Denmark 1-1 Australia: 5 Talking Points, World Cup 2018

#4 Leckie the man for Australia

2018 FIFA World Cup Football Group C Denmark v Australia Jun 21st

Bert van Marwijk may not have been the most popular appointment for Australia ahead of this World Cup. While he was right in recognizing the attributes of his opponent, it was his abject failure to nullify Eriksen that will haunt him the most. Having taken over the head coach role only at the start of the year, the Dutchman has hardly had any time to prepare with his charges.

Nevertheless, he knows enough about the Asian qualifiers having guided Saudi Arabia to this tournament before abruptly resigning having failed to agree to a new contract with the Saudi FA. That said, Leckie was the one pulling the strings for Australia when it came to creating chances in the game.

Leckie’s relentless running down the flanks was one of the highlights of the game but was undone by his composure in front of the goal. Time will be an indicator when it comes to improvement but in tournaments like this, it is now or never. So better for players to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.