Socceroos vs Egypt - 2026 World Cup R32 - Sat 4th of July 4am AEST

[mkxx]

I disagree. We’ve got a great group of attacking players that he could use.

He cant defend tho. It would be an ugly score vs Turkey. Like i told you it would be like canada in the last WC.

Canda got better squad than us in qatar

 

[ClockworkOrange]

Every man and his dog knows Poppa set us up to hang on for dear life.

It was fucking shit.

I’d rather lose the way we did to Argentina than this backs-to-wall defending in the 6-yard box crap.

We overhauled the national curriculum for this??

All we needed to do was keep playing like we did in the period we equalised. Leave Volpato on, swap Metcalfe for Hrustic and we’d have kept them on the run. Instead we let them back into it.

 

[dr. bellows]

Puzzling why Hrustic didn't put his hand up. Toure not as much because I question how well he carries the weight of expectation ever since he apparently had a poor Olyroos? Asian finals when he missed many chances. Maybe coincidental but it's a watch and see. Can improve with age.

 

[Encomium]

Agree. Ange is not the answer. But we need someone who can open up our attacking strengths. Bos, Volpato, Hrustik, Irukunda and Metcalfe are at least as good as Egypt’s attack … yet we didn’t show it.

exactly, I do believe we've been better with Aussie coaches overall as they know the players available, maybe Milligan can get the gig after Popa.

 

[Villa Dan]

Our penalty shoot out looked liked we had no strategy

 

[erogenouszone]

I figure Popa was trying to be too clever as per fucking usual. Hope the defenders do it at the start of shootout then have the ballers win it at the end. I'm speculating of course.

 

[erogenouszone]

Oh look, it's another expensive arse breakfast coming up for me with the fam. Nobody cares about Daddy's pain

 

[riquelmes_laces]

Our penalty shoot out looked liked we had no strategy

In the lead up, listening to some of the interviews, it felt that way.

 

[southmelb]

I think playing in Asia is detrimental to our development in terms of us not progressing our style of play as we just bully those teams and monster them on set pieces, its enough to get us to world cups but its never going to be enough to take the next true step.

 

[derider]

The order was weird and the keeper switch even more so, but shootouts are a lottery at the best of times. We just got unlucky today.

What pisses me off is that we barely threw a punch in the preceding 120 minutes. It was a massive opportunity to win a knockout game. Egypt is shit. We couldn’t have wished for a better match up. Feels like such a waste.

We don’t really create chances under Popovic. It’s all so dour and cautious. His lack of faith in his own players to take the game on drives me crazy. I really hate him as a coach.

 

[JS96]

Back when he was at Brighton. I remembered the commentators said he wasnt a good gk for saving a pen. He hardly saved a pen back then. Short hand and usually went the wrong way. He isnt that great to sub on for the shoot out

He saved one in the last minute at Everton. The majority of keepers aren't penalty specialists. It's a bloody lotto half the time.

 

[HappyGuus]

Yeah, drag him Popa! ffs

 

[riquelmes_laces]

I think playing in Asia is detrimental to our development in terms of us not progressing our style of play as we just bully those teams and monster them on set pieces, its enough to get us to world cups but its never going to be enough to take the next true step.

Can’t agree with that. Physically, yes we are powerful, but we don’t dominate Asia.

The silverware at all levels speaks for itself.

 

[Socceroofan4life]

Penalty shootout... whatever.

The preceding 120 minutes......

We get what we deserve.

We played for the lottery of the shootout and lost out. Coin toss goes our way and we're infront of the Aussie fans? Maybe we win.

Just so disappointing we didn't bother to win in the 90 and we play for penalties once we get the equalizer. We did well to hang on but the reward for that effort? It's this.

 

[JS96]

I'm shocked Irvine actually converted the penalty. The weirdest penalty takers ever. We threw that away.

 

[erogenouszone]

Yeah, drag him Popa! ffs

Obviously Paddy doesn't know what a penalty shootout is ! What an ignoramus! Get him off !

 

[JS96]

Ashour has the most punchable face. We made them look good. Got a lot wrong with subs and tactics.

 

[mkxx]

He saved one in the last minute at Everton. The majority of keepers aren't penalty specialists. It's a bloody lotto half the time.

Yeah but he was regarded as a bad pen saver by the commentators so the % of saving the pen at Brighton must be very bad. Lkke ESPN panel said Ryan got a shorter hand and thats a disadvantage

 

[YdF]

They were better than the Aus squad yet the ref was absolutely fucking atrocious to where one could consider if he was impartial or not. Not sour grapes because on the level of play from the second half on, Egypt deserved to win and in the end the right team won.

The head honchos at FA are seriously out of their depth. A Uruguayan ref appointed to an Aus match and no outcry. FFS the AUF made a carnivale out of an appointment of a Belgian ref because Guus was Dutch and that the Belgian might favour the Dutch. A clutching at straws but they ended up getting a changing of the ref. At least some noise would have put this referee on notice that his performance will be under review.

This is the South American style off the ball mongrel off we are missing from our whole top to bottom structure.

 

[TJMitchell]

Continuing to play Irankunda up top as a lone striker instead of on a wing is one of the dumbest decisions in a long line of dumb decisions Popa has made.