As anyone who’s been in Australia longer than five minutes will tell you, the locals pride themselves on their “never-say-die” attitude when it comes to sport. It’s usually followed by the annoying phrase “Aussie battler”, which is all part of Australia’s endless quest to portray itself as the plucky underdog on whatever sporting stage it’s on.
So after being pitted against Spain, the Netherlands and Chile for this month’s World Cup, you’d expect a few cries of “onya!” and “Straya!”, and a few inspirational words from former players as the Socceroos prepare for the group of death. “We are going to get absolutely smashed,” said former national team captain, and realist, Paul Wade. “It’s a massive step up for them, it really is.
“As a footballer, we talk about the green and gold. As a footballer, you have pride in yourself and your performance and helping your mates out. That all comes into play. But right now, without doubt, we’re going to get hammered.” Great stuff. But it’s not all bad news, according to Wade, who threw the gauntlet down to Ange Postecoglou and his team of soon-to-be-crushed youngsters. “A lot of people are saying we won’t even score a goal or get a point,” he said, suggesting that even a 7-1 hammering against Chile would represent a victory so long as they score.
OK, so even the most blindly loyal Socceroos fan would find it hard to see the team qualify from their group, but with a team of young talent gaining valuable experience on the big stage, surely they’ll be in great shape for next year’s Asian Cup, especially with the advantage of playing on home soil? “Even that tournament will probably come too soon for this group of players to see success,” says the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sebastian Hassett. “Only by the time of qualifying for the next World Cup– slated to begin in September next year – will the benefits of Wednesday’s squad announcement be in full bloom.” So there you have it folks, the Socceroos are so shit you can forget about the next two major international competitions, but there’s an outside chance they might qualify for one in four years. Hurrah!
Also visit – https://britishballs.com/funny-and-old-sport-news/
