Australia’s teeth-grinding clash against Denmark last night was one laden with hope; following a disappointing (but expected) defeat at the hands of Les Bleus. Progression through to the next round demanded a win from Australia, but the 1 – 1 result has left many Aussie supporters wondering where that leaves us. Is all hope extinguished?
We break down Australia’s chances, plus some memorable moments from the week in today’s World Cup Wrap. Read on:
AUS VS DENMARK: SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR
Australia dominated the game against Denmark, but failed to convert any attacking opportunities.
By all accounts, Australia dominated against Denmark in last night’s encounter, with the Socceroos spending much of the match in Denmark’s half. And our chances on goal came tantalisingly close, with some superb work from Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse and Aziz Behich putting the Danes in the danger zone.
But alas, we failed to convert these opportunities. It was only thanks to cool-as-a-cucumber Mile Jedinak that we got on the scoreboard, converting a penalty picked up by VAR to combat Christian Eriksen’s early goal.
The verdict? Another strong performance from our boys, but not enough to take us into the next round (yet). So – where does that leave us?
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS CRUCIAL
Australia is set to take on Peru next Wednesday 27 June (12 am AEST), in the final match of the Group Stage. A win is obviously necessary to progress, but it’s not just a win we need…
To get through to the next stage, Australia needs two things to happen:
1. We need to win against Peru 1 – 0
2. France needs to defeat Denmark 1 – 0
Denmark’s goal difference is two ahead of Australia in the table above. So the easiest way for us to progress would be to defeat Peru by 1 goal (+1), and for Denmark to lose against France by 1 goal (+1).
But… here’s where it gets tricky:
If we defeat Peru but Denmark doesn’t lose 1-0 (say for example they lose 3-2), Australia and Denmark would be tied for goal difference – but Denmark would go through to the next round on the basis of most goals.
In this scenario, Australia would need a win over Peru of two goals or more.
FIFA has a number of tie-breaks in the event two teams are tied in the Group Stage – from ‘fair play points’ (yellow cards), to, yes, the drawing of straws.
The ABC breaks it down further in this article.
The good news is – it’s a tough situation for Australia to be in, but not impossible.
You may want to get two TVs going into Wednesday’s game – both Group C deciders are on at the same time!
Watch the World Cup live here on SBS.
READ ON FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK:
RONALDO IS GIVING US ALL OF THE DRAMA AND WE’RE HERE FOR IT
Ronaldo was NOT. HAPPY. to be tripped in Portugal’s dramatic clash against Spain.
IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING TO PRONOUNCE PLAYERS’ NAMES, YOU’RE NOT ALONE.
Aussie comedian Hi Josh sounds it out.
WE’VE FOUND AUSTRALIA’S NEXT JEDINAK
If Australia doesn’t make it through the Group Stage this year, our World Cup hopes aren’t dashed for good – we reckon we’ve found a future star!
Like a pro.
Relive some of the top moment of the World Cup over on the Hisense Blog.
Grab your very own Official Television of the 2018 FIFA World Cup – the 2018 ULED 4K range is available now at all major electronic retailers across Australia.
Australia
