‘Australia “soccer” is rubbish!’ YEAH RIGHT

Australian soccer’s rubbish, so we keep hearing. Yeah right.

The Socceroos are officially among the best 16 teams in the world, after Melbourne City winger Mathew Leckie capped off his record-equalling ninth World Cup appearance with an historic goal.

It was the Stuttgart moment – minus the absolute chaos – and Leckie, 31, was our Harry Kewell. 

Kewell was our superstar back then, winning Champions League a year earlier with Liverpool. A year ago, Leckie left Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin to return to the A-League, and so beautifully encapsulates this understated and underrated team.

When Leckie opted to return to Australia, some suspected the clock was ticking on his international career considering the ‘backward step’.

Yet despite 150 games and 11 goals with Bundesliga clubs and 248 games in Germany’s top two divisions, his greatest World Cup moment – and maiden, world-class goal – has come after returning to the A-League.

Like Kewell, Leckie scored with his opposite foot. But in fairness, Leckie had far more to do, with his intelligent and impeccably time run, slalom dribble and perfectly struck finish all executed during a lung-busting 70-metre run from the diagonally opposite edge of Australia’s defensive penalty area.

Released by Riley McGree, Leckie had already made dash into space on the left wing after Mitch Duke had dropped deep to receive Harry Souttar’s pass. He pulled the handbrake up to see if he had any support, with two Danish players to take on.


With no support, he persisted, twisted and turned before catching Kasper Schmeichel off guard, contouring his body to hit a sweetly-timed left-foot strike just inside the far post.

How does an A-League player do that? Clearly, Australia’s domestic competition is better than what many give it credit for and provides sufficient physical and technical foundations to land giantkilling blows. Leckie’s goal left Schmeichel and the star-studded Danes stunned. 

This was very much a win that had A-Leagues fingerprints all over it – from goalscorer Leckie to ex-Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold. In fact, Arnold’s team has outdone Guus Hiddink’s class of 2006 by becoming the first Socceroos team to win two World Cup matches, yielding highest points tally ever.

Both history-making Socceroos team have killed off a relative giant – in 2006 it was a Croatian team that finished third in the World Cup eight years earlier. Today it was a Denmark team that was tipped to upset world champions France, and made the semi-finals of the European Championships a year earlier.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Socceroos fans. Just moments before Leckie’s goal, Australia had dropped to third on the live Group D ladder when Tunisia scored against France. Leckie later revealed he was unaware of this.

It sparked wild scenes inside Al Janoub Stadium, and back home. And the unifying force of the Socceroos is underlined by the fact that even Melbourne Victory fans – who usually jeer Leckie in a Melbourne derby – would have been celebrating his momentous goal with gusto.

It’s extraordinary to think that this team was written off, and Arnold was under pressure to keep his job eight months ago.

THE TACTICAL TWEAK

Leckie’s goal justified Arnold’s decision to move McGree to the left, after box-to-box midfielder Keanu Baccus came on for Craig Goodwin to provide Aaron Mooy and Jackson Irvine with more support.

The Socceroos deployed a flat three across the middle after Baccus’ introduction, having had McGree in a more advanced role in the first half. It enabled Denmark’s midfield space, including Christian Eriksen. 

The Danes dominated the first half without landing the killer blow. The half-time tweak turned the tide, as the Socceroos looked more balanced, came out sharper and Leckie’s goal was the reward.

After the goal, Arnold shored up the defence, bringing on Bailey Wright and switching to a 5-4-1 defensively, or 3-4-2-1 with the ball. Milos Degenek, who was the only change from the Tunisia win, was deployed as a wing-back on the right, with the outstanding Aziz Behich on the left. Behich’s performance was outstanding and measured, considering he was booked in the opening minutes.

This will provide a unique opportunity for the domestic competition to capitalise on the world’s biggest sporting event. And the eight A-League players may be excused for returning slightly fatigued, and hopefully very late, considering it restarts in 10 days.

John Aloisi labelled this our Croatia match, but the lead in and start was markedly different to that night in Stuttgart 2006.

There was no shock selection changes – a la Zeljko Kalac for Mark Schwarzer in goals – no early goal or chaotic starts, and a quieter, tenser atmosphere.

The Danish side was comparable to the fellow European nation in terms of quality, and like Croatia, the Danes were a bit rattled by the Socceroos, who had a markedly different look and feel about them to Hiddink’s side.

This Socceroos came into the tournament with far lower expectations and far less global street cred. The Tunisia win put this team on the map. This blows everything out of the water.

THE FUTURE

This result, the huge national focus heading into Saturday’s second round match and the afterglow will provide Australian football with a timely shot in the arm.

Australian football officials know so much can be improved, and there is more reality about the status quo, with Arnold highlighting the issues on the eve of the Denmark game.

The reality is that Australia has a shallower pool of players to choose from and the calibre of Danish players – when you look at their club CV’s – is clearly superior.

However, this Socceroos squad is greater than the sum of its parts and the team bond forged under the Arnold regime has inspired this team to make history.

The flow on effects of this uniquely timed World Cup can be enormous, with junior clubs around Australia much better positioned – due to junior seasons kicking off in several months – to capitalise on increasing interest from young wannabe Mitch Duke’s, Mooy’s, Goodwin’s and Harry Souttar’s.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup will also provide the game another huge boost – publicity and otherwise. But for the moment, the focus is on Qatar 2022.

This was exhilarating. For the timebeing, the Socceroos will get some much needed rest before regrouping for the Round of 16.

The nation will be bleary-eyed for at least another few days. And hopefully at least a few more days thereafter.