DALLAS, Texas -- Short of winning it, the end of a FIFA World Cup cycle invariably comes far more abruptly than it feels it should. A whirlwind of travel, excitement, training, and games, all of which were predicated by four years of build-up and preparation, suddenly gives way to almost a void.
Within days, sometimes hours, players, staff, officials, and supporters alike check out of hotels, board flights, and quietly exit through a side door as the party continues without them.
"Is this it?" they'd be forgiven for thinking, as they find themselves cast into lonely shadows filled with others that they too had forgotten, while the rest of the world quickly moves on from the years, if not lifetimes, of work it took them to get here.
This is what the Socceroos awoke to on Saturday morning, their World Cup campaign ended the previous afternoon after losing in a penalty shootout to Egypt. Their dreams of securing a first-ever knockout stage win lay in tatters, and, instead, the cold reality that they'd need to wait another four years -- at least -- to once again test themselves at the World Cup.
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But just as spring follows winter, the end of one cycle leads to the commencement of another. And even as the 16 teams left standing continued their pursuit of history, many of those left behind were already beginning furtive steps to make sure that, in four years, they wouldn't be here again.
Admittedly, much of this took the form of a reaping; Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, and Ecuador boss Sebastián Beccacece all stepped down after their round of 32 defeats, following in the footsteps of South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo and Scotland manager Steve Clarke in the group stages.
Australia boss Tony Popovic, though, won't join this cohort. The 53-year-old signed a six-month contract to lead the Socceroos through to next year's AFC Asian Cup on the eve of this tournament, and while he's come under the spotlight after the Egypt loss, Football Australia chief executive Martin Kugeler and football boss Heather Garriock both backed the coach on Saturday. There's little indication that Football Australia has the financial flexibility to axe him and his staff and bring in a new leadership team before the start of the continental showpiece, anyway. And based upon the federation's record -- Holger Osieck was the last Socceroos that was sacked, as opposed to allowing them to run out their contract or accepting their resignation -- it's unlikely the federation want to move even if they had an overwhelming budget surplus.
So with that out of the way, what's next? Well, the best news is that it won't be too long until the Socceroos have a chance to get back on the horse. The men's Asian Cup is set to commence in Saudi Arabia in January of 2027, and winning that tournament shouldn't be considered outside the realm of possibility, if not the outright goal.
We can almost be certain that Australia will be an improved side come that tournament, through simple linear progression, if nothing else. Eight members of Popovic's squad at this tournament were aged 23 or under -- Lucas Herrington (18), Nestory Irankunda (20), Paul Okon Jr (21), Mohamed Touré (22), Cristian Volpato (22), Alessandro Circati (22), Patrick Beach (22), and Jordan Bos (23) -- and all of them started at least one game. Now with World Cup experience under their belt, they'll go back to their clubs, some of them potentially earning a move to a bigger platform, and spend another six months growing and, you'd hope, experiencing regular football.
Others, such as Marcus Younis (21, Brøndby IF), Raphael Borges Rodrigues (22, Coventry City), Daniel Bennie (20, Queens Park Rangers), Garang Kuol (21, Sparta Prague) and more, will have the chance to play regular minutes at good levels and force their way into contention. A core of Connor Metcalfe, Harry Souttar, and Aiden O'Neill are all in their primes, while the likes of Jackson Irvine, Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, and Jason Geria should have at least one more Asian Cup in them.
Further, looking around Asia, the World Cup wouldn't suggest that Australia has fallen behind the pack. If anything, moreso because of others backsliding than the Socceroos own efforts, they've moved further ahead, one of only two Asian nations -- the other Japan -- to actually make it out of the group stages in North America. Two-time defending champions Qatar, for instance, finally picked up their first point in Group A but were otherwise forgettable, while also fielding one of the tournament's oldest squads. Another contender in Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H, while Iran was unfairly hamstrung by logistical barriers and interrupted preparation, but also had one of the tournament's oldest squads and continues to exist in an unstable broader context. South Korean football, meanwhile, is in crisis after its group-stage elimination.
A second Asian Cup, then, a dozen years on from the triumphant 2015 tournament, shouldn't be considered out of reach. And it's more than a worthy goal in and of itself. But it and its build-up will, or should, also set the trajectory for Australia's journey to the 2030 World Cup, where, given the talent, a knockout win will be the goal.
Firstly, Popovic will need to decide at that point if he wants to remain. He'd be in the Socceroos post for six years if he led them into 2030, longer than he's spent anywhere else in his career at this point and with his contract ending, he may simply decide he wants to return to club football or try a new challenge. Burnout is a thing, and long tenures in the international arena are the exception, not the norm -- no Socceroos coach has ever been in place for two World Cups.
If he does want to remain, though, Football Australia will need to decide if he's the right fit. It will be a monumental decision, as not only are the Socceroos' and Matildas' jobs the most important in Australian football -- given both the responsibility and the privilege of guiding the truest manifestations of the game Down Under -- but whoever is in charge of the side heading into 2030 will also be entrusted with a generation of talent that is amongst the most exciting the country has ever produced. Is it fair to place so much focus on the coach? Probably not, given they are simply the sum of the parts beneath them, but everyone involved knows that's the nature of these things.
The challenge for Popovic will be to demonstrate between now and Feb. 5, when the Asian Cup final will be staged at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, an ability to grow his approach in a manner in line with the growth of the players at his disposal. In his introductory press conference, Popovic spoke about how there should always be an expectation of winning and, when you do that, to play better. "That's a good discussion," he said. "That's the right discussion."
And that discussion is now set to take place.
Popovic, for instance, has flagged the advantages other nations have when they can call on seasoned, battle-hardened professionals. But as his players grow and mature, that should allow him, by his own logic, to push them and his approach harder. A defensive bedrock has been established -- even if there are fears left-back Bos may miss the Asian Cup after his nasty-looking injury against Egypt -- and that should provide the foundation to open things up in the attack.
These factors will both be key in Asia, where Australia will both play in rough-and-tumble battles with dogged opponents, but also be cast as favourites needing to be ready and able to assume the role of ball-dominant bullyboys that are capable of finding a way through and breaking down low blocks.
That will require graft and toughness but also positivity, creativity, and, judging from trends at the World Cup, a level of freedom of movement and spontaneity. The Socceroos don't do that well enough right now.
The federation will need to assess the six-month journey that the squad is about to go on and determine if it's one they want to see continue for a further three-and-a-half years afterwards. Whatever they decide, the federation will also be under a harsh spotlight. Because they've got something of a potential golden goose on their hands with this current squad, and it's on them, more than anyone else, not to squander it.
Popovic, no matter what the public might say at times, is a good coach. But he does what it says on the tin. If Football Australia tap him and things don't work out, then they're not going to be able to claim they were unaware of what they were getting into. If they move away from the coach and the replacement is lacking, then that's on them, too.
It's international football; if it were easy, it wouldn't be the greatest thing on planet earth.