SANTA CLARA, California -- The job is done; Australia is moving into the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they will face the yet-to-be-determined second-placed finisher in Group G in Dallas, Texas, on July 3.
In the end, it all proceeded pretty straightforwardly, a 0-0 draw with Paraguay enough for both teams to secure their progression. One could have seen it coming, one probably should have seen it coming, but the inherent fatalism that is endemic to Australian football meant that there was a sense of growing dread with every minute that passed without a goal. Indeed, this was the type of game that will have been much more boring for the neutrals than it was those invested, and will probably prove quite monotonous for that cohort if they give it a re-watch, now armed with the final score.
It goes without saying, then, that this wasn't as dramatic a night as the one in Doha just under four years ago, where Mathew Leckie's famous strike secured a win over Denmark and, with it, a place in the knockout stages. For one thing, it's not the last 16 that Australia has punched their tickets to this time but, instead, the first-ever round of 32 in a newly expanded, 48-team tournament.
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This new format ensures that eight of the 12 third-placed sides advanced also did something to take the sting out of the game; rather than go hammer and tongs with a Danish outfit knowing only one of them could advance, a draw was almost certainly good enough to see both Australia and Paraguay through.
Nonetheless, the Socceroos are now heading into the knockout rounds. Certainly, there are plenty of disclaimers, qualifications, and context that can be placed around that fact -- and if the Socceroos crash out next week than they'll undoubtedly become preeminent in analysis of the tournament. That should go without saying.
But Thursday evening still represented a positive, something that can be enjoyed simply for what is without immediately being laden with cynicism. Would Türkiye, bundled out of their first tournament since 2002 be anything other than elated to be in the Socceroos? Is the sense of doom increasingly descending over Scotland somehow lessened because it's "only" the round of 32 rather than the round of 16? There are 179 nations around the world that would love to be in the position that the Socceroos are in right now, that's important context, too.
"To go back-to-back, to finish second in the group, for two consecutive World Cups -- [it's] a massive achievement," said Jackson Irvine. "The group deserves it. They put a lot of work in to get to this moment. It's another step forward. And now we've got to go and go and, you know, break that next barrier and be the first team to win a knockout game.
"It's amazing. Me and Harry were talking about it. Obviously, the way that the game went meant ... the sense of achievement is still the same, but maybe not as dramatic. It still takes nothing away from what we've done, especially how well we played for the first hour in the game.
"The game kind of died off a little bit towards the end, both teams knowing the draw kind of gets them where they want to go, but overall really pleased with performance, and of course the result."
The Socceroos thoughts can now turn to Dallas, Texas, where they will meet the second-placed finisher from Group G on July 3 at Cowboys Stadium. That opponent will be determined on Friday evening, when Belgium faces New Zealand in Vancouver, and Iran and Egypt clash in Seattle, with each possessing not inconceivable scenarios in which they find themselves on track for an Australian showdown.
And when they sit down to watch this not-so-scintilating draw between Australia and Paraguay? What will they find? Well, while a goal to ease the nerves didn't come for the Aussies, there was never really a sense that a Paraguayan one to induce a sudden sense of terror was coming, either. In hindsight, La Albirroja were quite happy with the draw, given their four points will almost certainly be enough for Gustavo Alfaro's side to advance as one of the best third-placed finishers, albeit their reward for this will be a meeting with Group E winners Germany in Boston on June 29.
Finding their attempts to move quickly in transition frequently stymied, particularly by a superb Lucas Herrington, who became the youngest ever male to start for Australia at the World Cup, the South Americans often found themselves settling for long-range golazo attempts or aimless balls into the box rather than forcing the issue on several occasions and spent significant periods of time on the turf, milking seconds off the clock. They did flash one moment of danger very late on, part of an improved second-half display, when MaurÃcio forced Socceroos keeper Patrick Beach into a sharp save in the 93rd minute with a wicked shot from the top of the box, but this was sandwiched around chances to Jordan Bos and second-half substitute Tete Yengi.
Would a win have been nice for those of a green-and-gold persuasion? Both those watching on in Santa Clara and the thousands packed into live sites and around TVs back home? Absolutely. Would it have provided a deserved victory? Probably, yeah. Placed into an unfamiliar role of ball-dominant protagonists by a Paraguayan outfit even more content to sit back, they controlled the play throughout the first half and did enough that, had they scored, few neutrals would have taken issue with it.
Bos' performance would have deserved it, without question; the Feyenoord Rotterdam defender was world-class as he shifted across to the right to cover for the injured Jacob Italiano, with Aziz Behich coming in on the left. Cristian Volpato's first World Cup start and combination with the flanker also showed plenty of promise. Herrington, as mentioned, looked like this was his 10th appearance on this stage, not his first, and Connor Metcalfe threw himself about in his return to the XI.
And what of Australia's shining star Nestory Irankunda? Against a deeply sat opponent that forced him to get away from his strengths and work back-to-goal, but he'll likely have more luck next week.
And that's the important bit. Irankunda will have another chance to impress next week. The Socceroos will play again next week. And for the Australian public, the chance to be part of this incredible tournament will stretch into another week.
That job is done.
