“Heads up.” That was Bert van Marwijk’s message to Australia following a 2-0 loss to Peru in Sochi. They failed to keep a clean sheet for a 12th consecutive World Cup match, but it was a lack of goals at the other end that would consign them to group-stage exit ignominy. The Socceroos leave Russia having failed to score from open play, and not one of their 14 attempts on Tuesday truly threatened the Peru goalkeeper, Pedro Gallese.

“For this team, it is difficult to make the difference in goals at this level,” Van Marwijk said. “Against France, in football we were at least equal; against Denmark, in football we were even better. Today I have the same feeling. But in all three of the games we couldn’t really make the difference in goals.”

Against Peru, the striker Tomi Juric, elevated to the starting XI as a replacement for the injured Andrew Nabbout, was largely anonymous. Even second-half cameos from the master and apprentice Tim Cahill and Daniel Arzani – much to the delight of Australia’s fans in Sochi – could not spark a revival. “I think everybody saw that the way we performed and played – we got a lot of compliments,” Australia’s Dutch manager added. “But you don’t win games with compliments.”

The result was ultimately moot, with France and Denmark playing out an uninspiring draw in Moscow, ensuring both qualified for the knockout phase. “If we had won two, three, four – zero, it wouldn’t have changed anything, except for the feelings for the players and all of Australia,” Van Marwijk said. “That is a pity.” The result also left the Socceroos at the bottom of their group for the second World Cup in a row.

Despite Australia needing victory and a positive goal difference to have any chance of progressing, Van Marwijk stuck with the conservative approach that had seen his team win plaudits in their first two encounters. It helped the Socceroos retain possession and keep Peru’s midfield quiet – La Blanquirroja managed just four attempts all match. But for the third consecutive occasion, Australia lacked attacking impetus, while Peru took their chances.



Celtic’s Tom Rogic was his mercurial self: exquisite one moment, absent the next. Robbie Kruse – subject to social media abuse following his last performance – was improved, if unspectacular. In their deep-lying defensive midfield positions, neither Mile Jedinak nor Aaron Mooy offered any dynamism. Whether due to the players at their disposal, the system, or both, Australia’s attack has looked impotent all tournament.



Van Marwijk’s decision to play identical starting XIs against France and Denmark and make just one injury-enforced change against Peru looked suspect as the second half wore on. His side showed considerable fatigue in their third match in 10 days, the winger Mathew Leckie and captain Jedinak looking particularly the worse for wear.

“I know we have a squad of 23 players and I didn’t change a lot,” Van Marwijk said. “But that’s one of the reasons the team can grow. If you change every game in organisation and in players you never really get a really good team.” His words may have a principled basis, but the lack of rotation left Australia listless as they desperately sought a way back into the game.



The manager’s preference for tactical stability is deep-rooted. “We want to play in a way that we don’t have to adapt always to the opponent, no matter how strong the opponent,” he said on Monday, before the match. “In that situation we have tried to develop our own way of playing. Is it nice?” It might have been against France and Denmark, albeit one point in two games is not stellar. But there wasn’t much that was nice about the Socceroos’ loss to Peru.



For the third consecutive tournament, Australia depart the World Cup at the group stage. While the style in Russia may have been a world apart from that under Van Marwijk’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou – who led them in Brazil in 2014 and guided them through qualification – the end result is same. That, in the final analysis, is all that counts.

Van Marwijk insisted at the post-match press conference that he had no regrets following his short tenure with the team. “Maybe it will come after a few days or a few weeks or a few months. But I don’t regret the way we worked or the way we performed.” Australians, on the other hand, might have a few regrets. Once again, the Socceroos leave a major international tournament valiant in defeat. Perhaps that is all this limited team could realistically have wished for. But such sentiment will not make the long trip home any easier, for the 23 players or the 15,000 Australians in Russia.