{"id":775814,"date":"2026-07-03T05:20:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/775814\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T05:20:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:20:19","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-socceroos-vs-egypt-preview-analysis-tony-popovic-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/775814\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026 | Socceroos vs Egypt preview, analysis; Tony Popovic comments"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON: Tony Popovic<\/a> has confirmed he has a fully fit Socceroos<\/a> squad for the round of 32 match against Egypt<\/a> as they plot for an Australia side to win a knockout match for the first time. <\/p>\n

The path to Dallas was sealed with a 0-0 draw against Paraguay<\/a>, after a 2-0 win against T\u00fcrkiye<\/a> to start the tournament followed by a 2-0 loss against the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Socceroos<\/p>\n

Socceroos players celebrate qualifying for the round of 32\u00a0AP Photo\/Eugene Hoshiko<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon (Friday morning AEST), Popovic said apart from Mat Leckie and Jacob Italiano leaving camp earlier<\/a>, he has a full complement of players to pick from. <\/p>\n

With that in mind, the major talking point will be selection among many other factors that will influence whether Australia wins or loses in Texas. <\/p>\n

Will Popovic keep it all the same? <\/p>\n

The Socceroos coach has kept everyone guessing when it comes to his lineups and there\u2019s no chance of leaks when he\u2019s in charge. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to see him changing the back five of Jordan Bos and Aziz Behich as wing backs with Lucas Herrington, Harry Souttar and Alessandro Circati in the centre. There\u2019s always the possibility Bos could shift to his preferred position on the left but he showed he\u2019s more than capable on the right against Paraguay<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Aiden O\u2019Neill appears a certain selection in central midfield and hasn\u2019t been dropped once this World Cup. Paul Okon-Engstler and Jackson Irvine have both been picked next to him. Okon-Engstler struggled against the USA with Irvine brought in for the last match. How that selection pans out is anyone\u2019s guess. <\/p>\n

The front three is the most hotly contested area of the line-up. Popovic could very easily go with the same combination of Cristian Volpato, Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe. <\/p>\n

However, Irankunda looked a lot more comfortable on the wing against T\u00fcrkiye<\/a> and many would like to see how Mo Toure would combine with Volpato. That\u2019s not to discredit anything Metcalfe has done though, after his electric performance against Turkiye. <\/p>\n

Fitness would be the only issue that stops Volpato from starting considering how obvious his quality has been since joining the squad. <\/p>\n

Before the tournament started, Popovic described him as one of the most unfit players in the squad, considering he had to fly from Italy to Sydney then the USA. <\/p>\n

But speaking to media during the week, the winger confirmed he\u2019s \u201call good now\u201d. <\/p>\n

The eight-day turnaround should mean any general fitness or workload shouldn\u2019t be an issue. <\/p>\n

\u201cPhysically and mentally I think the players are in a great position, we\u2019re definitely ready for this game tomorrow. We just want the players to enjoy the moment, be present and continue doing what they\u2019ve shown which is high quality football by a very good team,\u201d Popovic said. <\/p>\n

As for the goalkeeping debate between Patrick Beach<\/a> and Mat Ryan, Popovic hasn\u2019t looked like shifting from the former since the first game. However, he always has a surprise up his sleeve. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mat Ryan, Pat Beach and Paul Izzo.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

Will the tactics change? <\/p>\n

Egypt\u2019s coach Hossam Hassan spoke<\/a> about Australia playing long balls and was asked frequently about the height advantage in his pre-game press conference. <\/p>\n

In the Paraguay match we saw Australia try to use the height of Harry Souttar on corners but to no avail. <\/p>\n

Against Paraguay, 13 crosses were attempted, with the number growing to 20 against the USA. In contrast, there were only 14 against T\u00fcrkiye, with both goals coming from open play. <\/p>\n

Popovic was asked about the team\u2019s attack and whether the tournament had seen the full package Australia can offer. <\/p>\n

