{"id":707149,"date":"2026-05-31T23:21:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/707149\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T23:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:21:10","slug":"socceroos-show-resilience-and-spark-but-miss-chances-against-mexico-in-final-audition-for-world-cup-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/707149\/","title":{"rendered":"Socceroos show resilience and spark but miss chances against Mexico in final audition for World Cup | Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia may have lost their World Cup<\/a> warm-up match to Mexico 1-0. But with just two weeks until their first match of the tournament against Turkey, the Socceroos appear to have found something more important: confidence.<\/p>\n

A second-half turnaround against Fifa\u2019s 15th-ranked side almost secured a draw for the Socceroos, who had three good chances to equalise on Saturday night in California. Despite a conservative approach, Tony Popovic\u2019s side showed resilience and increasing positivity as they took the game to the World Cup co-hosts and 78,479 mostly green-clad fans who filled the Rose Bowl Stadium.<\/p>\n

The defeat is a reminder, however, there will be little room for error at the World Cup for an Australian side featuring few elite talents. It also heightens pressure on Popovic to get the selection right for his squad, which is due to be announced on Monday.<\/p>\n

Against Mexico, there was no first Socceroos appearance for Cristian Volpato after the weekend shock of his switch of allegiance<\/a>. The late call-up was left out of the squad, alongside forwards Brandon Borrello and Tete Yengi and goalkeeper Joe Gauci, adding intrigue as Popovic prepares to make his final four cuts.<\/p>\n

Defender Harry Souttar \u2013 who played the entire match \u2013 said he didn\u2019t want to celebrate his own selection yet, and it will be cruel on whoever is left out. \u201cThere\u2019ll be a few disappointed boys going to miss out on it, which is obviously a tough thing,\u201d he told Paramount+. \u201cIt\u2019s a real shame, but that\u2019s football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s Harry Souttar and Mexico\u2019s Guillermo Martinez vie for the ball at the Rose Bowl. Photograph: Ringo Chiu\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

The game showed the importance to the Socceroos of Souttar and Irvine, veterans who had been under injury clouds ahead of the tournament but now look likely to be in the XI.<\/p>\n

Alongside Souttar, Popovic delivered a surprise on Sunday in selecting 18-year-old Lucas Herrington \u2013 who produced a mostly accomplished performance \u2013 on the left side of the back three, rather than the more experienced Cam Burgess. The coach\u2019s decision to deploy the robust duo of Connor Metcalfe and Mathew Leckie in the attacking midfielder roles, leaving Nestory Irankunda on the bench, signalled a cautious approach.<\/p>\n

That played out in the first half as Australia consolidated their reputation \u2013 fair or not \u2013 as defensively minded wreckers. Mexico<\/a> enjoyed three-quarters of possession early on, but were provided few genuine opportunities. The nature of the breakthrough was, therefore, a surprise and disappointment.<\/p>\n

Mexico\u2019s goal came from a corner, a relatively feeble glancing header by Johan V\u00e1squez after Aiden O\u2019Neill couldn\u2019t stretch for the nodded clearance. The ball squirmed through a crowd of bodies towards Mat Ryan\u2019s back post, which it hit then rebounded back across the line. This was no thumping strike, no majestic piece of skill. This was just dismal.<\/p>\n

Australia might never be able to play the world\u2019s best off the park through pass and move, or dribbling skill, but there is no reason why they can\u2019t be one of the most robust outfits at set pieces. That goal highlighted how nothing can be taken for granted; how fine the margins will be for the Socceroos in North America.<\/p>\n

When the half-time whistle went, it was 11 shots to three; 396 passes to 132. Just four touches for Australia in the Mexico penalty area. Yet they went into the break having also had the half\u2019s best chance.<\/p>\n

Alessandro Circati launched a long ball towards right back Jacob Italiano, but a Mexican defensive mixup left striker Mo Tour\u00e9 with an opportunity he should have taken. A half-clearance fell to the striker with the goalkeeper out of position, and the bouncing ball asked him to side foot it into the open goal. It was an act he would do a hundred times a week without trouble in training yet, slightly unbalanced, he hooked his lob to the left of the goal.<\/p>\n

Mohamed Tour\u00e9 missed an opportunity in the first half but was key to Australia\u2019s strong second half. Photograph: Harry How\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

But Tour\u00e9 quickly put it behind him in the second half and was central during the Socceroos\u2019 best period. A Souttar header off a set piece fell to his swinging volley. Even if the Tour\u00e9 shot was blocked, the follow-up was hammered back in by Aiden O\u2019Neill and well saved by Mexico\u2019s substitute keeper Guillermo Ochoa. That was Australia\u2019s first shot on target, and they were not done.<\/p>\n

Tour\u00e9 became a target on the counter, as early balls into the channels won the Socceroos field position and crucial set pieces. Souttar\u2019s head was the target at the back post, and suddenly a formula for Australian success emerged. Tour\u00e9 and Souttar might have been the bookends for the revival, but they were supported by ambition in midfield, as the yellow shirts were able to progress from defence to attack with confidence.<\/p>\n

The best chances of the second half fell to substitutes Ajdin Hrustic and Kai Trewin, each creating one for the other. Both were the result of driving runs into the area in transition. Though neither was a clear one-on-one, they were legitimate openings in a match otherwise lacking and a sign the Socceroos won\u2019t be Group D easy-beats.<\/p>\n

Popovic lamented Australia\u2019s struggle to maintain possession under Mexico\u2019s pressure and to convert chances. \u201cThe players just need to believe a little bit more,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to get many chances in football. It\u2019s the World Cup you\u2019re preparing for \u2013 you don\u2019t give them any chances. They didn\u2019t have a clear chance, but they scored from the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Socceroos now travel to their World Cup training base in Oakland, ahead of their final pre-tournament friendly against Switzerland in San Diego next weekend. \u201cEvery day now it feels it\u2019s just getting closer, it\u2019s getting more real,\u201d Souttar said. \u201cA disappointing result tonight, but so many positives to take moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australia may have lost their World Cup warm-up match to Mexico 1-0. But with just two weeks until…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":707150,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-707149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/707150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}