Its sadly NOT a unique story, for example after THAT Iran match I was told, "why do you care anyway your REAL country didnt qualify either" whilst wearing a Socceroos scarf.... go figure.
At the time I had an Egyptian work mate who commented after the match "now I feel like I've been knocked out twice".
Hmmm, the statement "It's probably better for Adrian now that he's gone because I won't hold him back from where he really wants to be" sound a touch bitchy to me. Sound like there might have been a bit of tension between Popovic and Segacic.
I can understand playing for another nation’s youth national team if it’s more practical to do so (as with Ale Circati and Cristian Volpato playing for Italy’s youth teams since they played for Italian clubs) but when it comes to senior football I think it should be the country you were born, raised and developed in. If the Socceroos were crap then good players not playing would make us even worse. You can’t improve a team without good players.
I think it’s just different per person. Josip Šimunić was a crazy nationalist who appears to have felt little connection to Australia and he was from an older generation. Joey Didulica and Anthony Šerić also played for Croatia and are from an older generation.
She does have a brother that also signed to Sydney FC academy at the same time she did.
The disingenuous bit was him comparing his own experience. No one was looking at Popovic when he was first picked - Harry and Dukes yes but Popovic no-one would look sideways at him from a country that never qualifies.
Good point about those three.
We have the chance to go a long way in the World Cup. This is an uninspiring squad. If he does this in May even with Souttar and Irvine in then we are headed for a group exit when we potentially with the right selections and tactics could top the group. If that happens Popovic loses his job.
He is the same cohort as Simunic, Didulica and Seric. Simunic was probably better, but he was at least as good as the other two. They absolutely would have looked at him.
I dont want to sound rude but even with the likes of Irvine who is technically limited and a player in Harry Souttar who hasn't played much football in 2 years I don't think squad can go far, maybe a round of 16 match at best but that's it from what I can see.
Simunic debuted for Croatia in 2001 6 years after Popovic debuted for Australia in 1995. Australia was on the world stage by then after their run at the Confederation Cup where Popovic played, Seric 1998 and Didulica later than Simunic
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I got to the end of Aussie Scouts bit. Will listen to SMPete tonight. Has been good so far. It hasn't really addressed the strategic and structural failings contributing to these defections though. The FA has a bit to answer for.
At that point a single youth team cap was enough to lock you down which was 1988 for Popa at under 17s, 3 years before Croatian independence haha. So you are correct.
