For the first time this World Cup, Graham Arnold stared down a journalist’s question.
This time, it wasn’t so much anger as incredulity.
Speaking in Arabic in Australia’s pre-game press conference ahead of the World Cup Round of 16 match against Argentina, a Tunisian journalist genuinely threw Arnold with a question no one could quite believe.
“I don’t know if I should answer that,” a miffed Arnold replied.
The Socceroos boss had been asked about social media gossip out of Tunisia that two of his players had failed a drug test.
Still shaking his head in disbelief, he added: “I’m sorry but that’s the first time I have heard anything about that; I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Welcome to the circus of the World Cup, and the knockout stages, where the stakes are suffocating, the drama intoxicating and the Socceroos are the centre of the attention, in arguably the biggest match in the Round of 16 – the one where you cannot jag a ticket because of the focus on seeing Lionel Messi’s World Cup quest.
The question, it appears, is from baseless gossip – not even from a news report – out of Africa, which left Australian officials as bemused as Arnold was.
The press room was the busiest it has been for an Australian game so far – but, about one third of the size as it was when Argentina star Rodrigo De Paul and coach Lionel Scaloni addressed the press beforehand.
That’s where you get a tangible sense of the gravitas of this moment. The competition to ask a question was like a schoolyard scrap, the room a hubbub of excitement. One journalist even presented Scaloni with a gift.
When asked about the “craziness” Argentina constantly experiences, Scaloni explained: “We are getting the feeling that for many years, we had Diego, now Messi, always across the globe there was people crazy about the Argentinian colour, passion, fans…we will try to give our utmost, giving our most, aware this is football and aware it is about the way we play.”
The shadow of Messi, and the spectre of failure, follows Argentina everywhere in this tournament.
The Socceroos love an underdog tag, but in Doha, the other role they are playing is party pooper.
“It will be devastating for the country (if Australia wins)…I wouldn’t like to imagine or contemplate (the reaction),” South America-based football journalist Michael Place told KEEPUP.
“We saw when Diego Maradona died they had a state funeral and three days of public holidays – it was a devastating moment…
“It will be considered like a death; in terms of Argentina’s World Cup hopes going up in smoke and Messi never winning a World Cup…Argentina would be in mourning for a few weeks.”
The game is at 10pm in Qatar, 6am AEDT and 4pm in Buenos Aires.
“We can envisage an Argentina with absolutely no businesses open during the game, shops will be closed,” he explained.
“It is not only an important game for Argentina, but also for Lionel Messi.”
Guillem Balague, Messi’s biographer, explained that while Messi doesn’t need to win a World Cup to cement his legacy, the need to win a World Cup is “a debate outside the house”.
“Leo Messi has come to this World Cup with everything done,” Balague told KEEPUP’s David Davutovic.
“Legacy, who writes the legacy anyway? His legacy is that he has been the most consistent player in the history of the game. Ever. Last time I looked he scored 25 goals in 32 finals. Nobody’s ever done that.
“He has won the Champions League. He’s won the (Spanish and French) leagues, he won the Champions League again. He’s won seven Ballon d’Or’s – that’s the legacy.
Yeah, but he hasn’t won a World Cup – that would be the debate outside his house. But inside it would be, we tried it. The best chance was 2014 when they missed at the last hurdle.
“He doesn’t feel he’s got to win the World Cup but he has to win the World Cup. Having said that, he came (to Qatar) taking pressure off of himself, thinking, right we’ve got a young coach, young players, 36 games unbeaten. So things could go well, but they may not.”
The passion here is certainly not one sided.
Australia’s reaction has caused international headlines too, with global interest in the outpouring of emotion at Federation Square at 3.30am on a weekday.
This is only set to explode further on Sunday AEDT, with live sites across the country a sign of the football passion, and undervalued football culture that exists in Australia.
However in Doha, the focus is on Messi, with Australia continuing an approach maintaining the steely resolve, professionalism and respect without fear that they have discussed for two weeks.
Harry Souttar said he has not played in a squad with this amount of belief.
“I probably would’ve believed you,” he answered, when asked how he would have reacted at the start of his Australia journey if you’d told him he’d be facing Argentina in the Round of 16.
“Because we had so much belief in ourselves…we’re not surprised, I know we’ve surprised a few people – hopefully we can do it again.”
At home, the moment is seminal. Progress, or get eliminated, a new generation has been swept up by the allure of the world’s game, while the Isuzu UTE A-League commences off the back of a tournament where its stars have elevated the competition to a global audience.
“You’ve seen scenes of Fed Square and the celebrations and now it makes everyone proud and we want more. We haven’t finished yet. We are turning up to win another game tomorrow,” Arnold said.
For that to happen, it will require a result that would be one of the great World Cup boilovers.
Australia’s strikeforce will come from the second divisions in England and Japan. Argentina could have Inter Milan’s Lauturo Martinez as a substitute.
But as Scaloni referenced, the power of Australia’s team cannot be understated. And at a tournament where Belgium and Germany have already fallen – and Argentina have been stunned by Saudi Arabia – they need no more warning.
The Socceroos have shown technical quality, tactical poise and a physical prowess to overpower and outwit Tunisia and Denmark, but this is another proposition, requiring the perfect day to once again cause a boilover, without getting consumed by the global superstar who shalt not be mentioned by name by Arnold.
“We know it is going to be a difficult task; we respect the player massively, but I don’t think it’s an individual thing, it’s got to be a team collective.
“We’ve got to be switched on at all times….it can’t come down to one individual to try and stop him.”
Arnold’s side is expected to once again try to squeeze high up the park to put pressure on Argentina’s midfield as it did to Tunisia and Denmark – indeed, Saudi Arabia’s joy came with a risky, but ultimately successful high line.
He added: “We’ve got to be brave. We have to make sure we’re in their faces and take away their strengths – time on the ball.”
And with three goals from open play, all beautifully constructed, the side has shown it should not fear if it does go behind.
Ultimately, this is a window of opportunity for this quarter of the draw. Most of the planet will say the draw has opened up for Argentina.
“There was so much tension (after the Saudi Arabia loss) inside and now all of a sudden they not only win the group, they look and they think one of Australia, Argentina, United States, and Netherlands are going to be in the semifinals,” said Balague.
“So it’s very possible that it could be Argentina out of those four, you have to say it is the better side. And if you get to the semis, anything is possible.
“They’re back again putting pressure on their own shoulders. Because they feel that winning the World Cup is possible because the team has adapted well to the competition.
“And there are so many people that want Leo Messi to win it.”
So many people, minus 26 million.
