The Socceroos may have fallen into a group of death at next year’s World Cup, but like many Australian football pundits, Tim Cahill believes Brazil’s Group B will do wonders for our national team.
In his own column in The Sunday Telegraph, Cahill described the prospect of going against Group B opponents the Netherlands, Spain and Chile as a “massive opportunity”.
Australia’s “huge test” will see the Socceroos take on 2010 World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands in the final two Group B matches on June 18 and 23 respectively next year after playing world No.15 Chile on the 13th.
“As a professional footballer and proud Australian, these are the moments you live for,” wrote Cahill.
“The chance to play against Spain, the Netherlands and Chile at a World Cup in the green and gold shirt in Brazil with my Aussie teammates; it doesn’t get any better.”
Former international Craig Foster believes the draw will not only enable the Socceroos to go against the very best, but also improve our own system.
“We want to play against teams that represent one part of the overall model we ultimately aspire to – one that will eventually become proprietary and distinctive to us,” wrote Foster in The Sydney Morning Herald.
“In this respect, the draw could simply not be better constituted for our long-term football future.”
“We face three teams with various components we wish to inherit, all highly attacking teams that aim to dominate matches in very different ways, playing very different versions of the same overall playing model.”
Australia will be participating in just its fourth World Cup, making a third straight appearance. Both 2006 and 2010 saw the Socceroos record single wins, enough in Germany to propel the team into the Last 16 before being controversially eliminated by eventual champions Italy. A 4-0 loss to Germany in 2010’s opener was enough to eliminate the boys from Last 16 contention despite a 1-1 draw with Ghana and a proud 2-1 victory over Serbia.
The Socceroos announced on Sunday that the coastal city of Vitoria will be the team’s base during the World Cup.
The State of Espírito Santo will develop a training base for the Socceroos and leave it to city’s 1.8 million people after the tournament.
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Photo: Matt King, Getty Images.
