AAA<\/p>\n
The shock goalkeeper switch was a plan hatched weeks in advance.<\/p>\n
No, not this one<\/a>; the other one, in June 2022. When Andrew Redmayne became mainstream famous as the \u201cGrey Wiggle\u201d<\/a>. When then Socceroos coach Graham Arnold did the unthinkable during the dying embers of extra time against Peru, and replaced captain Mat Ryan with the bearded friendly giant he believed would win the subsequent penalty shootout to qualify for the Qatar World Cup.<\/p>\n Everybody knows the story about that qualifying playoff, with Redmayne\u2019s distracting dance floor antics and\u00a0water bottle shithousery<\/a>, and the decisive dive to palm away Alex Valera\u2019s spot kick. What became clear after the game was that the option had been on the table for weeks and Redmayne knew about that.<\/p>\n \u201cThe longer the camp went on the more comfortable I felt with this scenario,\u201d Redmayne said at the time. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of the players knew about it. A few clocked on at half-time because I went through a few drills to keep the eye in. Maty was full of support coming off, and then just before penalties as well. He was pumping me up and getting me ready. Maty didn\u2019t know. He said, \u2018All the best mate, this is your time\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Four years later, Arnold\u2019s successor Tony Popovic implemented an almost identical surprise substitution in Australia\u2019s 2026 World Cup round-of-32 clash with Egypt. Only this time it wasn\u2019t Ryan hooked for Redmayne, but Patrick Beach hooked for Ryan. The anti-Arnie, if you will. And also because this extra time substitution featured two other key differences: the Socceroos did not win, and Ryan had no idea what was about to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we entered into extra time I first got word that myself and [Paul] Izzo, the other goalkeeper, were told to stay warm, and probably just before half-time of extra time I got told that, if we weren\u2019t going to make any more subs, that, right at the end, they were going to put me in there,\u201d said a shaken Ryan, who saved none of Egypt\u2019s spot-kicks in the 4-2 shootout loss in Dallas.<\/p>\n \u201cI prepared, of course, as if I was going to play before the game, or as if I was going to be in that scenario, as I always do. But unfortunately [I\u2019m] hurting at the moment because I wasn\u2019t able to produce for myself, for my teammates, and for the country. Hurting would be an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n Beach was also in the dark.<\/p>\n \u201cI found out at the same time you guys did,\u201d Beach said. \u201cObviously, there was a plan that was put in place, and it wasn\u2019t for us to know about. Our job is just to focus on the game and what\u2019s happening in the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a general decision and discussion that was had, and that\u2019s it. The coaches made a decision and, as far as it goes, Maty and I are here to do the job, whatever works best for the team and that brings the best outcome for our team.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I would love to be in the penalty shootout but like I said, that\u2019s the decision that the boss has made. There\u2019s no other feelings. I respect him and I respect that decision.\u201d<\/p>\n For Popovic\u2019s part, the left-field selection call was merely one from a smorgasbord throughout Australia\u2019s campaign, underscored by so many first XI changes that Saturday\u2019s biggest pre-match revelation was the naming of an unchanged line-up.<\/p>\n Some have worked a treat, while others have been heavily criticised. Beach\u2019s unanticipated usurping of Ryan as first choice between the posts falls into the former category. The 22-year-old produced four head-turning performances as No.1, and his removal felt more startling became it came so soon after a superb reflex save in injury-time to keep the Socceroos in the extra time reckoning in the first place.<\/p>\n \u201cPatrick is new as a goalkeeper,\u201d Popovic said. \u201cNot just with the national team, but even in club football. We just felt that Maty\u2019s experience would be the difference. In the end it didn\u2019t work out that way, but not because of Maty\u2019s poor judgment or lack of ability \u2013 they took critical penalties.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Of course, the narrative changes completely if Ryan saves a penalty, Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington don\u2019t miss theirs, and the team progress to the round of 16. The 34-year-old, who recently finished up at La Liga club Levante, has skin in the penalties game and was the protagonist in the Socceroos\u2019 last major-tournament shootout, making two terrific saves against Uzbekistan in the 2019 Asian Cup\u2019s round of 16.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also difficult to forget how, at the 2014 World Cup, coach Louis Van Gaal replaced Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul for a successful quarter-final shootout against Costa Rica.<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s events, however, tell the story of a goalkeeper who was not used once before the 119th minute of this match, and finished the shootout without a touch on the ball. This tale is of a gamble that ultimately backfired.<\/p>\n In this version, it\u2019s easy to point out that Ryan lacks the height of Redmayne (and of Beach). It feels obvious to argue that Beach was in fine form and high on confidence, and thus more ready for the charged energy of the dreaded spot-kick lottery.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n And it makes sense to highlight what happened during the break after extra time, when Egypt\u2019s players huddled around a laptop screen to study videos of Ryan\u2019s recent attempts to save penalty kicks for his club, and conclude such footage of Beach would have been substantially less easy to find.<\/p>\n Jackson Irvine, who scored his spot-kick, said the players \u201cmaybe had a little feeling\u201d a goalkeeper switch was in the offing. \u201cBut it wasn\u2019t something that was told to the players,\u201d Irvine said. \u201cIt gave us a little bit of extra energy as well when he came in.\u201d<\/p>\n Souttar, when asked, was almost speechless. \u201cI don\u2019t really know,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a decision. I don\u2019t really have anything to say on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Get around our World Cup coverage<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0248c096da1746a78c6ba9f40bc20ee53af5d25d.gif\")
Andrew Redmayne saves the Peru penalty.YouTube<\/p>\n![\"Mathew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/89079f580f637f8133cf6856eb90e25bfb09931210bb6f305937e839b0089fe0.jpeg\")
Mathew Ryan of Australia comes on to replace Patrick Beach late in extra time.Getty<\/p>\n