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Joel Moss
(UPDATE: Spain defeated the Socceroos 3-0)
THE Socceroos face 2010 World Cup champions, Spain, in the knowledge that, whatever the result, there are just 200 days to their next major tournament – the AFC Asian Cup on home soil in January.
Written off as the lowest ranked team at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Ange Postecoglou’s brave young Socceroos have already exceeded expectations after pushing Chile and leading The Netherlands deep into their Group B encounter.
Now they meet a Spain team already out of contention and hurting from their humiliation.
With just 200 days to go until the AFC Asian Cup 2015 – the biggest football tournament ever held in Australia – there is a lot on the line for the new-breed Socceroos.
In a drastic change of roles, the Socceroos have been taken the Football world by storm as one of the most impressive teams in this World Cup, while
title-defenders and highly touted Spain have been embarrassed.
Socceroos coach, Ange Posteglou, entered the World Cup as a launching pad for the new-generation Socceroos into the future and their next major international campaign in the 2015 Asian Cup.
“From the outset I’ve said I want people excited about the team. I want people looking forward for when we play next and I think we’ve cultivated that sort of feeling around the team,” Postecoglou told FFA TV.
Although the Socceroos lost 3-1 to Chile and 3-2 to Holland, Australia has won the hearts and minds of all football fans, not to mention Tim Cahill’s unforgettable goal against Holland that was replayed continuously around the world.
However, Postecoglou remains determined to prove victorious against Spain before the Socceroos’ next competitive match at the Asian Cup in January.
“Hopefully we can grow that a little bit more in this last game,” Postecoglou said. “Moving forward we’ve raised expectations, which is great. It means we’ve got to challenge ourselves. But more importantly people look forward to every time the Socceroos go out there and take on the world’s best.”
Postecoglou and Australian superstar, Cahill, lead the Socceroos’ charge into the Asian Cup which features three other World Cup finalists including Japan, South Korea and Iran. Australia will be on a mission to overturn their 2011 loss in the Final against Japan.
Stadium Australia will host all seven Sydney games at the Asian Cup, which runs from 9-31 January, including a Socceroos Group match against Oman on 13 January, a quarter final, a semi-final on Australia Day and the Final on 31 January.
At the height of summer, with school holidays in full swing, you and the family can be part of world-class football by purchasing your tickets here from as little as $5 for children and $40 for a family of four.
Better yet, for $229, you can purchase tickets here to all seven Sydney games played at Stadium Australia that includes the final itself on January 31 and a semi-final played on Australia Day that may feature the Socceroos.
|
MATCH |
DATE |
TIME |
|
Uzbekistan v Korea DPR |
10 Jan 2015 |
6pm |
|
Australia v Oman |
13 Jan 2015 |
8pm |
|
Qatar v Iran |
15 Jan 2015 |
8pm |
|
Qatar v Bahrain |
19 Jan 2015 |
8pm |
|
Quarter Final |
23 Jan 2015 |
TBC |
|
Semi Final |
26 Jan 2015 |
TBC |
|
Final |
31 Jan 2015 |
TBC |
* Under AFC Asia Cup rules, all stadia become clean venues in terms of sponsorship, meaning stadia will revert to their generic names, with Stadium Australia being referred to as Stadium Australia.
Don’t miss out. Unite for the Asian Cup.
