A convincing performance by Peru saw diehard Socceroos’ fans despairing this morning, wondering how it all went so wrong for the Australians.
At The Palace Hotel in Sydney’s CBD, the mood among a group of 100-or-so punters shifted swiftly from cautious optimism to drawn-out misery, as Peru set into a convincing rhythm, finishing the game 2-0.
Disappointed fans watch the Socceroos. Source: SBS
One fan, clad in green and gold, bemoaned the Socceroo’s seeming inability to score, a frustration felt by other supporters who held their heads in their hands for much of the game.
"I don't know what's going on,” Simon Frary told SBS News.
“We're getting in front of the goal but we're just giving it away."
When Peru scored again shortly after half-time, the contest went from an uphill battle to a near impossible feat.
Some punter left before the final whistle, preferring not to watch the final nail in the coffin of Australia’s 2018 World Cup campaign.
A lost goal opportunity had Socceroos fans up in arms. Source: SBS
Many fans keenly aware that Australia’s fate was to be sealed in another game being played simultaneously - France v Denmark.
“It’s kind of just unlucky circumstances, it’s unfortunate and kind of sad,” one fan told SBS.
The disappointment was a far cry from the confidence and optimism in the bar hours earlier, some fans predicting a 2-0 win in Australia's favour.
"Hopefully we get the three points and get up out of the Group, hopefully we'll get up," Socceroos' fan Nick Anderson told SBS before the game.
