The Wizards of Aus
The unlikely heroes leading the Socceroos Round of 16 charge
In a country truly captivated by sport, there is no absence of magical sporting moments. From that Cathy Freeman run to the Steven Bradbury shock, all-time greats, even nobodies can become instant legends.
Yet for all our sporting glory, at the most famed sporting tournament in the world, in a sport where careers are defined, and players immortalized in mere seconds, we have failed to deliver. And with a squad devoid of out-and-out ‘superstars’, and after our embarrassing 4–1 defeat at the hands of France, it seemed inevitable, that at least for another 4 years, that trend would continue.
But somehow in the space of fewer than 72 hours, Australia’s footballing fortunes turned on their head.
We beat bloody Tunisia.
A 1–0 victory against the plucky Africans has provided Australians with a sense of optimism that for the 1st time in 16 years, the Australians can make the knockout stages.
So, that begs the question.
Who are the present-day heroes who secured our first World Cup win in nearly 12 years?
We start with the man who scored the decisive goal in that critical clash with Tunisia.
Mitch Duke.
Born in Liverpool, Australia (not to be confused with the home of the Premier League giants), Duke is far from your typical hero. However, after commencing his professional career in 2011 at the Central Coast Mariners, graduating from the side’s respected youth pathway, Duke was destined for great success.
Drawing interest from Premier League club, West-Ham United in his early years, and after making his initial Socceroos appearance in 2013, Duke was plagued by form and injury issues. Struggling away from home in the J-League, Duke ended up in the footballing wilderness, falling out of favour for club and country. And when a cruel ACL injury struck him on his temporary return to the A-League and Australian squad, Duke’s career was on the verge of collapse.
Yet approaching his 30s and with a young family, Duke put his head down and got to work. Making a full return to the A-League in 2021, Duke experienced a rebirth, earning him a J-League return and Socceroos reprieve. Scoring his first goal for the national team in 8 years, Duke recently re-asserted himself as a key cog in the Socceroos camp. But he’s not the only Aussie who’s regained his spot in the Aussie camp following adversity.
Injury also struck Duke’s teammate, and Australia’s best player for much of their Qualifying Campaign, Harry Souttar. A 198cm giant, born and raised in Scotland, Souttar made the cross to the Australian set-up in 2019, earning his maiden senior cap almost instantly. And boy did he impress.
Despite playing as a central back, Souttar became a focal point of Australia’s attack, particularly on set pieces. Scoring 12 times in 6 national appearances, he quickly became a star within the team. But with a Premier League future beckoning, lightning struck twice. In similar fashion to Duke, Souttar suffered a serious knee injury in World Cup qualifying, and without their defensive stalwart, the form of the Australian team quickly deteriorated.
For that reason, despite missing almost a year’s worth of action and with just 1 senior match in 2022 to his name, Souttar was re-instated to the starting XI in Australia’s opening-round match with France. And whilst his performance in that match left much to be desired, an inspirational effort against Tunisia (characterized by an extraordinary tackle on Yassine Khenissi) help make him one of the stories of this World Cup.
Whilst Duke and Souttar remain Socceroos heroes re-igniting their careers, goal-keeper Mathew Ryan’s career has been in freefall. Captain of the Socceroos since 2019, Ryan has struggled to find form at club-level in recent years. After becoming a sought-after goal-keeper with Belgian giants, Club Brugge in 2013, and freshly promoted Brighton in 2017, short-lived births since 2020 at Arsenal, Real-Sociedad, and FC Copenhagen have crippled his European future. A credit to his leadership credentials and thick-skin, Ryan’s recent obscurity at club-level has had little impact on his national duties. This is not unlike legendary Mexican goal-keeper Guillermo Ochoa.
To be honest, this piece could’ve been about any of the Aussie players. The best performed Aussie across both matches, Craig Goodwin, Game 1 goal-scorer, and Game 2 assister has been phenomenal. Fellow Starting XI locks, Matthew Leckie and Aaron Mooy have been solid as ever. And Center-Back Kye Rowles has an equally impressive comeback story.
And that’s without even mentioning the prodigious talent, Garang Kuol. Fresh off signing with Newcastle United, Kuol is Australia’s greatest talent since the ‘Golden Boys’. Whilst he remains a raw prospect, his youthfulness and pace are already a handful for his opposition.
But Duke, Souttar, and Ryan, (the key trio behind the already famous Tunisia victory) are the epitome of the changing attitudes of the Socceroos landscape. A team not afraid to throw their punches at the heavyweights of the footballing world.
With this fresh approach, fresh faces, and an Australian manager — Graham Arnold (not without his criticism), it’s no surprise Socceroos fans are excited.
As we head into our decisive 3rd match with Denmark late Wednesday night (AWST time), 2 points clear in safety, with a draw likely enough to progress (barring a major Tunisian upset of France), the Round of 16 is finally back in sight.
And although we will be up against it, giving up 28th spots in the official FIFA World Rankings to our Scandinavian opponents, this new-look Socceroos squad can draw confidence from their most recent meeting with the Danes, a 1–1 draw in Russia.
So when Socceroos fans begin to congregate around the country and in watch parties around the world on November 30th, they should have trust in this team to get the job done.
The Europeans aren’t as scary as they were before.
And if we win, a likely date with Argentina awaits.
Now wouldn’t that be something?
