The architect of Australia's return from
FIFA World Cup exile in 2006 is back. Guus Hiddink famously coached the
Socceroos back to the World Cup finals after a 32-year absence in a thrilling qualification period that culminated in a penalty shoot-out triumph against
Uruguay at Stadium Australia in Sydney in November of 2005.
The Dutch master coach also steered Australia into the final 16 at the World Cup and if not for
FIFA World Cup a contentious penalty issued against
Lucas Neill in the match against
Italy, the Socceroos could have made the quarter-finals. Hiddink applauds fans after his last match in charge at Chelsea in the English Premier League It was a golden era for the Socceroos, and now current coach Graham Arnold is hoping
Hiddink's influence can rub off on the new squad.
The Socceroos qualified for the 2022
FIFA World Cup Cup in the same dramatic fashion as 2006, this time against Peru and on foreign soil in Doha.