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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

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Cameroon schooled China. Was the Cameroonian sent of for saying the China 17 isn't even Chinese?
 
Disappointing one to concede. Rowles isn't a back 3 plyer. Like Wright, calm and robust in a back 4 but have him need to cover more ground and it's much harder. Maty probably needs to open his feet there but risk and reward and nicely taken goal.
 
Would have been so good for Robertson to have been given more minutes. I just watched the replay and looked closely at him for the short time he was on. His touches (such a pity there were only a small number) were all very quick and decisive, and he looked very switched on. He looked very much like a midfielder that is able to be very creative.
 


Curaçao goal. Why is Behich so far away from pressing? It's clear that Rowles and Circati have their jobs at the back. Rowles also far off the mark and Trewin got skinned on the other wing. Trewin and Rowles aren't fast enough. Geria also unnecessarily deep keeping the man onside.
 
Decentric said:
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.
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Our 4th goal was a good example of passing forward due to the skill that McGree and Bos have to sort it.

I've watched our of footage with other players namely Behich and Miller who pass back despite options forward as it's ingrained laziness. Behich passed back against Argentina before the second goal when Mooy was in some space ahead. Rowles also needn't have passed back.

German coach Felix Magath had players carry medicine balls for unnecessary backpasses and I think he even fined them.
 
JS96 said:
Our 4th goal was a good example of passing forward due to the skill that McGree and Bos have to sort it.

I've watched our of footage with other players namely Behich and Miller who pass back despite options forward as it's ingrained laziness. Behich passed back against Argentina before the second goal when Mooy was in some space ahead. Rowles also needn't have passed back.

German coach Felix Magath had players carry medicine balls for unnecessary backpasses and I think he even fined them.
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True but i dont think its laziness

Our hardest working players struggle to pass the ball forward. Will count our cms forward passes this time again when i get a chance
 
grazorblade said:
True but i dont think its laziness

Our hardest working players struggle to pass the ball forward. Will count our cms forward passes this time again when i get a chance
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I find it a mix of laziness or just lax play where the player wants to get rid of it.

Perhaps not the term hardest working but more best skilled are the ones we've seen move the ball much more effectively this window.

Bos, Circati and McGree went much more direct and with minimal space as they know that's where opportunities can arise.

All I want is for everyone to have an awareness that there is space available most of the time and not to just shove the ball away.
 
Ky Rowles is a good defender when he has time to set himself but lacks pace so was burned by the Curacao player.Ryan will be disappointed he conceded but the ball was well struck.Lots of good play when Bos,Irankunda and McGree combined.I think Mabil has played himself into the WC squad.
 
Disappointed in the Melbourne crowd last night.

* They weren't very involved in the game and were pretty quiet.

* The crowd seemed small for a Socceroo send off to a WC.

Any thoughts from Melbourne residents who attended the game?

Thoughts from those who didn't attend? Why not?

I would have attended if I lived locally. Would have had tickets months ago.

As Vince Rugari suggests in the SMH, these seem like a nice bunch of blokes with good team spirit, yet the public has little interest in the current Socceroos. I suppose Eurosnobism could be a factor. Few big stars for EPL clubs play for Aus.
 
booney52 said:
Ky Rowles is a good defender when he has time to set himself but lacks pace so was burned by the Curacao player.Ryan will be disappointed he conceded but the ball was well struck.Lots of good play when Bos,Irankunda and McGree combined.I think Mabil has played himself into the WC squad.
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He was burned for pace, but Circati, who had a mediocre game by his standards, lost a heading duel where a knock on occurred to the fleetfooted scorer. Aus was caught a bit square.

It might be different when I slow down the game to compile stats, but thought Rowles was one of Aus's best in the first 60 mins.
 
Decentric said:
He was burned for pace, but Circati, who had a mediocre game by his standards, lost a heading duel where a knock on occurred to the fleetfooted scorer. Aus was caught a bit square.

It might be different when I slow down the game to compile stats, but thought Rowles was one of Aus's best in the first 60 mins.
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Rowles did a lot of work other times. I'd like your thoughts on the lack of early press by Behich. The space allowed the first long ball.

Of course we can always try to go far but back it doesn't set an inevitable chain of events in motion and that's why closing things down is vital.
 
Was perplexed Popa didn't play Trewin at DM, and Metcalfe at RWB?

I seem to recollect Arnie playing Metcalfe at Left Wing and Right Wing a lot.

Trewin doesn't have the ball carrying capacity at pace for RWB like Italiano. Even Geria has this. Popa should have called up Atkinson.
 
JS96 said:
Rowles did a lot of work other times. I'd like your thoughts on the lack of early press by Behich. The space allowed the first long ball.

Of course we can always try to go far but back it doesn't set an inevitable chain of events in motion and that's why closing things down is vital.
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Thought your poster boy Behich was mediocre, JS.

He didn't provide much going forwards, and, I suggested after his recent ACL games for City he isn't playing well enough for the Socceroos. He has been better in the AL, but he is now way behind Bos. Even as a defensive LWB, Rowles may be a better option than Behich is now. Shame that Farrell has been injured, and his development stifled, as another decent LWB.

When I replay and look slowly, I night see some good little things Aziz B has done. I didn't really look at his off the ball movement. In general, Aus got little out of Trewin and Behich as wing backs in accelerated attacks on the flanks.
 
Decentric said:
Was perplexed Popa didn't play Trewin at DM, and Metcalfe at RWB?

I seem to recollect Arnie playing Metcalfe at Left Wing and Right Wing a lot.

Trewin doesn't have the ball carrying capacity at pace for RWB like Italiano. Even Geria has this. Popa should have called up Atkinson.
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I suspect he may want to include Irankunda, McGree and Metcalfe in the midfield and sees Metcalfe shifting to CM alongside Irvine. He is probably happier with Italiano than the alternate CM options.

lineup.png
This is my best guess at the first 11 currently. I am unsure about CB5, CM9 and RW (only if Metcalfe displaces Irankunda for an alternate CM). The rest I think are locks at the moment. Maybe some of the tactics nerds could comment on how a Irvine / Metcalfe pairing might function?
 
Cunningstunt said:
I suspect he may want to include Irankunda, McGree and Metcalfe in the midfield and sees Metcalfe shifting to CM alongside Irvine. He is probably happier with Italiano than the alternate CM options.

View attachment 6078
This is my best guess at the first 11 currently. I am unsure about CB5, CM9 and RW (only if Metcalfe displaces Irankunda for an alternate CM). The rest I think are locks at the moment. Maybe some of the tactics nerds could comment on how a Irvine / Metcalfe pairing might function?
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Metcalfe to be honest isnt a terrible partner for irvine. It wont be pretty but it could be effective
 
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