World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

[Mr Cleansheets]

Well that was hard to watch but easy to take.

Now we just need Saudi to drop points tonight so Popa can play a more expansive team in Riyadh.

 

[Barca4life]

So we parked the bus against their B team and snatched a goal towards and its all worth? What a team guys...

Real talk do we aspire to play football like we forever have a ceiling on how we can play on a international level, overall that was a tough watch unless your naive and only see the score then I'd rather not watch this team no offence because that was horrendous.

Hopefully we can achieve more than just qualifying for the world, because forever will in never ending cycle.

 

[Quicky]

So we parked the bus against their B team and snatched a goal towards and its all worth? What a team guys...

Real talk do we aspire to play football like we forever have a ceiling on how we can play on a international level, overall that was a tough watch unless your naive and only see the score then I'd rather not watch this team no offence because that was horrendous.

Hopefully we can achieve more than just qualifying for the world, because forever will in never ending cycle.

I want a coach change now. We've qualified. We should pivot and try to get someone in who isn't so oppressively defensive.

 

[Lupi]

Well that was hard to watch but easy to take.

Now we just need Saudi to drop points tonight so Popa can play a more expansive team in Riyadh.

what's an expansive team?

 

[Barca4life]

I want a coach change now. We've qualified. We should pivot and try to get someone in who isn't so oppressively defensive.

The FA dont care, they care about the world cp prize money rather than the development of the game especially the direction of the national teams.

 

[Lupi]

I want a coach change now. We've qualified. We should pivot and try to get someone in who isn't so oppressively defensive.

why? he's done his job and turned around a horrendous qualifying campaign with the worst squad I've ever seen in living memory

 

[Barca4life]

why? he's done his job and turned around a horrendous qualifying campaign with the worst squad I've ever seen in living memory

don't be naive

 

[melbcityguy]

How good's circati what a bloke

 

[NicCarBel]

Well that was hard to watch but easy to take.

Now we just need Saudi to drop points tonight so Popa can play a more expansive team in Riyadh.

Saudi will need that win, anything less and we have qualified

 

[southmelb]

So we parked the bus against their B team and snatched a goal towards and its all worth? What a team guys...

Its easy to criticise but as Behich said in the post game we just arent good enough to take the game to other teams. Opening up and taking a beating doesnt really do much for us either. We played for the 0-0 and capitalised on a rare turnover from them at the end, you take it every time.

Qualifying was never in doubt, even if we finished 3rd we would have gone into the next group with much worse teams.

The challenge will be how we go into a WC and remain competitive.

 

[Barca4life]

Its easy to criticise but as Behich said in the post game we just arent good enough to take the game to other teams. Opening up and taking a beating doesnt really do much for us either. We played for the 0-0 and capitalised on a rare turnover from them at the end, you take it every time.

Qualifying was never in doubt, even if we finished 3rd we would have gone into the next group with much worse teams.

The challenge will be how we go into a WC and remain competitive.

I couldn't care less, it shows we lack aspiration to improve ourselves as a football nation.

 

[southmelb]

Saudi will need that win, anything less and we have qualified

They have to win 5-0 tonight and beat us 5-0. We will go there and get a 0-0...or pinch 0-1 whatever lol. Either way its done.

 

[JS96]

another Gosford inbred

And proud

 

[Cunningstunt]

Leave your apologies for Popa and Behich right here haha.

Fuck me rigid, only in football would this occur. Any other sport they call mercy rule at half time.

Defending was solid. It had to be. There are big problems in possession. It seemed similar to the start of the Indonesia match except they never worked out what to do.

I can't tactically break down anything, so maybe others can, but the 3 at the back often had 1 Japanese player to mark. This seems like an obvious issue. Other times we had 7 guys in our own half pressed by 4, and we still had to go long to an outnumbered contest.

I'm sure some of you guys can explain the faults. Need to see signs this is going to improve moving forward.

 

[Quicky]

I couldn't care less, it shows we lack aspiration to improve ourselves as a football nation.

I also don't agree we aren't good enough to play more positively. We don't pick the players to do it.

 

[Barca4life]

Circati, bloody well done look how it means to him!

 

[jas88]

back 3 of circati souttar burgess and ryan is top class in my opinion need to find a way of moving the ball up field

 

[NicCarBel]

They have to win 5-0 tonight and beat us 5-0. We will go there and get a 0-0...or pinch 0-1 whatever lol. Either way its done.

Not exactly.. 10 goals total turnaround, so essentially goals against us would count double. They can win 3-0 against us, and 4-0 tonight for example

They’ll want as many goals against us as possible, because mathematically would be less total goals needed in that case (but they’ll know how many they need beforehand). A 1-0 win tonight would need 5 past us next week. 2 tonight would be needing 4 past us.

Either way - they MUST WIN BOTH

 

[NicCarBel]

Circati, bloody well done look how it means to him!

I think that’s my pick for names when I inevitably get this jersey

 

[verrelli]

Sales of Circati Socceroos jerseys gonna go thru the roof! What a bloke.