With 2014 finally upon us, I thought I’d take time to reflect on a Green and Gold year that made us happy, angry and everything in between.
 
Another year gone and the Golden Generation is all but spent, either retired or on its last footballing legs. The 2004 Athens Generation, the one in whom Holger Osieck placed so much stock, had peaked in January 2011 and has been in decline ever since.
 
The much-vaunted Gen Next only began to hits its stride the last twelve months or so. They have always had the talent but needed to achieve a measure of consistency before being entrusted with the job of preserving and improving on the legacy of Kewell, Cahill and co. At least that was Osieck’s view.
 
Whichever way you look at it, It was concerning that, going into 2013, Robbie Kruse was the sole Socceroo regular under the age of 26.
 
The matches
We began with a February friendly loss to Romania, the Europeans dominating but at the end lucky to scramble a 3-2 victory. The Socceroos looked disjointed and barely strung three passes together. Worrying signs.
 
Real trouble struck a month later as we hosted unfancied Oman in Sydney. Entrapped by the tactics of Paul Le Guen and rescued time and again by the excellent Ali Al Habsi, Oman took a shock two goal lead and we needed Tim Cahill and Brett Holman to help rescue a point. It wasn’t pretty and the knives were out. Robbie Cornthwaite? Seriously?
 
Our campaign was precariously poised. Would we fail to qualify? Were we about to have another Uruguay on our hands? Was it back to the bad old days? The fans were livid and Osieck was under fire from a worried public for the first time in his Socceroo tenure.
 
The business end of the qualifying campaign was about to begin. Three matches to go.
 
They say that form is temporary but class is permanent and to the credit of the players and manager, they stood up to be counted when it mattered most.
 
Much has been said of the old guard in recent times – most of it negative - but they steeled themselves for a final World Cup tilt and rolled back the years with performances that spoke volumes of their  pride in the Socceroo shirt.
 
A gutsy and an expected-only-by-the-most-optimistic-of-Green-and-Gold-fans 1-1 draw with in Saitama was followed by a 4-0 whitewash of Jordan at Etihad. Seeking a win against Iraq in Sydney to ensure qualification, the boys were unable to apply the finishing touch in a tense and nervy encounter until that vital headed goal from a fit-again Josh Kennedy.
 
Cue Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio and after months of struggle and self-doubt, finally an opportunity for the fans to let their hair down and enjoy a dance in the stands. The players joined them.
 
Robbie Kruse, Tom Rogic and Tommy Oar had provided the spark but our improvement in the final three matches came off the back of the old guard. By sheer force of will, the old firm of Schwarzer, Neill, Bresciano, Cahill and co had dragged themselves back to their best when it counted most.
 
For the veterans, so long the pride of the Green and Gold, this was their finest hour since 2006.
 
Osieck, despite his failings early on in the campaign, got it right when it mattered most. The vision and strength of character he displayed in replacing Cahill with Kennedy at Homebush serves as a fine example to novice coaches never to be frightened of replacing a star player who is having a bad game . Thank you Holger Osieck - he did get us to the World Cup and the final of the Asian Cup in 2011, surely his finest Socceroo hour.
 
Credit where it’s due and I am not one to dance on a man’s grave.
 
Fan confidence regained, if briefly, there was little harm done at the ASEAN Championship - our “C” team’s draw with South Korea and two closely fought losses to Japan and China were no catastrophe and we learnt that Tomi Juric has a future in international football.
 
So far, so good. But not long after…
 
Disaster strikes
We all know what happened next and it proved enough for Frank Lowy to pull the trigger on a national coach for the first time since 2005.
 
Playing Brazil and France away from home was always going to be a case of biting off more than the squad at this stage of its development could chew. Did Osieck sign off on those matches or did the FFA force his hand?
 
The 12-0 defeat that we suffered at the hands of two football superpowers was more than Australia could bear. We are all fairly certain that we are unlikely to win the World Cup in our lifetime, but we Australian fans want to know that our players are willing and able to bridge any gulf in class through effort and self-belief.
 
Naïve?
 
Sure. 
 
Applying an eggball mentality to a sport where skill and speed of thought overrides purely physical endeavour?
 
Probably.
 
But the Socceroos showed a lack of belief that they belong on the park with the big boys. By his selections, so did the national coach. To a public that expects its sporting heroes to “have a go” no matter the odds, it wasn’t a good look.
 
Australia reeled and the France debacle sealed Osieck’s fate. Perhaps it already was.
 
Moving forward
The search for the new man at the helm had boiled down to two outstanding Australian candidates. Both had compelling cases but the choice of Ange Postecoglou signified a complete break with the past and a leap of faith by the FFA.
 
A message that things were to be done differently, both in terms of playing style and player selection.
 
The overwhelming majority of fans approve and the Costa Rica match was a baby step in the right direction. But we want much, much more and honeymoon periods don’t last.
 
But for now, Vive la Revolution and I wish Ange every success.
 
The next six months are vital for Gen Next to make its case. Our talented early-twentysomethings need to be beating down the Green and Gold door with stellar club performances week in, week out.
 
We want change. They have to provide it.
 
Here’s hoping for a great Socceroo year ahead.