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

Villa Dan said:
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.
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I just wish we could go back 24 hours ans try again. The players know how much they got wrong too.

I'll give it another watch. I just hate how much we didn't move while they were able to move around and stagger our lines.
 
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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That first 45 minutes had a lot to do with our setup tactically and our lineup. No cohesion or resemblance to the side. Payed to much respect just inviting them at us to control the game. Poppa outsmarted himself got to cute look at the second half once we adjusted tactically and made the subs chalk and cheese. Yeah the back 4 we're nervous, but the ball was coming in like a ping pong what did you expect.
 
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Quicky said:
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.
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I just criticised Arnie for not selecting Geria!

I admit that aerial crosses don’t work to Irankunda, but players played those balls. I don’t think they would have been Popa’s instructions.
 
I'm rewatching the game now. US just scored the first. Italiano pressed hard and was drawn out when that press just wasn't on. O'Neill was torn up for pace. Burgess poor body shape defending but tough for him. A more agile CB probably doesn't get quite so twisted up.
 
Decentric said:
More of a question of USA doing better homework on breaking the cohesion between the Roo wide CBs and the Roo CBs.

Turkey didn’t.

The Popa plan was plausible, but the onfield players struggled to execute it in the first half.

They often kicked rushed straight balls in hope.

It may have been a question of the biggest, most vociferous away crowd some players had ever performed in front of?
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Yeah, but this is where good managers identify and change something rather than letting not continue, whether it's tactical or player, he didn't identify that and fix it. He let it continue.

No doubt the crowd would have been loud, but we've often spoken about embracing that challenge and today they just folded.
 
Quicky said:
I'm rewatching the game now. US just scored the first. Italiano pressed hard and was drawn out when that press just wasn't on. O'Neill was torn up for pace. Burgess poor body shape defending but tough for him. A more agile CB probably doesn't get quite so twisted up.
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Harry didn’t shut down quickly …?
 
Decentric said:
I just criticised Arnie for not selecting Geria!

I admit that aerial crosses don’t work to Irankunda, but players played those balls. I don’t think they would have been Popa’s instructions.
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Meaningfully. It's ~2 yrs since Arnie left. Popovic can give sideline instructions. Theres a drinks break.
 
JS96 said:

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I'll harp on about it again and again. For a referee to have been caught match fixing in whatever capacity it was, and turn his career around enough to be considered one UEFA's top referees and referee a World Cup, I expected much, much, much better from him.
 
Leckie can't go with Robinson on our right. Would have been better with Velupillay on the right side.

US midfield very assured. Our press can't unsettle. I feel like US intentionally stretching the lines. A bigger gap between midfield/forward. That is usually bad. But its harder for us to press and allows them space for their pace and skill.
 
Hindsight is 20/20 but read commentary before the match that the game was between their faster wingers and our fast counter. So Leckie with a lack of pace or defensive backtracking was not a good choice. Irvine should have started as has a big engine and willing to track back. Our wing backs needed greater pace for sure. This was known vulnerability. Volpato is a revelation. However, will be defend or go missing like rogic? Velupelai and Leckie did next to nothing, Leckie had a couple of nice touches in the opening 10, but other than that was isolated and unable to support the defense.
 
Quicky said:
I'm rewatching the game now. US just scored the first. Italiano pressed hard and was drawn out when that press just wasn't on. O'Neill was torn up for pace. Burgess poor body shape defending but tough for him. A more agile CB probably doesn't get quite so twisted up.
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Circati was the one on Balogun but Leckie and Italiano are so off it providing the space. Metcalfe and Italiano worked better together.

In hindsight we even should have started Geria and Behich and both of those wing backs could've been further up and they would've been better than Leckie and Velupillay.
 
Bbouy said:
I think Robertson is a better example of a player who can play in the half spaces like Volpato rather than McGree. McGree is a good dribbler but he isn't like Robertson or Volpato. His best attributes is his creativity and passing.
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Robertson is a passing playmaking 6/8 not a tricky dribbler W/SS. Hes decent dribbler dont get me wrong but hes in the luongo/ older Bresciano mould of player. The players i listed were all inside wingers, Shadow strikers or AMs (other than Dukes).
 
ClockworkOrange said:
Harry didn’t shut down quickly …?
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Souttar put his foot there and it's a shame he didn't block it.

Once the dust settles it's interesting how scrappy both goals were. I just can't believe we allowed them some much space down the line and the more you see it the worse the Burgess movement looks. Old reliable left boot but just so risky in that spot.
 
JS96 said:
Souttar put his foot there and it's a shame he didn't block it.

Once the dust settles it's interesting how scrappy both goals were. I just can't believe we allowed them some much space down the line and the more you see it the worse the Burgess movement looks. Old reliable left boot but just so risky in that spot.
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Herrington should have started. We picked our defensive wingers poorly. It didn't work.
 
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