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Socceroos vs Cameroon/ Curaçao March 2026 🇦🇺🇨🇲🇨🇼

How should Australia do March?

  • European based camp

    Votes: 7 38.9%
  • North American based camp

    Votes: 6 33.3%
  • Australian based camp

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • Middle Eastern based camp

    Votes: 1 5.6%

  • Total voters
    18
I'm not going to go back and find the exact instance of the Herrington receive on the chest and drop it to a foot and pass in a fluid sequence somewhere between 23 and 29 minutes (I think passing it to McGree), BUT, when I replay the match for the second time to compile 1v1s, etc, I will record the exact minutes and seconds of the game where he did it.

He was closely marked and his handling speed and composure under pressure was very impressive.
20'
 
Within the Cameroon Press, which was intermittently a Full Press and sometimes a Half Press, their Squeezing intensity was quite full on at times.

As I keep reviewing the game, I'll keep this in mind, Mono.

There has been one recent action, where Herrington received on his chest, dropped it straight down to a foot and passed - all in a very quick sequence. He was in very little time and space when he did this. Very few other CBs we have at senior level could execute this as well as Herrington did.

I'd contend Trewin could, possibly Jets CB Natta, maybe Circati? Not the other Socceroo CBs aged 26 and over.
Circati has proven his worth hands down no need for the ? mark.
His skilset is all there as far as I'm concerned.
He's our backline classy leader imo.......for just 22yrs he's stepped above Souttar already and plays in a league that tunes his craft spot on.
This is where I'd luv Herrington to move away from MLS in the future - getting to EU.

Mono - I hear where your coming from, far earlier in the thread I exchanged with Quicky saying hey, its one game, Cameroon even though pressing sure didn't play behind our lines for Popa game is sitting deep.
Hence I get where your coming from though for a debut at just 18yrs hardly putting a foot wrong sure says alot of his potential.
We all have viewed football long enough to see/watch how a players composure is on the ball and their movement.
He is looking the goods - paired up with Souttar what a pairing that would be to develop throw in Circati we haven't had back potential that good for sometime.
I like Dengenak for his experience but @ 31 he's getting on and a good backup for eg.
Geria getting on 32 and he's hit and miss at critical times - at times he's a liability/weak link.
So Herrington is a breath of fresh air put it that way.
 
I hate straight balls. I use it as a metric for when we're playing shit. If you see straight balls to marked players we're in for a disappointing game.
Ange took a clinic on this.

The player receiving a straight ball who is marked closely, only really has a safe option of playing a bounce pass backwards.

Players further back can also shout the instruction 'Man On' or 'Turn' to the player receiving the straight ball with his/here back facing the opposition goal. Receiving side on is ideal.

Also, players need to turn their heads and scan the field of play, to check for proximity of opponents, if they can, before receiving.
 
Circati has proven his worth hands down no need for the ? mark.
His skilset is all there as far as I'm concerned.
He's our backline classy leader imo.......for just 22yrs he's stepped above Souttar already and plays in a league that tunes his craft spot on.
This is where I'd luv Herrington to move away from MLS in the future - getting to EU.

Mono - I hear where your coming from, far earlier in the thread I exchanged with Quicky saying hey, its one game, Cameroon even though pressing sure didn't play behind our lines for Popa game is sitting deep.
Hence I get where your coming from though for a debut at just 18yrs hardly putting a foot wrong sure says alot of his potential.
We all have viewed football long enough to see/watch how a players composure is on the ball and their movement.
He is looking the goods - paired up with Souttar what a pairing that would be to develop throw in Circati we haven't had back potential that good for sometime.
I like Dengenak for his experience but @ 31 he's getting on and a good backup for eg.
Geria getting on 32 and he's hit and miss at critical times - at times he's a liability/weak link.
So Herrington is a breath of fresh air put it that way.
A lot of good points made in this post, LFC.

Geria has a very good vertical jump, and is usually a terrific ball winner.
 
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it was ONE touch in a whole game... sure impressive but if thats all it takes to get into a WC squad for Australia Im going to the backyard and preparing my audition tape for Popa.
practice sideways and back pass's with a plumb and make a copy of your KNVB certificate of merit never getting past the halfway line and no shots on goal a whole 1st half - your a ringer to be selected hands down Mono !
 
Yes Decentric I saw it, perhaps have a look at the clip Grazor posted below for every touch of his... look at the acres of space he operates in...
That's fair although there are examples of both space and pressure. When pressured I thought Herrington looked assured. When he has space he takes it and uses it to drive and pass forward where there are passing options. I think you're right to be cautious. It's early days.
 
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That's fair although there are examples of both space and pressure. When pressured I thought Herrington looked assured. When he has space he takes it and uses it to drive and pass forward where there are passing optiond. I think you're right to be cautious. It's early days.
I like the lad, always happy for another defensive option.. I worry that taking a punt on a newbie, with an already lacklustre squad, is going to hurt us.. WC starts in 3 months... the time to experiment was last year ... thats all Im saying.
 
I like the lad, always happy for another defensive option.. I worry that taking a punt on a newbie, with an already lacklustre squad, is going to hurt us.. WC starts in 3 months... the time to experiment was last year ... thats all Im saying.
I'm not sure we have the quality and depth to be picky about it.
 
Ta.

What an achievement to make the WC for them!

I wonder if they have recruited from the Eredivisie and Eerste, like Indonesia have, with some dual nationals?
They’re basically “Netherlands B/C final boss”. Only one player in their squad for these friendlies was born on the island.
 
Keep trying to educate posters on this.

Players pass forwards depending on the movement of their teammates further forwards off the ball in opening viable passing lanes.

Or sometimes teammates pass backwards to a player, in a quick decision, closely marked in a cul de sac.

Often a back pass, with a 1 or 2 touch sequence under close marking, is harder to execute, than playing forwards when the player on the ball receives in plenty of time and space and passes to a teammate further advanced in plenty of space.

Dutch TDs Rob Baan, Han Berger, plus KNVB staff coaches, Ad Derkson and Arie Schans, tried to educate Aussie coaches and players in this, nearly 20 years ago. It still took a while for some AL coaches to comprehend it.

No player at Socceroo level passes backwards if there is a viable passing lane opened further up the pitch.
Thanks for trying to educate us decentric!
What would we do without you?
 
Indonesia in a shitter confederation.
Pretty much lol but at least they have a way, way, way, way, way smaller pool of local talent (Indonesia is one of the most populous countries on Earth while Curaçao is a small island territory in the Caribbean Sea).

Aruba, Bonaire and Suriname also select Dutch players. Suriname also had a squad in which the vast majority of players were Dutch for their World Cup playoff. They were unlucky and lost to Bolivia but have a chance in the future, which only gets stronger with more recruitment and an expanded World Cup.
 
Sure Herrington looked ok the other night but he's not a starting XI player in a WC match nor would you put an 18 y/o novice like him on with 15 minutes to play to defend a 1-0 lead. He's 18 playing in the MLS not some prodigy like Viduka or Kewell. He shouldn't be going to this WC, squad should be the best 23 not an 'experiment'. Would rather have experienced defenders the bench.
Going tonight, very curious about Curacao. Didn't even know they existed 6 months ago lol. Know what we're getting with Popa. A slow and steady start checking out the opposition, putting them (and us) to sleep and snatching a goal from a half chance or some Irankunda magic.
 
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