The Socceroos

I am increasingly saying that football is individual. It is subjective. So I am not going to try to convince anyone what they should or should not feel about the Socceroos.

Some are upset and some are proud.

Yes, we lost all three matches and conceded 9 goals. But you can shape and twist any story to suit your own opinion. 

If you just look at the results, goals for, and goals against, then the world is probably also black and white to you. It's a poor performance, 0 points.

That is not me. I am proud of the Socceroos performance in Brazil. 

We pushed Netherlands and Chile, not to their limits, but we pushed them hard. For 75 minutes or so, both sides were uncomfortable and in a bit of shock at the difficulty of the match. 

The manner of our play was far more progressive than under Hogler. Ange has given us structured build up play and quick transition for us to build on when Cahill is no longer with the team.

Also the high press, a feature of the modern game, was bald and a shock to the world that we dared to do it to the giants of world football in our group of death. 

Proof that we took it to the best in the world and competed was in the image of the Chilean National manager storming the touchlines, a look of nervousness, wishing the match to be over after Cahill and Bresciano went close to equalizers.

Also the blank look of disbelief on Loui Van Gaal and his assistant Kluivert, as we pressed the Netherlands back line, forcing them into cheap long ball turnovers.

And who can forget Cahill's volley…

Does all of this mean that I think we should be content with losing? Of course not. 

Does it mean that everything at National, State and Local level is fine? Far from it.  

But for me Ange represents a positive change for the game in Australia. And he gave a very good representation of that on the world stage.

That we can be proud of…