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Socceroos vs USA 2026 World Cup match thread 🇦🇺 🇺🇸

NicCarBel said:
Pre 2026 LEckie, 100 percent. Don't think he is up to that role anymore at his age unfortunately.

I probably use 'half-space' different to what you are. I guess that AM 'hole' is what I'm referring to - that space between the forwards and the midfielders
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Ta.

Good points raised.

If we were playing a 4-3-3 with a midfield defensive triangle or attacking triangle, or even a diamond shaped midfield in a 3-4-3 instead of Popa’s flat midfield 3-4-3, it would occur.

However, in the 4-3-3s, we would cede more space at the back, with the cattle at our current disposal and level of experience.
 
Decentric said:
Can’t believe the bastard could ever ref professionally again?

Always look forward to experienced refs like you, Muz and Paul01, providing your refereeing insights, NCB.
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No, he's proven his credibility over the years. Hoyzer was the instigator and he eventually came forward about being strung along.
 
Had so many chances to equalise I think then result is fair, Socceroos just to woeful in front of goal.
 
It's just so disappointing we wasted an hour of world cup play time on a whim. No organisation or fight. Okon and O'Neill were a disgrace at getting into the fight and we invited too much pressure. Leckie and Velupillay lacked any touch to get the ball under control.
 
ClockworkOrange said:
I don’t think anyone thought we’d have qualified after 2 games.
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I didn’t.

Arnie then resigned and said he felt like he was failing as a Roo coach!

I was a big Arnie supporter.

His greatest mistake was overlooking Geria. He stood up against USA in the second half.
 
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Decentric said:
Ta.

Good points raised.

If we were playing a 4-3-3 with a midfield defensive triangle or attacking triangle, or even a diamond shaped midfield in a 3-4-3 instead of Popa’s flat midfield 3-4-3, it would occur.

However, in the 4-3-3s, we would cede more space at the back, with the cattle at our current disposal and level of experience.
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I mean... whatever formation, coach, players we've played - I've just found myself frustrated because it always appears that hole is empty. Cahill filled that role well in 2006. Holman to an extent did in 2010 as well. Mooy to an extent through his career as well, but I personally found that he and Rogic tended to get dragged out a bit to make up for deficiencies across the team so the hole would re-open anyways.

Looking at today, Volpato could very well fill that space - just need to see how he'd be more centrally rather than out wide
 
JS96 said:
It's just so disappointing we wasted an hour of world cup play time on a whim. No organisation or fight. Okon and O'Neill were a disgrace at getting into the fight and we invited too much pressure. Leckie and Velupillay lacked any touch to get the ball under control.
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Very harsh, JS.

I haven’t looked at the replay yet, but you could be right?

I hope you aren’t! I might view the second half a few times!
 
Decentric said:
Very harsh, JS.

I haven’t looked at the replay yet, but you could be right?

I hope you aren’t! I might view the second half a few times!
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The first hour was woeful from our midfield. The free kick for the second goal was from a negligent Okon foul. Neither did anything to try and stem the pressure or offer a passing lane. They often asked for the ball in dangerous areas and kicked it away.
 
The hard fight and ball winning in the final 25 min is just embellished by the USA having a lead. I'd be really interested to see what would've happened at 0:0 on 65min.

Popovic should have known their pressure would've been on for the first hour.
 
Some players we're certainly down especially experience heads didn't calm down just to many errors especially the back 4. I put a lot of it down through our setup tactically and line-up. Our midfield was basically a walk in the park for the opposition we offered absolutely nothing the first 45 we just let them dictate play and inviting them on us creating our own doing with pressure. From a side that didn't like their thrash talk we gave them to much respect fullstop. Poppa got it wrong completely the first 45 and made to many excuses in his press conference the reasons why besides his own blunders.
 
Decentric said:
How did Popa get it wrong?

I think it was a question of players playing a poor first 45 mins.

Bos has been down on his offensive ball carrying in both games.

Burgess made 1 critical mistake - with slightly cumbersome footwork.

USA knew Circati struggles going wide to defend against speedy wingers - which happened in the Burgess own goal.

USA Squeezed our back 5 superbly, starving more offensive players supply.

Second half IMO, watching live, we were the better side, despite playing against the USA and the shocking ref!

Popa swapping the more agile Geria for Circati, and sending him to Left CB was a good move.

Predictably, Iran for Toure, worked.

Volpato for (was it Leckie or Villupillay) worked very well.

USA coach planned well to break link between the Aus wider CBs and the Aus Wing Backs - too well in first half.
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You will alway's complain when posters don't give Popovic the credit you think he deserves. I have never seen you meaningfully criticise any Australian national team coach.

We just got beaten 2-0 and were out of the game by half time because of team selection and chosen tactics within his 'system' of play.

We chose to start two defensively focussed wingers. In doing that we removed any danger we posed offensively and released the pressure on the opposition defence. Allowed them to dictate the game without the threat of repercussion if they pushed too high.

Leckie is cooked and no longer mobile enough for the level, which was obvious from our friendlies and meant he was not a good fit for the role asked of him.

We played half fit players and didn't rotate the squad in the right areas. The CMs looked tired.

The changes weren't good. Irankunda CF I get but you need to play quickly on the counter for that tactic against US. We played wide with crosses to tall CBs v our small CF. Dumb. Yengi is the pick if thats the play, use Irankunda wide.

Many players obviously didn't play well. But scape goating players and refs at the end was poor form and a misdirection from an ordinary coaching performance.
 
JS96 said:
The hard fight and ball winning in the final 25 min is just embellished by the USA having a lead. I'd be really interested to see what would've happened at 0:0 on 65min.

Popovic should have known their pressure would've been on for the first hour.
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That first 45 min that side looked like it had been put together only couple days ago no cohesion and setup to absorb pressure. Baffling from the Turkey game.
 
Decentric said:
I’ve read a heap of criticism of Popa on G and G that I disagree with.

The guy has tried so many young newbies - and - turned around a malfunctioning team under Arnie into a better team.

One bad half on a huge stage against a pretty decent home team should not equate to assassination of Popa’s 5-2-3, 5-4-1, 3-4-3 game plan, and, the players he has selected.
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The guy have has added seven players - the only one I would have introduced is Volpato (which Arnie tried to do). Arnie would have qualified us in either that round or the next.

Christian Volpato

Patrick Beach - 6 standard saves and 2 very good saves in the first game, underwhelming in the second. Apparently 2 of 23 successful passes in the first game. I would have had Gauci in front of him but close call.
Lucas Herrington - at fault for the goal against Switzerland by keeping the player onside but has a definite upside if we only had a manager that could drum into him the importance of keeping a straight line.
Kai Trewin - has looked okay but hardly used
Paul Okon-Englster - thinks he is playing rugby -
Nishan Velupillay - poor pick (of which we have seen plenty of in his tenure)
Tete Yengi - haven't seen enough

It should be reason for assassination when we have seen it all before. Who - apart from Volpato - has he added that brings more of playing the same way as the starters. The tournament squad selection is reason for assassination - not any one game.

The smart play by Football Australia when Arnie was burnt out was to tell him to to take the window off, hand the reins to Rene and come back refreshed.

Instead we have a roster packed the roster with defensive stability and hard-running utility players, choosing physical pragmatism over tactical versatility and in the meantime losing 2 high quality dual nationals.

When Arnie was manager Rene was travelling the world talking to every single dual national. When they were ready they sat down with an old friend and the national manager. This tenure has been completely different.
 
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