Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer says qualification for the 2014 World Cup it is vital for football in the nation.
The Fulham veteran has made it clear that for football down under to flourish, the Socceroos must get into the Brazil tournament and perform well for the expectant Aussie fans.
The Australian team has to consolidate on the recent success of finishing runners-up at the Asian Cup in Qatar and that begins with Tuesday night's (Wednesday 5:45am AEDT) friendly with Germany.
"It's imperative that Australia qualifies again for the World Cup," Schwarzer said.
"We've done it back to back and we need to make sure this is a regular occurrence for the Australian national team. We don't want to wait another 32 years to qualify.
"These games are vitally important that we as a team perform well.
"I think it's all part of the jigsaw puzzle. It's all part of the preparation leading up to those games because ultimately that's what is the most important thing.
"We must show the style of football that we want to play and show that we are learning and progressing as a team."