More than football at stake for Socceroos

It's been a agelong clip since John Aloisi's 2005 penalty, and the ensuing 2006 World Cup that helped revitalise shot successful Australia.

In a federation similar ours, with truthful galore sports jostling for attention, there's simply much astatine involvement than winning oregon losing connected the tract - the sport's fortunes successful the future, astatine slightest partially, hinge connected the occurrence of the nationalist teams.

And aft a mates of thin runs successful Brazil and Russia (it's been 12 years since Australia won a crippled astatine a men's World Cup), the Socceroos could sorely usage a feel-good campaign.

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The Tim Cahill extremity successful 2014 was a large moment, but was an Oasis successful the godforsaken that was a brutal tournament, ending successful 3 consecutive defeats.

Four years' later, the Socceroos got a constituent against Denmark and should person astir apt done likewise against France, but the lone times they recovered the backmost of the nett were via 2 penalties.

Mat Leckie and Jamie Maclaren up of the 2022 World Cup. (Robert Cianflone via Getty Images)

There was precise small for Australia to bent it's chapeau on, and astir nary 'bounce' backmost location arsenic had been felt by erstwhile World Cups.

But that tin each alteration now.

A bully men's World Cup present can assistance capitalise connected the positives that the crippled is enjoying elsewhere - not that thing could beryllium astatine the level of 2006, but erstwhile the Socceroos are performing well, the crippled is successful a amended authorities arsenic a result.

The A-League is experiencing somewhat of a revival, with the Sydney Derby welcoming successful its biggest assemblage successful years implicit the weekend.

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There's the Matildas hoping to triumph the World Cup successful a fewer months, not to notation the occurrence the likes of Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat are having managing overseas.

France person got a shocker oregon 2 successful them astatine planetary tournaments, the Danes didn't outplay Australia 4 years ago, and Tunisia aren't precisely heavyweights - the extremity present indispensable beryllium to triumph a game, if not suffice to the past 16.

Teams (FIFA World Ranking):

France (4)

The defending champions were hardly troubled successful qualifying, going undefeated and locking up a spot successful Qatar connected the penultimate matchday with a thumping 8-0 triumph implicit Kazakhstan.

Australia (48)

In lawsuit you missed it, Australia had to spell done 2 tense abrupt decease qualifiers to scope Qatar; archetypal against the UAE, and past Peru. The latter, of course, ended successful a punishment shootout victory, with Andrew Redmayne penning his sanction successful Australian sporting history.

Denmark (10)

A 1-0 triumph implicit Austria was capable for Denmark to apical their European qualifying radical with 2 games remaining, finishing good up of Scotland successful 2nd place, adjacent with the second triumphing connected a last time dormant rubber.

Tunisia (30)

Tunisia were matched up against Mali successful a two-legged play-off, with the lone extremity crossed 180 minutes of shot coming via a Moussa Sissako ain goal.

Fixtures:

Denmark vs Tunisia

France vs Australia

Tunisia vs Australia

France vs Denmark

Australia vs Denmark

Tunisia vs France

Prediction:

The Socceroos person a genuine accidental of navigating their mode retired of the radical stage. They won't beryllium overmatched against Tunisia, portion they managed to gully with Denmark past year.

On apical of that, France person had a propensity to implode astatine aggregate planetary tournaments of the past fewer years, truthful who knows? The caput says 3 oregon 4 points is the champion that we tin anticipation for, the bosom says that mightiness beryllium capable - oregon that six oregon adjacent 7 are possible.

1st: France

2nd: Denmark

3rd: Australia

4th: Tunisia

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Australia's 26-player squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup