Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

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

We had small probes here and there. Crosses blocked or too slow to go ahead.
 
jimshady said:
Agree with what most are saying. Pens are pens. It’s a lottery and some of the greatest f them. It was the nonsense from mid second half on. Egypt looked gassed as well and we just let them off the hook. Now I’m tired and have kids to look after, yes the kids are my fault, but I’m still happy to blame Popa a little.
Click to expand...
If only Popa had taken your missus out those fateful nights…..
 
JS96 said:
The height is a myth when it's about jump power to get to a side.

There's an expectation keepers have arms 2 metres long. Why don't Sanchez or other tall keepers reach the ball when going right way.
Click to expand...
You’re looking at a guy who fills more of the space and you automatically think you’ve got to put it closer to the posts.
 
Last edited:
First up - the ref failing to pull yellow cards for all the late tackles was crippling. 90 minutes of late hacks and trips all given as free kicks but no card. That's not even the South American way. Just inconceivably poor officiating.

Bos' injury may not have happened if the ref had been giving cards for the late and reckless stuff.

Popaball at its worst.

9 players behind the ball and defending our defensive quarter with only Irankunda applying a slight distraction somewhere around halfway - and we were a goal down.

Popa will not allow our team to play 90 minutes of football. He frustrates the shit out of me and he will not change. I don't care that he got us qualified when we were really struggling - he is a one system coach with a system that is set to fail in both principle and practice and he takes every good attacking player and crushes them with his positioning and tactics.

We gave Egypt all the time to develop their attacks all game and played for penalties from about the fifth minute.

How we can have a coach unscathed after defending a 1 goal deficit with his 5-4-1 structure is criminal.

Irankunda cannot play as a sole central striker. Everyone knows that and said it before the game. And even though Popa put players on the pitch who could have supported Irankunda, Popa instructed those positive attacking players to sit back behind the ball for the entire first half and most of the second.

His coaching is a failure and I don't care about any of the good things that might have come from his tenure - he is the one constant negative that holds our team back.

I am glad that I am not a paid pundit, because I don't have to be polite or politically sensitive. Fuck off Popa. You saw what worked against Turkey and you removed every positive facet of that game in favor of your own self obsession with playing half a game of football from a position of weakness.

World class teams will always score against us if we give them time and space. Popa's tactics were barely capable in the aleague - they cannot handle the step up to national football.

Give us Milligan so we actually use the players we select in the roles that they gained selection from.

Ryan for penalties was another of his stupid 'clever decisions'.
 
derider said:
Trewin was pretty bad. So slow and ponderous. Killed all impetus whenever he got near the ball.
Click to expand...
He's not Bos but he was like and NFL cornerback defending his area.

Massive squad balance stuff up. We needed some more wing backs. Robertson sorely missed.
 
ClockworkOrange said:
Your looking at a guy who fills more of the space and you automatically think you’ve got to put it closer to the posts.
Click to expand...
Yet the tallest keepers don't save more penalties. It's technique rather than height.

Robert Enke wasn't so tall but had the jump power and anticipation to reach the ball.
 
derider said:
The one with Japan was a splendid result. That was one game well suited to Popa’s style. Japan is clearly too good for us to go toe to toe with. Egypt, Paraguay and USA really shouldn’t be.
Click to expand...

It was Japans B team!

Egypt, Paraguay and USA all went further than us. They are absolutely better teams

Today we couldnt capitalise on Salah being on one leg.
 
southmelb said:
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.
Click to expand...
It isn't playing in Asia - it is Popa.

We could play in Asia and improve our style of play with a coach who could see beyond Popa's limitations.

I agree we win games with the strength in the box and unfortunately Popa thinks that is enough when the quality of opposition goes up.
 
Losing Bos was pivitol.. he is our best player and crucial to our chances.

We lack depth in this squad especially at wing back and even more so after Italiano went down.... So we were without both our wing backs which is the position we have the least depth...

We were really a pretty plodding team after Bos went out, we just didn't have the players to threaten them outside of using height in the box

I am not a popa fan but I don't think we can hang this loss on him
 
Why was tour CB taking the first penalty
Why was an 18 year old taking a penalty.
Everyone blaming Nestory for the goal but in reality the guy was onside because Herrington wasn't keeping a straight line, same as against Switzerland. I'm not blaming an 18 year old, but we had three CBS and a defensive midfielder in the coaching box - after Switzerland that should have been picked up.
 
JS96 said:
He's not Bos but he was like and NFL cornerback defending his area.

Massive squad balance stuff up. We needed some more wing backs. Robertson sorely missed.
Click to expand...
Injury to possibly the player we could least afford to lose. Not our best player but that really hurt us.
 
JS96 said:
Yet the tallest keepers don't save more penalties. It's technique rather than height.

Robert Enke wasn't so tall but had the jump power and anticipation to reach the ball.
Click to expand...
Regardless of the skill and spring - someone taking penalties wants to see more open space around the keeper than not. It just adds a little more pressure when the keeper seems to loom in front of you.

Ryan looked tiny on camera and that must give a confidence boost to the penalty takers.

Doesn't make him a lesser penalty stopper but does limit the pressure on the taker - and penalties are so much about confidence in the shot rather than confidence as a keeper.
 
🚨 Huge controversy surrounding Egypt!

In a shocking administrative error, Haitham Hassan was brought on as a substitute against Australia without completing the official switch of his sporting nationality from France to Egypt.

This could give Australia the right to file an official protest and potentially challenge the legality of the Real Oviedo winger’s participation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top