SEATTLE, WA – There will be plenty of lessons for the Socceroos from their 2-0 loss to co-hosts USA in Seattle on Saturday morning AEST as they look to pick themselves up and go again in a crucial final group match against Paraguay.
Speaking to players in the mixed zone after the match, there were a range of interesting comments that helped to expose exactly where things went wrong for Tony Popovic’s team.
After the match, coach Popovic suggested the scale of the occasion may have had something to do with a sluggish start that saw the home side score twice in the opening half, but that’s not necessarily how the players saw it.
“I think it’s hard to pinpoint,” defender Jason Geria told reporters.
“I wasn’t out there (from the start)… but I can’t fault the guys’ application and their intentions going out there.
“Everyone knows how big an occasion this was today and how important this game is, so no one’s going out there to not perform.
“It was just a case of, yeah, we didn’t… have as much control as we wanted to in that first half. Yeah, that’s just how it played out, but I thought the second half was a lot better.”
Midfielder Jackson Irvine added: “We struggled to kind of come into the duels. It looked like everything kind of was dropping their way.
“They were obviously super aggressive early on in the game as you expect them to be at home game and home World Cup and we probably just didn’t find quite enough to match them.
“We still had two good openings in the first 20 minutes, one for Mo and one for (Mathew Leckie), which was positive. And they didn’t really create too many clear, clear opportunities, but it just felt that the momentum kind of was with them and we struggled to find that switch.
“But yeah, listen… it’s learning, it’s part of football at this level. As I said, full credit to the whole group. All the changes, the ones that came in, and it never never kind of let the game get away from us.”
Of course, each player has a different vantage point, so it was fascinating to hear from someone in each line of the park, aside from goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
At the back, captain Harry Souttar pointed to an inability to beat the US press.
“We just couldn’t get the ball out in the pressing positions,” Souttar explained. “When they pressed us they pressed as well, trapped us in corners and yeah, it was a frustrating first half.
“They were explosive, but we knew that we knew that coming into the game. So it wasn’t like that it was a surprise to us.
“That’s the frustrating part and that we know we just didn’t deal with that better.”
Operating in the middle of the park, Aiden O’Neill noted how little time he and midfield partner Paul Okon-Engstler had on the ball.
“I think the first half obviously was disappointing,” he said.
“Just to concede the way that … the goals went in… I think it was a battle out there, I’m sure you guys could see that and yeah, both teams were going for it.
“I think in the second half you could see us get on the front field a little bit more and we just weren’t able to capitalise on the opportunities that were created and I think that’s what happened today.
“… I could tell you there wasn’t much time on the ball, especially in the first half. Every time the ball came into me and Paul, we didn’t really have a second.
“We battled hard in there and everyone gave everything they’ve got and sometimes football is harsh.”
Perhaps the comments of Mohamed Toure – who played 45 minutes up front before being substituted off at the break – were the most telling, and point to where changes could be made against Paraguay.
“I felt a bit alone,” Toure said.
“I felt like it was just tough. They’re big boys, they’re strong and physical.
“And having to battle them alone… I struggled a bit with that and it was a bit frustrating.”
Much of the talk in the aftermath of this match has revolved around Popovic’s decision to drop both players who scored against Turkiye from his starting XI.
Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe both made an impact when they entered at half-time, with the public desperate to see the former deployed from the start, given his x-factor in attack.
“I would have preferred to start of course, for me it was the biggest game,” Irankunda told reporters.
“It was the game that I looked most forward to. I would have loved to play from the start and create some things and score some goals – obviously the coach decided different, he wanted to approach the game differently, which is fine with me.
“I play for the team, not for myself, so I’m still really happy.”
Speaking on SBS, Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng went as far as to make a plea to Popovic on live TV.
“Toure, Irankunda, Volpato. This is the guys I want to see against Paraguay,” Boateng said.
“Volpato came in and showed so much skill. He was in between the lines, he created things, technically.
“Australia showed that there’s so much potential. Just let them loose. Let them play through the middle.
“It was beautiful to see the second half, but why not from the beginning? So these three, I want to see them in the next game, please.
“Please Tony Popovic. If you can hear us, listen to us!”