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World Cup 2018: Ex-Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou breaks silence as Asian rivals advance

"What has happened and transpired since I left the position shows me my instincts were right."

"What has happened and transpired since I left the position shows me my instincts were right." Photo: Getty

Ex-Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou said “his instincts were right” when he made the difficult decision to quit his post in charge of Australia.

Postecoglou sensationally walked from his role despite leading Australia to a fourth successive FIFA World Cup after an arduous qualifying campaign.

The former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach quit before taking a role in Japan as Dutchman Bert van Marwijk took the Socceroos reins for sport’s biggest event.

And while van Marwijk’s side battled well in Russia, the Socceroos won just one point from three matches, leaving it bottom of Group C.

With the benefit of hindsight, Postecoglou said he made the right decision to walk.

“When I was appointed in late 2013, my intent was to emulate [the Socceroos sides of] 1974 and 2006,” he wrote in a column for Players Voice.

“I believed, wrongly in the end, that we had now entered a phase where we no longer had to feel under-appreciated or place ourselves in that most comfortable position, the eternal underdog.

“By 2017, I came to the realisation that in fact, rather than me riding on a tidal wave of change, I was in essence on a personal crusade. That did not sit well with me.

“I was in the privileged position of leading my country and while I believed it was time to change the way we are perceived at home and abroad, the voices of discontent and the feeling of isolation told me I had probably got it wrong.

“What has happened and transpired since I left the position shows me my instincts were right.

“We still want to be the underdog. We want everyone to know that eight times out of ten we will be beaten by the very best, but that does not mean we can’t knock them off.”

Given Postecoglou has rarely spoken about his decision to quit as Australia coach, the comments add much-needed context to a decision that took a nation by surprise.

Former Sydney FC and Central Coast coach Graham Arnold will replace van Marwijk in charge of the Socceroos.

Drama at the Cup

World cup 2018

Japan celebrates with its fans after progressing to the round of 16. Photo: Getty

In a thrilling end to Group H, Japan progressed to the last 16 despite losing 1-0 to Poland on Friday morning (AEST), as Senegal were stunningly eliminated via a poorer disciplinary record.

Beaten 1-0 by Colombia, Senegal finished on the same amount of points and had the same goal difference as Japan, leaving it eliminated after receiving six yellow cards in the tournament, opposed to Japan’s four.

Making defeat even more harsh on Senegal was the fact it had a first-half penalty overturned thanks to a VAR decision.

SBS get yet another boost

In a surprise to no one that has tried to stream Optus Sport’s coverage of the World Cup, the telco announced on Thursday evening (AEST) that they would let free-to-air network SBS screen the rest of the tournament.

Optus’ coverage of games has been beset by problems with its streaming service, allowing SBS to swoop and broadcast matches to the nation.

The telco said it was “putting football fans first” after the announcement but do not be fooled.

The reality is more like Optus could not cope with the demand.

The news is a win for the consumer, with SBS originally slated to show just 25 live matches from Russia.

Incredible scenes …

In Mexico as a key figure at the South Korean embassy celebrated with fans.

South Korea’s shock 2-0 win over Germany saw Mexico progress to the last 16 despite a 3-0 loss to Sweden.

And weren’t they happy …

Tacos allowed …

Former Sweden midfielder Anders Svensson is breathing a sigh of relief.

Svensson, nicknamed ‘Taco’ for his fondness for the Mexican treat, promised he would never eat another taco if Mexico knocked Sweden out of the World Cup.

“It’s a huge sacrifice from me, so make sure you eat them [the Mexicans] up. Best of luck!” Svensson said.

Eat them up they did, too, Sweden progressing comfortably.

There is no word on how Svensson celebrated … but we are guessing it involved tacos.

Day 17

The tournament’s first rest day comes on Friday night/Saturday morning (AEST).

And that means it is time to catch up on some sleep.

Take it from us … you will need it.

This is also The New Daily’s last column from Russia.

It has been a pleasure and we look forward to bringing you the latest news from lovely Australia.

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