This time last year things looked fairly rosy for Australia’s national football teams, on the surface at least.

The Matildas had just reached the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil and were the most popular sports team in the land, breaking attendance and viewing records week on week.

The Socceroos’ run to the Round of 16 at the previous year’s World Cup was still fresh in the memory, and they were gearing up for a famous match against England at Wembley.

Despite the good sentiment surrounding both teams, the results didn’t necessarily reflect what was really going on, and events in the last year have shown that to be the case.

MORE: Matildas next match | Socceroos World Cup qualifying fixtures, results

Graham Arnold caught the Australian football world off guard on Friday morning by announcing his immediate resignation from his role as Socceroos coach.

He was a man under pressure after a disastrous start to the third round of World Cup qualifying, losing at home to Bahrain and struggling to a draw against Indonesia.

After a below par Asian Cup campaign, discontent has been growing in fan circles, and Arnold’s exchanges with journalists had grown more tetchy as the pressure grew.

It’s a stark fall from grace for a coach who was praised after Australia’s performance at the World Cup, where he was handed a four-year deal through the next World Cup cycle off the back of it.

The Matildas have also gone through a turbulent period in the last 12 months, with Tony Gustavsson leaving his post after a failed Paris Olympics campaign.

His departure was more of a foregone conclusion; his contract was up at the end of the tournament and there was a feeling on both sides the relationship between coach and Football Australia had reached the end of the road.

Gustavsson’s final days were a far cry from the euphoria of the World Cup, with haphazard displays at both ends of the pitch and reports of discontent with his coaching. He was a divisive figure within fan and media circles, with debate as to whether the Matildas fulfilled their potential under him. 

It means Football Australia CEO and others in power are in the unique position of having to make permanent appointments for both of their senior national teams (Tom Sermanni has been placed in interim charge of the Matildas).

They are important decisions to make even in the best of times, so the importance is ratcheted up a notch when you take into account the current circumstances of both sides.

The Socceroos are facing a battle to remain one of the top teams in Asia, as investment from previously perceived minnow nations now means there is more of a level playing field.

MORE: Who could replace Graham Arnold?

There are still issues at youth level, with the Olyroos failing to score a single goal at this years U23s Asian Cup.

The Socceroos also have a chronic issue of failing to break down compact and deep defences, with their run at the World Cup and positive performances against bigger teams coming in situations where they can use their speed and strength on the counter-attack.

The Matildas too are facing ever-improving threats, as they are beginning to be chased down by European countries putting in more money and resources into their national team programs.

They in particular face a challenge of needing a coach who can both serve the need to win now, whilst also successfully bringing through the next generation of stars, something Gustavsson failed to adequately do.

MORE: Where to next for Matildas after complicated Gustavsson legacy?

Both sides find themselves at the end of an era, with coaches who served in some of their greatest achievements moving on, and there is a sense there is little margin for error in Football Australia making the next call.

Both national teams experience huge support despite the struggles of the domestic game, and both need to be in a good condition for it to thrive, and fans of the national team need to feel a connection to the coach, players, and style of play if they are to stick around outside of the major tournaments.

The two departed managers arguably failed to do that towards the end.

With the footballing world forever changing, the Socceroos and Matildas could run the risk of being left behind by those who are making shrewder decisions in putting the right people in charge of the right areas.

Yes, getting the right coach for the senior team will not automatically fix other systemic issues within the youth levels of the game in particular, but it is still crucial.

It is telling they are taking different approaches with both teams, as they are planning to pick a permanent Socceroos coach before the next World Cup qualifiers in three weeks; is there method to the madness?

Fans and pundits in Australia will certainly hope so, as the next appointments for both jobs could, and most likely will, mean the difference between success and failure. And that means a lot.

For the Socceroos failure could mean not qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, for the Matildas it could mean leaving a yawning gap between the legends departing and the next generation, leaving them in limbo when they need to consolidate their support in the country.

Whatever happens next, it feels like these are a seismic few weeks and months in Australian football, will we look back at the decisions made at the end of 2024 as sliding doors moments we will want back? Or as the start of a new era for our beloved national teams?