After a long and dramatic qualifying campaign, Australia are heading to the FIFA World Cup hoping to cause a shock.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Socceroos were among the last of 32 teams to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar, beating Peru on penalties in the inter-confederation play-off -- about 1008 days after opening the qualification campaign with a 3-0 win over Kuwait in September 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was a campaign that was heavily interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Socceroos playing only four of 20 games at home, and typified by a struggle to score goals against top opposition, reports Xinhua.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Through the early rounds of qualification, the Socceroos won 11 straight games -- the longest winning streak in team history in a single qualifying campaign.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the next seven games, Australia scored not enough goals, winning once and squandering an opportunity to qualify for the World Cup directly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In four matches against automatic qualifiers Saudi Arabia and Japan, the Socceroos lost three times and drew once, scoring only one goal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The inability to score against elite opponents is a problem that has plagued the Socceroos for a generation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
At 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, Australia were knocked out in the group stage each time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In Qatar, the Socceroos will be relying on Martin Boyle, Mitchell Duke, Awer Mabil and Jamie Maclaren to bring the goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Scottish-based Boyle is Australia's most direct attacking player and will likely partner veteran Mathew Leckie on the wings of coach Graham Arnold's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Duke heads to Qatar as one of the first-choice strikers but could face competition from Maclaren, who has scored five goals in four games for Melbourne City this season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Creativity in midfield is Arnold's biggest problem ahead of announcing his squad for the World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
First-choice attacking midfielder Ajdin Hrustic is in a race against time to prove his fitness after injuring his ankle playing for Italian club Hellas Verona in late October.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The international career of Tom Rogic, Australia's most talented playmaker, is in doubt after he withdrew from the squad for the intercontinental play-offs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
If neither are available, Arnold could turn to two teenage sensations in Garang Kuol and Cristian Volpato.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kuol, 18, will in January join Premier League giants Newcastle United after bursting onto the scene with the A-League's Central Coast Mariners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He made his Socceroos debut in a September friendly against New Zealand and is considered Australia's most promising talent since the golden generation of Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The case for Cristian Volpato to fill the void in midfield is more complicated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Volpato played his junior international football for Italy but is also eligible to represent Australia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 18-year-old has not declared for either nation but bolted into Socceroos World Cup contention when he came off the bench to score and provide an assist in Italian giant Roma's 3-1 win against Verona.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Behind the attackers is where the Socceroos are mostly settled, with Aaron Mooy set to partner Jackson Irvine at the base of midfield.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They will be flanked by Aziz Behich and Nathaniel Atkinson at left and right back, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite his penalty shootout heroics against Peru in June, goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne could be benched for captain Mat Ryan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the middle of the defence, however, there are significant selection problems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Both Harry Souttar and Trent Sainsbury -- Arnold's first-choice defensive pairing -- are under injury clouds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
If either is deemed unfit to play at the World Cup, 30-year-old Bailey Wright and youngster Kye Rowles are the most likely replacements.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Qualifying for a fifth consecutive World Cup after a tumultuous campaign was considered by many in Australia to be a pass mark for the Socceroos.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For Arnold, though, the tournament in Qatar presents an opportunity to cement his legacy as one of Australia's most successful coaches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having won the A-League championship multiple times, the 59-year-old Arnold has managed the Socceroos since 2018 having previously served as an assistant and caretaker.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Drawn in Group D against France, Denmark and Tunisia, the Socceroos will face a tough challenge to equal the nation's best World Cup result of qualifying for the round of 16, which they achieved in 2006.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
If they do progress, Arnold will reportedly trigger an automatic four-year contract extension.<\/p>\r\n\r\n