The highs and lows of Graham Arnold’s Socceroos’ reign
GRAHAM ARNOLD’S SOCCEROOS TENURE AT A GLANCE:
*October 2018 – Named as Bert van Marwijk’s replacement prior to the 2018 World Cup, Arnold, who was also Australia’s interim coach back in 2006-2007, takes charge of the Socceroos later in the year. In his first fixture at the helm, the Socceroos beat Kuwait 4-0.
*January 2019 – After a 1-0 group-stage defeat to Jordan to open their Asian Cup defence, Australia fight back to reach the quarter-finals where they fell to hosts UAE in a 1-0 loss.
*September 2019 – Arnold faces Kuwait again in the first round of World Cup qualifiers and kickstarted a run of 11 straight qualifying wins.
* October 2020 – Arnold knocks back an offer from K League powerhouse FC Seoul to remain at the helm of the Socceroos
*September 2021 – The Socceroos’ winning run ends in a 2-1 away defeat to Japan after a late Aziz Behich own goal. The defeat away to the Japanese is followed by three successive draws.
*March 2022 – The Socceroos lose 2-1 to Japan in Sydney, a first “live” qualifier defeat on home soil in over four decades to miss automatic qualification for Qatar. Arnold missed the build-up to the game after breaking COVID-19 isolation rules and is fined $25,000 by FA. Reports Arnold is set to be sacked don’t bear fruition.
*June 2022 – Australia head to Qatar for World Cup play-off qualification. They beat UAE 2-1 in the first game and then edge past Peru on penalties courtesy of Andrew Redmayne’s “Wiggles” routine. The shootout win ensures the Socceroos maintain their run of reaching World Cups stretching back to 2006.
*November 2022 – Australia lose the first group game, falling 4-1 to France before recovering to defeat Denmark and Tunisia. They went down 2-1 to eventual champions Argentina in the round of 16. Teenager Garang Kuol squanders a late chance to send the game to extra-time. It is Australia’s best-ever performance at a men’s World Cup, ending in Arnold named coach of the tournament by French newspaper L’Equipe.
*January 2023 – Arnold receives a four-year contract extension from Football Australia that will see him through until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
*November 2023 – After a series of friendlies against Argentina, Mexico and England, Australia rise to 25th in FIFA’s world rankings – the highest standing in over a decade. Arnold takes charge of a record 59th match in the Socceroos dugout against Bangladesh in Melbourne, surpassing a record held by Frank Farina.
*January 2024 – Australia get out of the group stage of the Asian Cup undefeated and are less than 90 seconds away from beating South Korea in the quarter-finals. A brain explosion from Lewis Miller allows the Koreans to draw level and go on to win in extra-time to knock Australia out.
*September 2024 – The Socceroos breeze through qualification until the third round, losing at home to Bahrain and then drawing on the road to Indonesia. Arnold steps down.
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