He said it was just a matter of capitalising on the work of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage the details matter, and moments make the difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we created good opportunities against Paraguay, we didn\u2019t take them but the opportunities were there against a very good team and I\u2019m confident we\u2019ll create them once more tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jackson Irvine and Harry Souttar celebrate after full-time against Paraguay.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

As for the height advantage, Hassan had made reference to Maradona and Lionel Messi and their size. He also made the point his side\u2019s playing football, not gridiron. <\/p>\n

Popovic agreed. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s football and they\u2019re at this stage because they play good football and we\u2019re definitely at this stage because we play good football,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

The earlier kick-off and stadium change<\/p>\n

Much has been made of the weather in Dallas and it being nothing the Socceroos have experienced yet. <\/p>\n

That won\u2019t matter with the air-conditioned stadium. <\/p>\n

When the squad did a familiarisation walk, Popovic walked out in his Football Australia polo. He put the jacket on within minutes. <\/p>\n

In the last two matches, the Socceroos have played in open stadiums while Vancouver had a closed roof. <\/p>\n

The air-conditioning was notable in Dallas though, and Aiden O\u2019Neill said it\u2019s \u201cdefinitely a bonus\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A general view of Dallas Stadium during the Argentina-Austria clash.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Another challenge for Australia is an an earlier 1pm kick-off. <\/p>\n

In Vancouver, the match started at 9pm before a midday start against the USA. The Socceroos were notably sluggish to start their game against the host nation. Did the earlier kick-off play a part? We can only speculate.<\/p>\n

In San Francisco they had more time to prepare, with a 7pm kick off, and appeared much more compact and focused. <\/p>\n

How will Australia fare if it goes to penalties? <\/p>\n

The question of penalties has come up frequently in this week\u2019s round of press opportunities. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s become a realistic conclusion considering Morocco and Netherlands reached that stage along with Germany and Paraguay. <\/p>\n

Popovic explained he hasn\u2019t changed much in terms of preparation. <\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019ve done anything out of the ordinary or unusual in terms of preparing for that. We\u2019d all prefer to win the game in 90 minutes, we\u2019ve seen in the knockout stage already there\u2019s been games go to extra-time and shootouts,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to be aware and prepare for all scenarios and I\u2019m sure the players will be ready tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jordan Bos, Lucas Herrington, Connor Metcalfe and Aiden O’Neill.\u00a0Matt McNulty<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill confirmed the Aussies have practised penalties specifically and will be ready. <\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s also the inexperience of the squad if it goes for 120 minutes. <\/p>\n

A lot of players in the Socceroos are experiencing their first World Cup and Popovic admitted there is a balance needed between youth and experience. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s always been the challenge when you have a young group that don\u2019t have the maturity and experience of playing big games regularly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s also the exciting part, we know the exuberance and fearlessness they bring so we\u2019re managing all of that, and we have a wonderful group that\u2019s together and united.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019re confident we can see that again tomorrow regardless of who plays. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know how big this game is and we\u2019re confident the players are ready to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most important question of all: will Australia wake up?<\/p>\n

When the Socceroos kick off, it\u2019ll be 2am in Perth, 3.30am in Darwin and Adelaide and 4am in Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra and Melbourne. Norfolk Island will be a nicer 5am. <\/p>\n

Aussies will have to make a choice to either stay up or wake up. Licenced venues in Victoria and NSW will stay open all night<\/a>, Queensland venues will serve alcohol until 7am while other states require venues to apply for later trading. <\/p>\n

Popovic is chuffed with the support and the relaxing of laws. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see so many embracing that. We all have family and friends that are showing us all those sites back home,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever has enabled that (relaxed alcohol laws), we say thank you. That will just enhance that experience for the locals that love a drink and love to watch sport in general in Australia. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got pretty much every Australian watching, over 25 million people, young, old, boys, girls, and if this enables our fans to enjoy the live sites with a drink we can only thank whoever has organised that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ARLINGTON: Tony Popovic has confirmed he has a fully fit Socceroos squad for the round of 32 match…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":775815,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-775814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775814","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=775814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/775815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=775814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=775814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=775814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}