AUSTRALIA, A MAJOR QUESTION MARK

SYDNEY (dpa) – Australia made their World Cup debut in 1974 and, while they had to wait until Germany 2006 to return to the tournament, they have not missed it since. This time they will be managed by Bert van Marwijk, who took a curious route to the tournament: he attained qualification for Russia 2018 as Saudi Arabia’s manager but will be leading a different team at the event.
The “Socceroos” were one of the last teams to earn their berth in Russia, after beating Honduras 3-1 in Sydney in a tight play-off. The current Asian champions are full of confidence, but they have only had their new manager since January. How the resignation of Van Marwijk’s predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, might affect them remained uncertain.
Van Marwijk, a Dutchman, left his job with Saudi Arabia over a contract extension dispute, but he found a new position with Australia. His new team have been making the most of legendary striker Tim Cahill for over a decade, but the new manager will need to decide whether he wants to take Cahill to Russia: at 38, he remains a good forward, but he is in decline. For now, however, Van Marwijk still counts on him.
Reaching the round of 16, as in 2006, would be a fantastic result for Australia. They face little pressure and know they are in transition. France, Denmark and Peru are set to be their rivals, in a group where only Euro 2016 runners-up France emerge as favourites for a place in the knock-out rounds.
THE STAR: Tim Cahill is a lot more than just a football player for Australia. He is the top scorer in the history of the “Aussie” national team, and he performs particularly well at major events. He led his side in the qualifying round for Russia 2018 and settled the Asian play-off with a brace against Syria, scoring the last of those goals in extra time.
THE MANAGER: Bert van Marwijk, who led the Netherlands to the World Cup final in South Africa 2010, got an unexpected opportunity in December. He started along the path to Russia 2018 with Saudi Arabia and will finally play the tournament with Australia. It remains to be seen how he might want his men to play, and he will not have much time for planning.
SCHEDULE: France-Australia (16/6 in Kazan), Denmark-Australia (21/6 in Samara) and Australia-Peru (26/6 in Sochi).
BEST RESULTS: Round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup.
DID YOU KNOW THAT... Tim Cahill has scored five of Australia’s eleven World Cup goals and is one of the nine players who have scored at the last three editions of the tournament?