Yes, in both our games, our xG has been below 1, but we have scored both games, so we have actually done better than average.
Tunisia actually had an xG over 1.

thanks 

honestly i have never wanted a boring af 0-0 draw to happen in my life 

True, but I reckon socceroos are going to have to score at least one to get the point.
Tunisia was our first clean sheet since 1974 - not the best record.
I would say our chances of a 2nd consecutive clean sheet are virtually nil.
Expect some nail biting moments a la Croatia in 2006.
This time round, are we going to be able to score a late equaliser?

Calling it now. Garang Kuol to provide the x factor in the second half as the Socceroos beat the Danes. He had his 15 minutes in the France game to get over the nerves on the big stage against a tournament favourite. He will come on and create havoc. 

So would I.
We saw the subs just aren't ready for this intensity.
Not Mabil or Hrustic anyway.

I actually think Maclaren did OK so happy for Duke to be a mad dog for 65 minutes.

McGree might not be as technically good as Hrustic but watching the replay I actually think he played a very important role in the first half especially.

Maybe we will need subs earlier if bodies are tired but I would start the exact same team.

Atkinson to come on for Leckie at RW isn't a bad shout as you figure he will provide more cober than someone "more exciting" as well.

I think France will rest players but also I don't think the tanking of the 3rd game is as prevalent as it seemed growing up.

Teams know now that winning is a habit and nobody wants to lose the game before the knockouts.

I'd love to see a stat where that has worked in anyone's favour.

you are probably right. 

But for the 1st time in as long as i can remember GA and the Socceroos/Olyroos  are going into a 3rd round tournament match with the 'advantage' - it will suit GA knowing he can set up to sit back and hit on the break

ill put my neck out on the line and call it now if Denmark take the lead 1st we will 100% lose this game but if we managing to score 1st there is no way we are letting them leave the pitch with anymore then 1point. 

but in all honesty id be happy with a nil-nil and would love Saude to top their group and we face them in the rd of 16 giving us a good chance at rd of qtr finals and guaranteeing one AFC team in the 1/4 finals - which imo is a respectable result for the Asian confederation   

The most frustrating thing about beating Tunisia is that it's given me hope. 

Denmark is either going to give us a solid beating or we'll lose due to some dodgy ref decision/ mistake at the back.

Either way, I fully expect to be let down. 

Hooray for positivity :)

Here I was thinking I was alone.

I'm predicting a 1 - 1 draw with ambulances attending heart failure events all over the country.

The highs and lows are absolutely taxing this tournament and we have another, possibly more.

We should just worry about ourselves but an eye will be kept on the other game. Don't forget if Denmark win, they should be OK if Tunisia wins on goals scored. 

It would be nice if Kasper Schmeichel slipped in the bathroom and sprained his ankle on the day of the game.
I can't imagine we'll get many shots on goal.
Need those well timed crosses with Leckie this time getting a touch to slip it in behind Schmeichel.

Yall seem to have forgotten that Hrustic was our equal best player throughout qualifying. It's understandable he was rusty in his first game back from an injury break. He should start if fit. 

That's a big if.
He looked pedestrian when he came on.

wow, google odds has us at 14% chance win, 22% draw and Denmark big favorites to win. Reckon all three results are similarly likely

Betting odds have us at $7 for the win, $4.50 the draw and $1.50 Denmark the win. Comparatively it was $11-$12 for the win against France. Best odds will be us drawing. When was the last time we beat a team in the top 10. Not saying it is not possible, but we capitulated against France 

McGree has better game sense and is a far better player in Ball Possession Opposition in performing defensive duties as part of a team unit than Hrustic, despite not having Hrustic's high level of technique on the ball.

I respectfully disagree with this.

Hrustic is a terrific player on the ball, technically, in the attacking half. He also capable of individual brilliance.

However, his decision making is the worst in the team. Whenever he played at DM he was a liability - he often turned blind, passed to players under pressure and struggled to know what he was going to do with the ball before he received it.

Compare him to Mooy - who is such a clever player. Mooy thinks really quickly. He has good vision and  usually  knows well before he receives the ball what he is going  to do with it, and usually passes to the teammate in the best position.

Both are two of our best technicians. 

Hrustic can't concentrate for sustained periods in Ball Possession Opposition, when we don't have the ball and sustain sufficient   concentration to maintain the team game plan for long periods, like McGree can.

Gotta play your best team against Denmark, conservative approach won't work. Both Hrustic and Mcgree should start. Hrustic on the left for me, can drift in and Behich advance down the left wing. 

Ryan
Karacic Souttar Rowles Behich
Leckie Mooy Mcgree Devlin Hrustic
Duke

In what world is that our best team?
Devlin has basically never played for the Roos and was an OK A-League player.
Dropping Irvine who has been a leader and the only one tackling hard in two games not just one
Goodwin has an assist and a goal and you start Hrustic as a winger?

Don't mess with a winning combination.  Starting eleven the same.

The real question is who will be the subs because they will be needed and when they come on they will have nowhere to hide.

Danes 60% win, 20% draw 20%  Australia win .  So 40% chance of going through.  Better than I hoped for.

Outside the big 5 the last world cup have seen second teir euro nations winning half of their group stage games. That makes the second teir of europe better than any other confederation. We should not underestimate this task

I sincerely doubt anyone is.

Arnold will have us playing conservatively, at least until the Danes score. So it will be a counter-attack set up. Maclaren would be best fit for this.

Aus 0 - 2 Danes is my very reluctant prediction.

If Roos are behind at half time it’s gonna have to be Kuol on for 2nd half

Speaking more generally about the 3rd round games, I reckon in about 6 of the 8 groups, there's a "big" footballing nation needing a win on the last day to progress.
Don't be surprised if only half of them make it, the other half get eliminated.
I don't know which ones, but it's that sort of WC, a few big names are going home early.

LOL!

Me too.

After researching a lot of UEFA WCQ group results, most UEFA teams have only  played 8 games, 10 in a few cases, to qualify for the WC.

In Aus we played 18 WCQs to qualify for Qatar. Plus 2 more big, sudden death play offs against UAE and Peru. A total of 20 WCQs.

We've had more experience playing   as  a team in WCQ  games, possibly more than double, than Denmark! We've also played most of our games away in Asia, not in Aus. Invaluable experience for Qatar!

Hopefully, our  two sudden death game playing experiences might give us the edge over the Danes.

Denmark qualified for Qatar easily. They won their group easily.  The pressure on them will be immense. They have to win. We only need to draw. They have not been under the same pressure that we have in big sudden death fixtures. Already they've underperformed in Qatar by their own expectations.

They would have been hoping at best for a draw against France and a win against Tunisia. Worst case scenario, a  loss against France and a win against Tunisia. They are  now under scoreboard pressure against us, only accruing 1 point to our 3.  The Socceroos are more  experienced in big sudden death games too. Also, we bounced back from a French thrashing to defeat Tunisia.

We are more used to playing in the Middle - East and playing in heat too.

Copenhagen FC Technical Director, Christiansen, who has recruited a number of Aussies to the Danish Superligue thinks Aussies are underrated as footballers, and, have a phenomenal, never say die team spirit for the Socceroos at international level. Denmark are under more pressure than us.

At home they will be expected to beat us by their fans and media, whilst the Danish coaching staff and players will consider us a much tougher opponent than their fans and media. Denmark have a lot to lose. 

LOL!

Too funny! Fair play to you!

Hope I'm not one of the cardiac arrest stats!