3. Market value doesn’t always determine results

If the price players were worth and the wages players are paid determined results then France would have absolutely thumped both their Group C opponents and Denmark would have accounted for lowly Australia. With the French squad worth over a billion Euros the players should be like men coming up against children.

Peru gather in a huddle before taking on France

But football economics is a dumb business. National teams that make it to a World Cup are not amateurs going up against professionals (Iceland excepted). There are only small margins that separate one professional footballer from another. These margins can seem monumental at times but on most occasions they are not. Big clubs with billion dollar budgets mostly win by one or two gaols, with only an occasional blow outs.

In Group C, Peru’s 30 or so million Euros of value should have been flattened by the weight of the French largesse. Instead it was a tight result.  

4. It’s still special just to be at the Cup

Peru and to some extent Australia really prove this. Reaching the World Cup Finals, as they are now, is in and of itself, an exceptional feat. Peruvian fans have waited 36 years just to get back to the big time. Fans have sold their houses just for the chance to see their team take on the best.

Before a ball is kicked, fans of even the lowliest minnow, harbour dreams of somehow, somehow lifting that cup. Their brain tells them it’s impossible but their heart holds hope.

Heartbreak: A young fans cries after Peru are knocked out of the World Cup

Fans from these two minnows have been fabulous in Russia. Australian fans have have managed to drink all the beer in the local pubs. Peruvian fans have brought so much passion just for being a part of the tournament.

The last time this many Danes were in Russia, they were Viking raiders. And for the French, the last time this many of them were in Russia they were marching behind a Corsican.

5. Australia needs to produce more strikers 

We knew this a bit going into the tournament but these two games have really confirmed it. At the moment we have great midfielders. Aaron Mooy and Mile Jedinak have been world class. Tom Rogic has been tough to handle as a classic number 10 and he had the world's best number 6 sweating for 70 minutes.

Nabbout sidelined with a dislocated shoulder

But up front we don't have a 9 to match the quality of our other 10 players. Andrew Nabbout has worked hard and put his body on the line for the shirt. Full credit to the lad he's in for a bright career. However, in this formation he doesn't have all the attributes the number 9 needs. His positioning in the box needs a lot of work and he isn't as effective with his back to goal as he is when he can turn and face it. Tomi Juric hasn't had much time but he's been off the pace a bit in his cameos. Cahill hasn't played enough football lately and we can't rely on him much longer. And finally, Jamie Maclaren is a goal sneak more suited to the older fashioned second striker role.

Let's face it, since we've gone to a lone striker in a 433 we haven't produced a player to play the role.