The Socceroos have been welcomed to Brazil by the nation’s president Dilma Rousseff, but those famous trapped Chilean miners were less focussed on the Socceroos in a new TV ad.
As the first nation to arrive in Brazil for the World Cup, the Socceroos have been welcomed on Twitter not just by the Brazilian president, but Brazil’s Bayern Munich stopper Dante as well as top brass at FIFA.
However, the Socceroos are not mentioned in a TV spot for a bank in Chile.
In it the Chilean national team is given a powerful motivational speech by a group of genuine national heroes.
Aimed at galvanising the spirit of the trapped Chilean miners four years ago who were trapped underground for two months, the miners themselves give their footballers a passionate rev up ahead of group games against the might of Spain and Holland.
"Is Spain a tricky team?" asks one miner. "Is Holland a tricky team? The Group of Death doesn't scare us. We don't care about death – we've already beaten it.”
Their message is distilled into this mantra: “Nothing is impossible for a Chilean”.
Though there is no mention of the Socceroos. Perhaps they assume it three points in the bag in the opener.
Outside of the Twittersphere, The Huffington Post points to Tim Cahill, predictably, as a saviour.
“He will need to be head and shoulders above the opposition, though, if Australia are to progress from a tricky group, which includes 2010 finalists Spain and the Netherlands.”
World Soccer.com noted the Socceroos’ biggest weakness: “Well, that’s quite simple: they don’t have players anywhere near as good as those of group opponents Spain, Holland and Chile.”
Squawka.com noted: “It is incredibly tough to see a safe passage into the knock-out stages for Australia but they will undoubtedly give it their all despite boasting one of the worst squads in the tournament and entering the competition as the lowest ranked.
“With expectation virtually at rock bottom given the calibre of their opponents an emphasis will be placed on performances rather than results.
“However, with a sprinkling of experienced stars within their team they could spring an unlikely surprise and earn themselves a couple of points rather than leaving Brazil empty handed.
Bostinno.streetwise.com added: “Basically, no one expects much from them [the Socceroos] which (as always) makes them potentially dangerous at least as a spoiler.”