Qualification for World Cups is typically laden with stress for Australia, but its path to the 2026 tournament was rather anticlimactic. The Socceroos will land at their seventh World Cup this summer and sixth in succession, having captured hearts and minds in Qatar four years ago. National interest in soccer is growing, and there’s reason to believe that this group of players, while bereft of the star talent its finest generation boasted 20 years ago, could exceed expectations in North America. The Road to the World Cup Qualification record : 11W-1L-4D Goals for / against:  38 / 7 Top scorer:  Kusini Yengi (6) Top assister:  Craig Goodwin (6) An arduous qualifying process started with a perfect second round record, winning all six games without conceding. Australia ran into more difficulties in the third round, with an underrated Japan outfit topping Group C.…