Australia National Team World Cup Betting
Australia will be making its fifth straight trip to the World Cup after claiming the penultimate spot in the competition following the first Intercontinental Playoff. The Socceroos first had to knock off the United Arab Emirates in Qatar, and the match was level for nearly the entire time until Ajdin Hrustic found the back of the net in the 84th minute. That set up a showdown with Peru in the blazing summer heat, and neither side was able to score after 120 minutes of play. The match went to penalties before Australia was able to advance 5-4 after the sixth round of penalties. They are considerable underdogs in Group D as nearly everyone is picking France and Denmark to advance.
Manager: Graham Arnold
Nickname: Socceroos
Confederation: AFC (Asia)
FIFA Ranking: 42 (March 2022)
Australia World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group D: +1300
To Win 2022 World Cup: +55000
*Odds as of June 14, 2022
Australia Group Stage Schedule
France vs. Australia, Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (FOX)
Tunisia vs. Australia, Saturday, November 26, 2022, 5 a.m. ET, at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan (FS1)
Australia vs. Denmark, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 11 a.m. ET, at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (FS1)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 6 (first in 1974)
Best Result: Round of 16 (2006)
Australia is making its sixth appearance at the World Cup in Qatar. The Socceroos have not been too impressive on the international stage, but they have improved since moving to the Asian confederation from Oceania.
Their first trip to the World Cup came in 1974. Australia was unable to advance to the knockout rounds, but they did pick up a result in a 0-0 draw with Chile. Unfortunately, they failed to score a goal at the tournament, so their first tally at the World Cup came 32 years later in Germany.
The Socceroos had their most success at the 2006 World Cup. They were down 1-0 late against Japan in their first match, but they scored three times in the final eight minutes to pick up three points. Tim Cahill notched a brace with goals in the 84th and 89th minutes, and that got the Aussies off on the right foot. They lost to Brazil in their next match, but a 2-2 draw against Croatia was enough for Australia to advance to the knockout rounds. The Socceroos nearly took eventual champions Italy into extra time in the Round of 16 before conceding a penalty in the fifth minute of added time.
A 4-0 loss to Germany in their first match of the 2010 World Cup put Australia on the back foot, and the Socceroos were unable to advance despite earning a draw against Ghana and a win against Serbia. That win against Serbia turned out to be their last win on this stage. Australia failed to earn a result at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and could only manage a draw at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
What to Watch
All-time leading scorer Tim Cahill retired after the 2018 World Cup, and Australia will have to find a new way to generate goals at the top of the formation. Cahill could be a menace with aerial balls in the box, but there isn’t anyone that is nearly as skilled on those types of balls now.
The Socceroos will likely turn to Awer Mabil and Ajdin Hrustic to create goals. Mabil has seven goals in 28 matches and knocked home the game-winning penalty against Peru, while Hrustic is the best creator and distributor on the team. He is one of the few players on a solid club team too, plying his trade for Eintracht Frankfurt.
There are a lot of worries about this back line, and Aaron Mooy will be counted on to buoy this unit. Mooy is a solid defensive midfielder, and he is one of the veteran leaders of this squad. The most capped player on the roster is captain and goalkeeper Matthew Ryan, and he will have his work cut out for him.
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