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

JS96

JS96

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With H2H being the tiebreaker we could know a lot by the end of this one. Going to be a cracking occasion.
 
USA lead Belgium 1:0.

This game is going to be an epic. Their best assets are up against ours while our attack can do well against their slow defence. The midfield battle will decide the game.

Seeing all their attacking options we're going to have to be so sharp with our marking and tackles.
 
JS96 said:
USA lead Belgium 1:0.

This game is going to be an epic. Their best assets are up against ours while our attack can do well against their slow defence. The midfield battle will decide the game.

Seeing all their attacking options we're going to have to be so sharp with our marking and tackles.
Click to expand...
1–1, Zeno Debast with the equaliser.
 
This is how all of the Group D teams can beat the US. Belgium's forwards and attacking midfielders are encouraged to roam and rotate positions. It's not a static "two fixed strikers up top" setup. This fluidity helped them dominate stretches of the game against the USMNT. The US defence is not elite - it is slow to turn and vulnerable to this type of attack. They like to mark 1 v 1 and struggle when they have to make decisions.

We have the talent to push a long way in this group. But if we continue with the dour selections and tactics we will be pointless and Popovic unemployed after MD3.. Popovic's got the Porsche to do the job, but doesn't seem to know how to drive it.

I hope that he is just playing his cards close to his chest because a lot of this squad should be nowhere near the Socceroos and many that aren't in the squad should be.

I want to be wrong - but I don't think I am. The good news is a new manager may realise where the keys are and play to our strengths and against our opponents weaknesses
 
patjennings said:
This is how all of the Group D teams can beat the US. Belgium's forwards and attacking midfielders are encouraged to roam and rotate positions. It's not a static "two fixed strikers up top" setup. This fluidity helped them dominate stretches of the game against the USMNT. The US defence is not elite - it is slow to turn and vulnerable to this type of attack. They like to mark 1 v 1 and struggle when they have to make decisions.

We have the talent to push a long way in this group. But if we continue with the dour selections and tactics we will be pointless and Popovic unemployed after MD3.. Popovic's got the Porsche to do the job, but doesn't seem to know how to drive it.

I hope that he is just playing his cards close to his chest because a lot of this squad should be nowhere near the Socceroos and many that aren't in the squad should be.

I want to be wrong - but I don't think I am. The good news is a new manager may realise where the keys are and play to our strengths and against our opponents weaknesses
Click to expand...
Really agree with the point about rotating forwards and attacking mids. For example, Irankunda has now played on the left, in the centre, and on the right. McGree has shown he's a 10 who can come up anywhere - remember his assist from the byline for Behich's stunner v Japan. Love your metaphor re the Porsche that Poppa can't drive. Ange and many other coaches would recognise that McGree and Irankunda can lead a strong front line, and should be let off the leash from the start rather than just in the 2nd half. Our defence, especially now with Herrington yet another CB option, is also strong. Poppa's strategy works, but it's painful to watch, and I think he needs to have more faith in our attack play.
 
Agreed Pat, overseas players in shit leagues like Scotland get a look in before Aussie players, it's not Just Poppa, it's been going on for years. Just choose the best players ffs
 
Jetsfan said:
Agreed Pat, overseas players in shit leagues like Scotland get a look in before Aussie players, it's not Just Poppa, it's been going on for years. Just choose the best players ffs
Click to expand...
Compared to the leagues our current players are playing in the Premiership is pretty good. It’s not like we’ve got players at Big Five league clubs just sitting around.
 
