For Denis Genreau, a bumper crowd at Stadium Australia and the biggest game in four years for the Socceroos is just another day at the office.
The Paris-born midfielder said that plying his trade for promotion-challenging Toulouse had steeled his resolve, with every game being in a pressure cooker environment.
Le Téfécé are currently top of Ligue 2, seven points ahead of Paris FC, and look almost certain to return to Ligue 1.
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“I play every week in front of 10,000, 15,000 people and every game’s important for us and we have to win and there’s a lot of pressure around my club at the moment in Toulouse to get promoted,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“Every week we’re playing with that expectation and it has made me ready for nights like this and moments like this.”
Australia will play each of the two teams above them in their qualifying group, Japan and Saudi Arabia, in two massive games over the next week.
The Socceroos likely need to win both to qualify for Qatar automatically.
“This is obviously a different kind of pressure, where you’re representing all of Australia so I guess it’s at another level,” Genreau said.
“You just have to get yourself ready mentally, and physically we’re all ready. So it’s all up in the mind and in the brain to prepare yourself as best as possible.”
If selected, it will be Genreau’s second cap for Australia – it’s been a meteoric rise after his big move to France came in the middle of last year.
“My goal’s always been to have a long career in Europe, and it was a great opportunity that came up during the Olympics,” he said.
“I wanted to push myself, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and improve as a player and this is a perfect move for me.
“I went over there and wasn’t expecting to play too much and just wanted to give everything to get better, and improve, and I’ve played a lot of football in the last six months so I’m very, very happy.
“I feel like I’m developing every day and getting better and better – it’s been great so far.”
He said that “everyone knew” it was a big game – particularly when you consider that qualifying for the World Cup has become something we’ve almost taken for granted since that breakthrough win against Uruguay in 2005.
“I think so,” he said when asked if qualifying for the past four tournaments added pressure.
“For us, as Australia, we need to expect to be at every World Cup. It’s up to us to continue that tradition and follow those expectations.”