Dear Australian National Team,
FIFA World Cup 2022 is here – and once again Australian football will take its rightful place at the world’s most exclusive table.
Against all odds, Australia has managed to come back to its Australian DNA, maintain that never say never attitude and play in a way that would make Johnny Warren and Les Murray proud to set themselves up for this year’s to qualify for a major event. For my part, I can’t wait for us to start our campaign against France.
I have had the great privilege of witnessing many legendary moments in the recent history of this team.
I was there when Josh Kennedy headed past the Iraqi defense in the 83rd minute and sent Australia to Brazil in 2014. I was there when Massimo Luongo and James Troisi scored against South Korea and Australia won the AFC Asian Cup on home soil. I was there when Mile Jedinak delivered a masterly performance against Honduras in the intercontinental playoffs of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Sydney.
And most recently, I was there with you guys in Qatar when we defeated the United Arab Emirates and Peru to qualify for a men’s World Cup for the fifth year in a row. Australian football has a rich and proud history and your performances in Qatar in June were undoubtedly another chapter in our ever-evolving story. You will be remembered as the youngest group of footballers to convince an entire nation that Australia deserves to be part of football’s elite.
Shortly after Australia beat Peru on penalties after Andrew Redmayne’s heroic goal in goal, I thought about how I would support Australia during the World Cup. And then it dawned on me that in five months I would have to travel back to Qatar to attend my first men’s world championship.
Today, November 2022, final preparations are underway and I will be on a plane from Sydney with hundreds of other Socceroos fans to support the team in their quest for World Cup glory.
Football has the ability to unite the world and the Socceroos have the ability to unite our country once again. The Socceroos and the Matildas represent respect, multiculturalism, equality and fairness and embody all the qualities that made me fall in love with football.
Now it’s time for the world to see what Australian football stands for. I have no doubt that whatever the results, you, the Socceroos, will make Australian football very proud in Qatar. So keep an eye out for me, the crazy fan in the stands who freaked out in Qatar when Ajdin Hrustic volleyed the final against Peru in the knockout qualifiers against United Arab Emirates, because I’ll be at every one of our group matches in Al- Janoub Stadium and cheer on the boys at every turn!
As a proud fan and proud Australian, I would like to wish the team well on their way to the title at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Best wishes,
Adrian
This article was originally published on 90min.de as Faces of Football: Australia – a letter to the national team.
