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Socceroos secured the coveted Soccer Ashes with a resounding 2-0 victory over New Zealand. The thrilling match unfolded on Wednesday morning at the Gtech Community Stadium, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
New Zealand showed early promise, putting Australia under immense pressure as they sought an opening goal. However, the Aussie squad, known for their resilience, weathered the storm. Their moment came 13 minutes into the game when a left-sided delivery from Alessandro Circati found Mitchell Duke, whose shot deflected off Harry Souttar, finding the back of the net.
Just 12 minutes later, Jordan Bos nearly doubled Australia's lead with a curler, only to be denied by New Zealand's goalkeeper, Michael Woud.
New Zealand, determined to make their mark, had their opportunity when Bill Tuiloma's cross met Chris Wood centrally, forcing Mathew Ryan into an impressive save.
Australia's relentless pursuit of goals continued in the second half, with chances coming from all angles. Martin Boyle and Connor Metcalfe came close, but Woud's vigilant goalkeeping kept the All Whites in the game.
The much-anticipated second goal finally arrived in the 76th minute when Boyle's left-sided corner found Jackson Irvine, who nodded it past Woud, effectively sealing Australia's triumph.
Although they could have easily scored a third, Australia's two-goal lead proved enough to clinch the Soccer Ashes. The match concluded with Graham Arnold's men celebrating their victory in London.
Final Score: Subway Socceroos 2 (Harry Souttar 13’, Jackson Irvine 76’) New Zealand 0
The Subway Socceroos, led by Mathew Ryan, showcased exceptional teamwork and skill, setting the stage for a thrilling upcoming match against Bangladesh
What a performance we put up on reflection. Who expected us to win two matches? Well, now the Socceroos are ranked 27th in the world, which is a massive 11-place leap. those wins against Tunisia and Denmark were fantastic. The close fight against eventual winners Argentina was impressive. I know we were spanked by France but Australia was ranked 11th. Good tidings for Graham Arnold's young side.
The Socceroos can hold their heads up high. They certainly put up a good fight against Messi's Argentina in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup Finals. Messi opened the scoring in his 1000th appearance for his country. Alvarez added a second at 57 minutes but they didn't really look like they were working too hard. Craig Goodwin's 77-minute strike appeared to be on target but as it took a hefty deflection it was an own goal. Some great goalkeeping and defending prevented the 2-1 scoreline from changing. Behich looked like scoring after making a great run but it was caught by Martinez. In true Aussie fashion, we all wish Messi and Argentina great success in this competition. We look forward to their match against the Netherlands.
Who would have thought it? Australia hard fought battle against Denmark resulted in a victory for the Socceroos. There were parties in the streets until 3 am after Mathew Leckie scored that brilliant goal. Danmark may have dominated but they failed to convert their chances. After Leckie scored Denmark continued to press but the Socceroos held on.
With a delightful win over Tunisia Australia has been given a ray of hope in the World Cup. With a 1-0 victory, Australia has a chance of progressing out of the group stages. Mitchell Duke scored in the 23rd minute and dedicated his win to his son. His J celebration had fans talking. Socceroos boss Graham Arnold was reflective and realistic at the same time. He contemplated that it was just another match and let's hope that Aussie grit and determination will see victory against Denmark.
Craig Goodwin opened the scoring, but Oliver Giroud was the talk of the town. His brace meant that he equalled Thierry Henri's scoring record. It was a strong message from France about this tournament. They have every intention of winning even without five of their top players. The Socceroos fight till the end and will focus on the next match against Tunisia
The Socceroos have announced their 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The squad is a mix of experience and youth, with a number of players making their first World Cup appearance.
Leading the charge is captain Mat Ryan, who will be making his third World Cup appearance. He is joined by veterans Jackson Irvine and Milos Degenek, as well as rising stars.
There were some surprises in the squad, with experienced central defender Trent Sainsbury omitted, while forwards Garang Kuol and former Scotland international Jason Cummings were included.
Australia will face champions France, Tunisia and Denmark in Group D in their fifth successive trip to the finals.
Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (captain), Danny Vukovic, Andrew Redmayne.
Defenders: Harry Souttar, Milos Degenek, Bailey Wright, Thomas Deng, Fran Karacic, Nathaniel Atkinson, Aziz Behich, Kye Rowles, Joel King.
Midfielders: Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Ajdin Hrustic, Cameron Devlin, Riley McGree, Keanu Baccus
Forwards: Jamie Maclaren, Mitchell Duke, Jason Cummings, Garang Kuol, Awer Mabil, Mathew Leckie, Craig Goodwin, Martin Boyle.
November 23 - France vs Australia - 12:30 AM - Al Janoub Stadium
November 26 - Tunisia vs Australia - 3:30 PM - Al Janoub Stadium
November 30 - Australia vs Denmark - 8:30 PM - Al Janoub Stadium
It was well-documented throughout Australia’s dry run of failing to qualify for the World Cup that a soccer curse could have been at play. It was first teased by former captain Johnny Warren, who said that he believed that a hex was put on the team as they attempted to qualify for the 1970 World Cup. The story says that the curse was put on the team during the third game against Mozambique, as bones were buried underneath the goals of the Aussie team.
Warren admitted that the curse almost seemed to play a part in Australia’s failure to reach the World Cup in 1970, as they headed to Israel. The former captain revealed that star players for the team picked up mysterious illnesses or injuries, while their flight to Tel Aviv was also delayed for hours. Warren went further by admitting that the curse almost certainly also played a part in the performances of players in that game, as own goals and poor decisions made sure that they weren’t able to end their long wait to reach the World Cup finals for the first time.
However, how true the curse really is can be questioned, since Australia would eventually break their duck and qualify for the World Cup at the next attempt. But, they were eliminated at the group stage after taking one point from the three games played in Germany at the World Cup in 1974.
Many believed that the curse was at play for generations, as Australia constantly fell short in their ambition to reach the World Cup between 1978 and 2002. However, there were signs that it was finally coming to an end ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Australia caused a massive shock by reaching the World Cup that year, as they overcame Uruguay in the playoff round, eventually winning on penalties after the tie was level 1-1 on aggregate after the two legs. The match-winning goal from the spot was scored by John Alioisi.
Since that victory, Australia has gone on to reach the next three World Cups, which included their most recent showing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, their record on the grandest stage hasn’t been strong at all, as they have failed to win a single game in their last six appearances at the World Cup. Many could question whether instead of being a curse, the development of players in the country has stalled, which has allowed many of the emerging nations in the region to surpass the levels that Australia is able to reach.
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