OAKLAND, California -- In the aftermath of the Socceroos' 0-0 draw with Paraguay, a game that wasn't one for the neutrals but which delivered the faithful a place in the round of 32, a noise began to grow in the distance as Jackson Irvine stood in the mixed zone. It was a refrain of "Ahla Leila, Ahla Nas" over Afro-electronic beats, the opening bars of Ma Tnsani (Yalla Habibi) by Vanco and featuring AYA -- a song that has become something of a favourite for the Australian team at the FIFA World Cup. The noise grew and grew until, eventually, Miloš Degenek and Ajdin Hrustić emerged with a large speaker, bringing all interviews to a stop amidst laughter.
"I think it's important to enjoy and celebrate the moment, right?" Hrustić grinned on Tuesday. "It was special, qualifying in second, another clean sheet, a good performance, and we got the job done."
Indeed, the Socceroos did get the job done against the South Americans, meaning that history will be made at Dallas Stadium this coming Friday (4 a.m. Saturday AEST). History is guaranteed, in fact, as either Australia or Egypt will win a World Cup knockout fixture for the very first time. Both will fancy their chances, too, adding the pressure of knowing that not only is history possible but that it's realistic and perhaps even expected.
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To pretend it's just another game, then, just won't cut it. Even with the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams widening the path, wins in these kinds of fixtures cannot be taken for granted. Japan's loss to Brazil on Monday, for instance, means that the Samurai Blue -- despite being Asia's premier power -- are yet to overcome this hurdle. Italy, Spain, and Germany have all failed to win a knockout game since they last lifted the World Cup. And the opportunity to do something that's never been done before, and be remembered for it, will serve as a powerful source of motivation, particularly for an Egyptian side led by a coach in Hossam Hassan who has been unapologetic in his nationalistic messaging.
And yet, almost paradoxically, the ability to come as close as possible to doing just that might be one of the most important factors in who does. It's finding a way to harness the motivation from the scale of the task at hand while also paying heed to the habits and approach that got you here, as well as making sure that players play the game, and not the sense of occasion.
"Play the game, right? That's all you've got to think about: this game," said Hrustić. "The knockouts have started; we've got to be ready for it, and that's about it. Simple."
Playing the game. That was the approach that Guus Hiddink, a significant influence on the coaching journey of Tony Popovic, tried to implement when his Socceroos side progressed to the knockout stages in 2006, and it's something that Graham Arnold, with his own spin, attempted in Qatar back in 2022.
"It's probably more just channelling energy," Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne told ESPN. Famous (or infamous, if you're Peruvian) for his heroics in the penalty shootout that sent Australia to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Redmayne was part of the Socceroos squad that reached the knockout stages in Qatar, where they came within one 97th-minute Emiliano Martínez save of a Garang Kuol effort from taking eventual world champions Argentina to extra time.
"If you're at a World Cup and you're wearing green-and-gold and playing knockout football, it's keeping the mind on the job and not letting it wander into kind of areas that are nervous or doubtful," continued Redmayne. "It's keeping the mood upbeat, it's keeping it positive, it's channelling the energy into the right kind of motivation. I'm sure [Popovic] ticks off every small detail that there is, and he'll be on top of that; it's just keeping the status quo from a coaching point of view.
"Certainly, as a player, you certainly go to bed at night with a whole mix of energy, it hits the nerves, it's excitement, it's the final 32... It's what the game is all about."
The Socceroos said goodbye to their home away from home in the hills of Berkeley for one final time on Tuesday, jetting out to Dallas a day early so preparations for their clash with the Pharaohs can ramp up a gear. They won't return to California again, either, with plans to jet off immediately to Atlanta for their round of 16 clash, should they beat Egypt, or return home immediately should they lose.
With their encampment at their Berkeley home and training base at the home of the Oakland Roots and Soul in Alameda lasting almost a month, this was a change that was inevitable once the round of 32 began, but which still necessitates a change in routine. But it's one that the squad is trying to turn into a positive.
"Change is sometimes good," said Hrustić. "I think we did enjoy our time here, but I'm hoping this change gives us a bit of an extra little bit of a boost, positive energy, and yeah, we'll see what Dallas will bring along."
Hrustić got his first minutes of the tournament against Paraguay and is eager to press his case for more playing time. Degenek, for his part, is yet to feature at this World Cup, alongside Cammy Devlin, Awer Mabil, Kai Trewin, and backup keepers Mathew Ryan and Paul Izzo.
As Redmayne observed, however, it's these players that will perhaps be playing just as large a role as any in the squad during the buildup to the clash with Egypt -- both for what they bring on the training track as they push to play but also in the halls of the hotel, on the bus, or playing DJ after a big win over Paraguay.
"In these big moments, it's your Nestorys, it's your Paul Izzos, it's your Cammy Devlins; you bring a laugh off the pitch, you can almost pop that tension, that's a good way of putting it, with a joke or a well-timed one-liner here and there, or just a smile," explained Redmayne. "It puts a kind of humility onto the nerves and the energy that you're feeling. I know I played that role a little bit [in Qatar], just kind of stripping back the tension and the angst.
"It's a balance that you need in your sport. But I dare say, Popovic has got it right with the level characters in the change room.
"I have seen it, on a few of the comms coming out of the Socceroos channels, that Izzo is a good laugh. It's those kinds of boys that make camp feel like home in a way."
Indeed, Popovic was adamant after the Paraguay game when asked about his lineups that "all 26 players are here to play a role," and that "every player is important." And as one of the biggest games in Australian football looms, those who have lived this moment know that players can have all kinds of roles on and off the field.
"Everyone brings something into this group, that's why the boss chose the 26," said Hrustić. "He does everything with a purpose.
"You've got to ask him why, and what, and how, but I see the boys, and I see they are enjoying themselves. The effort they're putting into training, even if they don't play. The plus-one sessions after games have been outstanding, and it just shows the character that we've got."