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World Cup 2026 Australia thread

onedaywinners... said:
As horribly shit and effed up that it is...no one to blame. McGree had every right to play in one of the biggest games of his career even if he did have a slight injury worry. I'm sure he would have wanted to play regardless and was one of the best players on the park up to the injury.

Whatever happens with injuries from here on out is out of our control and if anything I hope this means Robertson gets a look in for the inside forward role in these friendlies as like a lot of us I'm desperate to get him on the ball pushing forward in the green and gold!!
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Robertson has to slot in there. Different player type but the inside forward role and the occasional deep play is fine for him.

McGree and Robertson have in common that they weren't played often enough early in their career. We have to give the skilled kids a go and make them regulars.
 
Keeper66 said:
What???
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Look at the stats. Velupillay has delivered more with fewer caps while McGree almost never emulates his club form for Australia. His positioning and passing contributions are generally rudimentary to attacking build ups which any player can do.
 
Popovic's treatment of Segecic has come home to roost now. If Sega hadn't been pushed away Sega would've slotted into that spot perfectly.

Makes me dislike the fraud we have as coach even more now.
 
JS96 said:
Look at the stats. Velupillay has delivered more with fewer caps while McGree almost never emulates his club form for Australia. His positioning and passing contributions are generally rudimentary to attacking build ups which any player can do.
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Hard to weigh an assist in a WC and the assist to beat Japan. Whether we think his contributions are better or worse than Velupillay doesn't really matter. He is far better quality. Probably only Bos and Irvine would be a bigger loss.
 
Somebloke said:
Robertson and a bunch of others are going home. Yengi coming in

socceroos.com.au

CommBank Socceroos announce eight additions to FIFA World Cup 2026™ train-on squad

Eight players have been added to the CommBank Socceroos train-on squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ pre-camp in Sara
socceroos.com.au socceroos.com.au
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Seems to suggest a few things.
He is happy with Trewin for RB coverage.
Backup striker is a bit of an unknown. Only Toure remains. Yengi comes in but there are no guarentees he will would impress in camp for a first time. So he must be happy with some combination of Irankunda, Boyle, Borello as backup behind Toure if Yengi doesn't meet expectations.
Caceres, Robertson, Stensness going home means Devlin and Leckie a big chance for one of the CM places, particularly with O'Neill under an injury cloud.
 
Goalkeepers (4)
Patrick Beach
Joe Gauci
Paul Izzo
Mat Ryan


Defenders (11)
Aziz Behich
Jordan Bos
Cameron Burgess
Alessandro Circati
Milos Degenek
Jason Geria
Lucas Herrington
Jacob Italiano
Kye Rowles
Harry Souttar
Kai Trewin


Midfielders (5)
Cameron Devlin
Mathew Leckie
Jackson Irvine
Aiden O’Neill
Paul Okon-Engstler


Wing (7)
Brandon Borrello
Martin Boyle
Nestory Irankunda
Ajdin Hrustic
Connor Metcalfe
Awer Mabil
Nishan Velupillay

Stiker (2)
Tete Yengi
Mohamed Toure

There is a lot of flexibility with where some of these guys play.
 
Mr Cleansheets said:
You're kidding. Robertson released?

Does that mean he has no chance of making the final squad?
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Alex Robertson has a slim chance of making the final 26-player list for the Socceroos as either a differential option or injury cover but if he has been released from the pre-camp then it's highly likely that Popovic isn't picking him altogether.
 
So only three of those get cut.

One will be Gauci or Beach, and then two of Borrello, Mabil and Velupillay you'd think.

I'm staggered that Robbo has been cut, especially with the McGree injury. The other ones, that's perfectly fine but completely bemused....
 
Cunningstunt said:
More so Leckie, Oneill, Okon and Devlin
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Paul Okon-Engstler and Cam Devlin seem like the better options to fill the attacking midfielder position for the Socceroos as opposed to Aiden O'Neill who may not be right for the World Cup as well as Leckie who is regressing and should not make the playing list altogether despite bringing experience from previous major tournament cycles to the side.
 
I am not saying I agree with him but my sense is re Robertson is that Poppa sees him as one for the future. And following the Sega and Triantis situations brought him and played him for a short spell to lock him in. I also think with his Scotland talk he brought in Bennie to camp to make him feel seen and that he had a future with Oz.

Poppa talked a lot about some players having lots of talent but who are not ready yet but will be mainstays in the future. He places a lot of emphasis in his interviews on players ‘learning to go through suffering in games’ and consistently performing at high levels. Again I am not saying I agree with him, nor think he is consistent in this but that seems to be how he thinks.
 
Cunningstunt said:
Hard to weigh an assist in a WC and the assist to beat Japan. Whether we think his contributions are better or worse than Velupillay doesn't really matter. He is far better quality. Probably only Bos and Irvine would be a bigger loss.
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McGree definitely is better quality but he doesn't deliver it. Now he's missing a world cup to have another dent in his meagre contribution.
 
JS96 said:
Look at the stats. Velupillay has delivered more with fewer caps while McGree almost never emulates his club form for Australia. His positioning and passing contributions are generally rudimentary to attacking build ups which any player can do.
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McGree does a lot more than what simple stats indicate. If you think his positioning and passing are rudimentary, particularly compared to Velupillay, then you aren’t watching that closely.
 
rebelliousfeminist974 said:
Paul Okon-Engstler and Cam Devlin seem like the better options to fill the attacking midfielder position for the Socceroos as opposed to Aiden O'Neill who may not be right for the World Cup as well as Leckie who is regressing and should not make the playing list altogether despite bringing experience from previous major tournament cycles to the side.
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None of those players are attacking midfielders.
 
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