SOCCEROOS legend and Sports Wizard® Football Ambassador, Josip Skoko, says the Confederations Cup will be a huge boost for Ange Postecoglou’s side should they make the 2018 World Cup.
Skoko was a key cog in the 2005 Socceroos side that travelled to Germany as Oceania Champion in preparation for the 2006 World Cup and believes the experience proved invaluable to the side ahead of the showpiece tournament.
“It was an amazing experience, you get to play in the stadiums that are set up for the World Cup and against unbelievable teams,” Skoko told the Herald Sun.
“I thought they were great tournaments, high quality, and most of the teams come with their full squads because they’re preparing for the World Cup and they want to win.
“It gives us another tournament like a World Cup scenario and gives the coach to get other players, if they haven’t had before, tournament experience.
“It’s the same type of atmosphere and you get exposed to the bigger teams that you don’t usually get a chance to play against so it will definitely help I think.”
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SOCCEROOS legend Josip Skoko says qualifying for the Confederations Cup will be a massive boost for Ange Postecoglou’s side should it make the 2018 World Cup.
After winning the Asian Cup on Saturday night, the Socceroos will compete alongside seven of the world’s best teams — including world champions, Germany, and hosts, Russia — at the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament in June 2017.
Winners of the European, South American, North American, African and Oceania continental championships in the coming years will also feature in the tournament in which the Socceroos will be guaranteed to play three group matches and potentially a semi-final and final.
The tournament comes towards the end of World Cup qualifying, with the final round of Asian qualification scheduled to wrap up in September 2017.
Australia were regular participants at the quadrennial event when part of FIFA’s Oceania zone, but are set to return after a 12-year absence.
Skoko was a part of the team’s last Confederations Cup appearance in Germany in 2005, where the team competed admirably in losses to Germany (4-3) and Argentina (4-2) before a second-string side succumbed to Tunisia (2-0) in the last game.
Despite not earning a point, Skoko — who scored against the Germans in game one — said the experience was invaluable leading up to the next year’s World Cup, where the Socceroos made the second round.
“It was an amazing experience, you get to play in the stadiums that are set up for the World Cup and against unbelievable teams,” Skoko said.
“I thought they were great tournaments, high quality, and most of the teams come with their full squads because they’re preparing for the World Cup and they want to win.
“It gives us another tournament like a World Cup scenario and gives the coach to get other players, if they haven’t had before, tournament experience.
“It’s the same type of atmosphere and you get exposed to the bigger teams that you don’t usually get a chance to play against so it will definitely help I think.”
Australia’s World Cup preparations have already begun in earnest.
Socceroos football analyst Peter Cklamovski said the team had scouts at every Asian Cup game last month given the potential that the team may face several of those nations in the qualifiers, which start in June.
The draw for the first round of qualifying, throughout which the Socceroos will play home and away against four other countries, takes place in April.
This story first appeared in the Herald Sun on 4 February 2015, titled ‘Socceroos’ qualification for Confederations Cup can help 2018 World Cup campaign, says Josip Skoko’.
