third-choice keeper Andrew Redmayne became a national hero. His antics and unique style of attire forced mistakes from Advincula and Valera, sealing the World Cup ticket.
FULL TIME | The @Socceroos are off to the World Cup!
Andrew Redmayne was the unlikely hero who saved the Socceroos in the clutch! #AUSvPER #AllForTheSocceroos pic.twitter.com/A3M7qd0HIY
— 10 Football (@10FootballAU) June 13, 2022
But as Graham Arnold has said many times, the job is not done yet. He wants his players to know that reaching the World Cup is a big achievement in itself, but it's also just the start. The former Sydney FC manager believes he has a special group on his hands capable of going out and delivering some of the best results. Their COVID-hampered qualifying cycle also means they are one of the few teams who are already comfortable with Qatar's unique conditions, having played there three times in 2022, winning two and drawing a draw. . But despite their previous experience on Qatari soil, earning points in Group D will still be a difficult task.
Australia will open the group against reigning world champions France, as they did in 2018, when they lost 2-1 to Didier Deschamps' men. They will then face Tunis at the Al Janoub stadium, before taking on Denmark, their group's other rivals in Russia.
The 26-man squad for these group games (and beyond, if they do the unthinkable and progress to the knockout stages) was revealed earlier this month. Graham Arnold surprised a lot of people by deciding to leave out experienced internationals like Tom Rogic (West Bromwich Albion), Trent Sainsbury (Al-Wakrah SC) and Adam Taggart (Cerezo Osaka). However, the biggest surprise was the dismissal of Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak.
This winter Australia will make its c fifth consecutive appearance on the biggest international stage, having crossed the intercontinental play-offs after failing to qualify directly for the tournament. The Australians beat both the United Arab Emirates and Peru on a memorable route to Doha, with the match against the Peruvians in particular going to the wire. The tie was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, where third-choice keeper Andrew Redmayne became a national hero. His antics and unique style of attire forced mistakes from Advincula and Valera, sealing the World Cup ticket.
FULL TIME | The @Socceroos are off to the World Cup!
Andrew Redmayne was the unlikely hero who saved the Socceroos in the clutch! #AUSvPER #AllForTheSocceroos pic.twitter.com/A3M7qd0HIY
— 10 Football (@10FootballAU) June 13, 2022
But as Graham Arnold has said many times, the job is not done yet. He wants his players to know that reaching the World Cup is a big achievement in itself, but it's also just the start. The former Sydney FC manager believes he has a special group on his hands capable of going out and delivering some of the best results. Their COVID-hampered qualifying cycle also means they are one of the few teams who are already comfortable with Qatar's unique conditions, having played there three times in 2022, winning two and drawing a draw. . But despite their previous experience on Qatari soil, earning points in Group D will still be a difficult task.
Australia will open the group against reigning world champions France, as they did in 2018, when they lost 2-1 to Didier Deschamps' men. They will then face Tunis at the Al Janoub stadium, before taking on Denmark, their group's other rivals in Russia.
The 26-man squad for these group games (and beyond, if they do the unthinkable and progress to the knockout stages) was revealed earlier this month. Graham Arnold surprised a lot of people by deciding to leave out experienced internationals like Tom Rogic (West Bromwich Albion), Trent Sainsbury (Al-Wakrah SC) and Adam Taggart (Cerezo Osaka). However, the biggest surprise was the dismissal of Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak.
Art by Tushar Dey
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