Achieving success at national team level is an immensely difficult task for any federation.

Vying against scores of other nations for a continental or world title every few years means only a select few can reach the zenith of winning a major trophy.

For others, reaching the knockout stage of a major tournament or merely qualifying is a success, but whatever the measure, preparation is absolutely vital to achieving these goals.

The nations that reached or surpassed their targets at the 2014 FIFA World Cup were on the most part the best-prepared teams at the tournament.

Not only on the field, but away from the pitch as well – they stayed in the right areas, created the right atmosphere and spent their considerable free time in a positive way.

It is not only short-term preparation that is important; a long-term view is equally vital.

World Cup winners France, Spain and Germany had all planned their international successes long before they were achieved.

Part of the reason for this, is that unlike a club, a national team only comes together about 10 times a year, severely limiting the chances coaches can work with their squads and players can get to know each other.

The teams that perform well at international level tend to have been together for a considerable amount of time, often coming through the country's youth ranks.

Some coaches also try to find combinations that are already in place at club level – it is no coincidence that Spain and Germany's World Cup winning teams came in large part from Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively.

For the past two tournaments, South American nations have also performed remarkably well.

This is in part down to their marathon qualification campaigns, which has teams playing 16 competitive matches each, before the tournament even begins.

As Socceroos fans have disappointingly discovered, failure to organise a team around cycles can have dire consequences.

The latest results are a direct consequence of this short-term thinking.

The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the perfect platform to bring in the next group of players that world form part of the 2014 World Cup squad and then, just as importantly, the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil.

Instead Australia went on with the target of winning the event, and as such selected a squad that was based on form at the time, not one that may be in form in four years.

While the Socceroos performed extremely well in 2011, coming agonisingly close to claiming the title, the knock-on effect is that it has only recently integrated the next generation, as qualification for the World Cup could not be risked.

Coaches cannot just pick the most in-form players at that moment, put them together and expect the team to function as a unit.

Squads need time and work on the training pitch to understand how to play in the system or systems the coach believes will achieve the required results.

This takes planning and coordination from all levels of the national team setup and a fair bit of courage.

Take for example Aime Jacquet's bold decision to leave Eric Cantona out of France's UEFA Euro 96 side.

At the time Cantona was playing some of the best football of his career and was among the very best in the world.

Jacquet decided to keep faith with Zinedine Zidane, who in 1995-1996 was still relatively unknown at Bordeaux and not yet at his peak.

The France coach was slaughtered in the media for his decision and had Cantona been in the team it might even have overcome Czech Republic in the semi-finals.

Two years later Les Bleus won the World Cup on the back of Zidane's magnificent tournament.

Canton retired from football in 1997.

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