Socceroos' fantastic World Cup journey begins

Not since the Oceania days have their been such a diverse range of opponents waiting to take on the might of Australia in World Cup qualifying action, but the AFC's decision to include its minnows with the big boys will open the Socceroos' eyes, and those of fans, to the diverse and rich tapestry of nations on our football doorstep.

Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak is about to lead his team into uncharted waters, literally. (Getty) Source: Getty Images

This evening, in Malaysia, the Socceroos will learn the first steps they need to take on the long road to reach the 2018 World Cup.

Qualifying begins in eight weeks, less than a year after the side boarded various planes home from its base in northern Brazil.

The road to Russia, the submarine to St Petersburg, the mainline to Moscow or whatever it's being dubbed, is going to be a long and winding journey and one that the players and staff of this current setup haven't experienced – in many ways it harks back to the old OFC days but with a few more twists and turns thrown in.

For a side that's used to flying and staying in comfort, a trip to the likes of the Tajik capita, Dushanbe, or Thimphu, on the eastern fringes of the Himalayas, or into the heart of Palestine is going to be a hell of a reality check.

And that's leaving aside the football.

For the first time the AFC has combined the initial qualification stages for the World Cup and the Asian Cup and that's opened the way for the powerhouse nations of the confederation to lock horns with the genuine minnows.

Australia has been seeded in Pot 1 along with Iran, Japan, South Korea, UAE, Uzbekistan, China and Iraq meaning it will avoid those nations over the first section, where only topping your five nation group will ensure progression to the final group stage.

Pot 2 is laden with Middle Eastern countries where the standout dangers include Saudi Arabia and Qatar although Syria is a nation on the rise even as it has to host matches at a neutral venue due to the internal strife tearing the nation apart.

The third pot contains some potential banana skins in the likes of Thailand, India and Palestine but it's amongst the nations in the last two sections where the Socceroos will face the biggest logistical issues at the same time as being expected to rack up some comprehensive scorelines.

It's here where the small fish swim and where every nation dreams of hosting the likes of a Japan or Australia.

A nation such as Kyrgyzstan, whose young FA boss I met last year in Bishkek, where he spoke of his love of the 70s band the Doors, or to Bhutan whose captain flies domestic routes for the national carrier - Druk Air - or to cloistered North Korea or back to Cambodia, a regional powerhouse whose national team was virtually wiped out during the reign of terror imposed by Pol Pot in the mid 70s.

Or even to tiny Guam, a speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where the Japanese come to unwind and soldiers from the mainland come to train. A nation who has never reached this stage of the World Cup – ever. Yet one that, under the tutelage of one of the brightest young coaches in Asia, Gary White, and an influential AFC figure in Chairman, Richard Lai, has made incredible strides.

A decade ago there were barely any passable football fields in the territory, now there are several brand new pitches, a national training centre and a thriving youth development program – all of which gives tiny Guam the chance to dream, as White told me.

"To be at this stage means everything for Guam, it's the culmination of many years of hard work and this chance to test ourselves against the measuring stick countries is a chance to see where the staff and players are at.

"I honestly hope we draw Australia or Japan – this is what we want with the chance to play the best and show what we can do."

When asked whether he feared an embarrassing scoreline the 40 year-old Englishman, who has been at the helm of Guam since 2012 and who will soon complete the JFA's professional S-License course, fired straight back.

"For who? Australia if we beat them?

"We have nothing to fear or be embarrassed about, we know we will be the underdogs but we have one of the best defenders in Asia in AJ DelaGarza with us – a player with the MLS champions who was voted in the team of the year – and this is the most competitive side we've ever had.

"Don't worry, we will be a danger for the bigger sides and now we have a deep pool of talent with strength in key areas."

It's unlikely any player or member of the Socceroos coaching staff could confidentally pinpoint Guam on a map let alone know anything about its football and this – at least over the early stages – is one of the great weapons the minnows have at their advantage.

The decision to pair the haves and have-nots at this stage may have been fundamentally made for cost-cutting reasons but the outcome is to be applauded.

Australia will play much tougher matches in years to come and going from Germany to Guam may be seen as something of a let-down, but this is our region and here there is a wonderful opportunity for all to keep closing the gap between the top and the bottom nations.

That's to everyone's ultimate benefit.