It may sound patronising, but minnows Australia gave a good account of themselves in Brazil despite losing all three of their group games. Before the tournament, many pundits were tipping the Socceroos to be be on the first plane home and in some ways they are right. 
However, in many ways this young Australian side has proved their doubters wrong. Some said they wouldn’t even manage to score a single goal. They scored a respectable three in three and Tim Cahill’s volley was one of the strikes of the tournament.
The defensive record is not as attractive with nine goals conceded in three game but this is tempered to some extent but the fact that the three shipped against Spain came in a dead rubber of a game in which the departing World Champions had to prove something to avoid total disgrace. The third against Chile came at the death as Australia desperately sought to equalise in a game where they probably deserved a point.
It was no surprise that against one of the best sides of all time, Australia struggled to control possession and Spain were able to dominate the game. Yet, even against an exhausted looking Aussie side, Spain did not look entirely impregnable there were positives to be taken and lessons to be learned for Australia.
Right-back Ivan Franjic looked very promising in his one appearance against Chile before being cruelly sent home by a hamstring injury.
Matthew Spiranovic managed the not unimpressive feat of looking a decent defender at the heart of a back line that conceded three in every game.
Talismanic strike Cahill was again impressive for the Socceroos yet at the age of 34, his time as an international footballer is coming to an end.
Coach Ange Postecoglou was hired to reinvigorate a moribund Australia side and add some youth and he succeeded in taking the seventh youngest squad to Brazil. That young squad came close to upsetting the fashionable Chile and a strong Netherlands side. They were only truly outclassed by Spain.
Before the Spain match, Postecoglou made all the right noises saying that Australia are in the business of winning football matches and that strong performances that result in losses count for little.
However, it may be rather strange to eulogise a side that lost all of its games but there’s is a tangible sense that the dogged Socceroos in all their failure managed to make their country proud and win the respect of the neutrals.
Postecoglou has blooded youth on the world’s highest stage and given one of the lesser names in the World Game a strong sense of identity. If he can carry on in the same vein, the brave failure of the 2014 World Cup could be the catalyst for future achievement.
