Australia’s bumpy road to the World Cup

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The good news for Australia is that the team has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup. The Socceroos clinched a trip to Russia late last year after beating Honduras in the second cross-continent playoff they were forced to play.

The bad news is that shortly after the win, head coach Ange Postecoglou resigned, leaving the team without a coach just months before the World Cup.

Australian national football team coach Ange Postecoglou resigned. /FFA Photo

“Loosing Ange and the circumstances, the timing, it was not right, it was not right,” said former Socceroos player Peter Katholos.

Former Socceroo Peter Katholos. /CGTN Photo

The bad news didn't stop there.

FIFA began investigating the country's governing body, Football Federation Australia, over claims of poor management and a lack of transparency.

And on top of all that, the country had to find a new coach.

“Only a super intellectual, only a man good enough to communicate, a good psychologist will get a team of 26 players reduced to 23 and he would have to work with them day and night,” said former Australian national football team coach Rale Rasic.

New Socceroos coach Bert Van Mawijk. /Reuters Photo‍

The answer was former Dutch national coach Bert Van Marwijk, who was hired only to take the Socceroos to the World Cup. He’ll be replaced by another coach once the tournament is over.

Katholos said all of the uncertainty has likely left the players with a lot questions.

“Do I fit into someone’s plans? Is he going to be an attacking minded coach? Is he going to be defensive, is he going to be cautious?” he said.

Perhaps the biggest obstacles to Australia’s success at the World Cup are the teams it will face in the first round in Russia including Denmark, Peru, and first match opponent France.

“Now all we need to do is produce some good performances, hopefully we can get some good results and look, you never know,” said Katholos.

Considering the bumps Australia has somehow managed to navigate so far in the long road to Russia, he may just be right.