Peru and Australia match for pride

If this World Cup was a contest of who has the best fans, Australia and Peru would be in the semi-finals. Both teams have had tremendous support throughout the tournament. Unfortunately, results haven’t matched the fan support. Peru is out, while Australia is holding on for dear life. The Socceroos don’t control their own destiny. They need a win and some help if they are to progress to the Round of 16. They’ll be chasing that win on Tuesday afternoon (16:00) in warm Sochi.

Australia is still alive. A second Mile Jedinak penalty in two games gives the bearded one’s team hope heading into Group C’s final fixture. The opponent is far from an easy one. Peru has been one of the most enjoyable and attractive teams to watch during the 2018 World Cup. Their desire translates to the TV screens, but it doesn’t translate to goals. It’s the key reason why they find themselves in this predicament. Christian Cueva, Andre Carrillo, Jefferson Farfan and Paolo Guerrero all had their moments and neither of them managed to turn them into jubilation. It doesn’t mean Los Incas will stop trying, though. There’s one more game left and they don’t plan to lose again. If anything, Ricardo Gareca’s men will be going for the win.

That’s not good news for Bert van Marwijk. The Dutch coach, who previously took Holland to the 2010 World Cup final, is not renowned for offensive football. Even though Australia has shown a strong collective spirit, it has not been as unpredictable as previous World Cup squads from The Land Down Under. Andrew Nabbout, who was ineffective anyway, suffered a shoulder injury that will force him to miss this match. Van Marwijk has two options: Toni Juric and Tim Cahill. The latter one has come up clutch for the national team on so many occasions that even at the end of his playing career, he’s still the best choice. His coach has been reluctant to introduce him to the pitch so far. Maybe there’s something going on in the background we don’t know about.

Be it as it is, Australia has to go for the win. Daniel Arzani has come up from the bench in both previous games and both times he did more in the short period on the pitch than Robbie Kruse did for the duration of the game. Arzani is more direct and that’s what Australia needs. Even if The Socceroos do win, chances are, they drop out of the competition anyway. A draw between France and Denmark takes them European nations through. Considering how tough the Peruvians are, that scenario might not even occur.

Odds
Australia 3.8

Draw 3.30

Peru 2