Interesting to watch extended highlights of USA v Belgium. US goal at 39' wasn't against the run of play. But 2nd half Belgium notched it up a gear and were great to watch. Our game v Cameroon, 1st half at least, was a snoozefest in comparison to this game. Feeling much more confident of our chances v USA in June having watched this. Love one of the comments to the highlights video: "Belgium is just slightly smaller than Maryland"
 
socceroosmad said:
Interesting to watch extended highlights of USA v Belgium. US goal at 39' wasn't against the run of play. But 2nd half Belgium notched it up a gear and were great to watch. Our game v Cameroon, 1st half at least, was a snoozefest in comparison to this game. Feeling much more confident of our chances v USA in June having watched this. Love one of the comments to the highlights video: "Belgium is just slightly smaller than Maryland"
Click to expand...
 
patjennings said:
This is how all of the Group D teams can beat the US. Belgium's forwards and attacking midfielders are encouraged to roam and rotate positions. It's not a static "two fixed strikers up top" setup. This fluidity helped them dominate stretches of the game against the USMNT. The US defence is not elite - it is slow to turn and vulnerable to this type of attack. They like to mark 1 v 1 and struggle when they have to make decisions.

We have the talent to push a long way in this group. But if we continue with the dour selections and tactics we will be pointless and Popovic unemployed after MD3.. Popovic's got the Porsche to do the job, but doesn't seem to know how to drive it.

I hope that he is just playing his cards close to his chest because a lot of this squad should be nowhere near the Socceroos and many that aren't in the squad should be.

I want to be wrong - but I don't think I am. The good news is a new manager may realise where the keys are and play to our strengths and against our opponents weaknesses
Click to expand...
McGree - Toure - Irankunda inter-changing would be a fun watch.
 
Watched a lot of reviews of the US Belgium game and most of the analysts were surprised with the result or at least the size of it. They were heaping praise on the Belgium side saying how good they were. Tbh this is a relatively weak Belgium side. Imagine if they played the 2018 side.
 
patjennings said:
Watched a lot of reviews of the US Belgium game and most of the analysts were surprised with the result or at least the size of it. They were heaping praise on the Belgium side saying how good they were. Tbh this is a relatively weak Belgium side. Imagine if they played the 2018 side.
Click to expand...
They were a joy to watch especially in the 2nd half, out-totalfootballing the Dutch! So fluent and cohesive when they're in the zone. I love it that small countries can become football giants, and in the cases of Belgium and Croatia be pretty consistent over the years (Belgium population roughly 12 million, and Croatia 4 million)
 
socceroosmad said:
They were a joy to watch especially in the 2nd half, out-totalfootballing the Dutch! So fluent and cohesive when they're in the zone. I love it that small countries can become football giants, and in the cases of Belgium and Croatia be pretty consistent over the years (Belgium population roughly 12 million, and Croatia 4 million)
Click to expand...

My point (which I didn't really get to) wasn't really about the Belgium team, which were good but is really only a team in transition.

It was more about the naivety of the USA analysts that believe that they are this great footballing nation and that this is their Golden Generation led by 'Captain America'. Pulisic has 1 assist in Serie A - this calendar year. There team is built upon people that have grown up in a league that values entertainment instead of football. They pay aging European stars as DPs and don't worry about the quality of their keepers, defenders or midfielder. Chris Richards (who did not play) they see as a great defender. But he also slow to turn and can only really defend when he has one player to man mark so would have struggled against such a roaming attack.

Their ELO ranking (a better predictor) is the lowest in Group D. The level of delusion that this is a great team is staggering - it is not a Golden Generation - it is a Tin-plated Generation.
 
patjennings said:
My point (which I didn't really get to) wasn't really about the Belgium team, which were good but is really only a team in transition.

It was more about the naivety of the USA analysts that believe that they are this great footballing nation and that this is their Golden Generation led by 'Captain America'. Pulisic has 1 assist in Serie A - this calendar year. There team is built upon people that have grown up in a league that values entertainment instead of football. They pay aging European stars as DPs and don't worry about the quality of their keepers, defenders or midfielder. Chris Richards (who did not play) they see as a great defender. But he also slow to turn and can only really defend when he has one player to man mark so would have struggled against such a roaming attack.

Their ELO ranking (a better predictor) is the lowest in Group D. The level of delusion that this is a great team is staggering - it is not a Golden Generation - it is a Tin-plated Generation.
Click to expand...
They beat uruguay 5-1 and lost 5-2

Crazy swings of form
 
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