Sam Kerr: Danes a real challenge but Socceroos can win if they repeat French effort
Proud. That's the first word that comes to mind when I think about the first game against the French.
I set my alarm at 4:55am on my own game day to get up and watch a team that I had so many questions about. After the first 10 minutes I knew this team was different.
They looked confident, they didn't shy away while playing against some of the best players in the world, and they got stuck in!
Like most people it was kind of painful and annoying for me to watch the French roll around on the ground after being slightly bumped, but after watching most games now it seems that's just becoming football.
Of course VAR goes against our boys in their first game. After a disastrous A-league season with the VAR, it just had to be us.
Whether it was a penalty or not, I just thought it was ironic and highly annoying that it was used in our first match.
The boys' performance is one that all Australians are proud of, we had many players who came up big.
Matty Ryan was awesome, Trent Sainsbury solid as always and I thought Aaron Mooy showed that he can really compete with the big guns.
Although we lost, and that's nothing to be happy with, I think the change in the squad over such a short time was encouraging.
I really wasn't sure how we would do this tournament, I didn't know where our team was at and had no idea how the other teams would show.
After watching our game and the Peru-Denmark game I am pretty confident we can advance from our group.
Denmark are a good squad and will be a real challenge but if our boys can put in the same performance they did against the French I think we will win the match.
Do we have a consistent goal scorer in the team without Timmy starting?
I would personally love to see Jamie Maclaren play after the goal-scoring run he has been on with his club.
The first goal in this next game is the most important, I believe whoever scores first will win the game. One goal might be enough.
One thing's for sure, there is nothing better than watching our country compete at the biggest sporting event in the world.
The sound of all those Aussies singing that national anthem still gives me goosebumps thinking about it now.
The support from not only our country but around the world has been amazing. Already I can't wait for game two!
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