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World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

Fact is we have a lot of able players. Even in hindsight the Teague and Boyle subs felt wrong compared to O'Neill and Borrello.

Just one game but now we see Popovic unhappy with Teague. I'll have to watch again tomorrow and see how Yazbek did.

I felt the final 25 saw good game management.
 
Circati and Burgess were immense... Japan did not create many chances considering their posession.. There werent any i recall thinking.. jeez Japan should have scored that, we were lucky there.. a few shots from distance but that is all really.

Denegek also very solid. Geria was better than Miller... the only way Miller knows how to retain possession is to kick it into a japanese player and hope fro a thrown in.

Mcgree turn and cut back was exceptional..

But there was several of our players looking outclassed by Japan.
 
Cunningstunt said:
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.
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I didn't see that much defending tbh, ... Japan knocked it around trying to score the perfect goal (lack of motivation) then lost interest in the final third.
 
half the game is defense. This is going to be a super unpopular comment but the gap is closing between us and Japan quickly due to our excellence off the ball

Mind you I hope we catch up on the ball, until you get the guys born 2003 after we are slipping further behind haha
 
JS96 said:
Fact is we have a lot of able players. Even in hindsight the Teague and Boyle subs felt wrong compared to O'Neill and Borrello.

Just one game but now we see Popovic unhappy with Teague. I'll have to watch again tomorrow and see how Yazbek did.

I felt the final 25 saw good game management.
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Behich will get all the love for scoring the goal but I though it was McGree and Duke that turned us around. Dukes harrassing. McGrees strength over the ball and tenacity. Gerias positive forward pass to McGree and that turn and cut back. I thought Arzani unsettled them a bit too, drew defenders.
 
Quicky said:
Behich will get all the love for scoring the goal but I though it was McGree and Duke that turned us around. Dukes harrassing. McGrees strength over the ball and tenacity. Gerias positive forward pass to McGree and that turn and cut back. I thought Arzani unsettled them a bit too, drew defenders.
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duke was so clever at drawing fouls, really changed the game imo
 
NicCarBel said:
I think that’s my pick for names when I inevitably get this jersey
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I actually think he’s even best technically of all our players tonight.
For 21 he’s our best talent but that’s my opinion.
 
Quicky said:
I also don't agree we aren't good enough to play more positively. We don't pick the players to do it.
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It would be very tough for someone like an Ange to have come in after Arnold and turn the qualifying around. Systems like that take time that was not available. It needs to build. Or ideally it needs to be ingrained culturally in every player, ie what Japan have done.

Popa takes us to the world cup now. Any half decent result and he probably takes us to two world cups.
 
We looked slightly better with Arzani and McGree and dare I say it Duke on the field.

Slightly better of course is relative to how bad we were.
 
grazorblade said:
half the game is defense. This is going to be a super unpopular comment but the gap is closing between us and Japan quickly due to our excellence off the ball

Mind you I hope we catch up on the ball, until you get the guys born 2003 after we are slipping further behind haha
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Graz it was their B team and many with only a few caps.
We are not quick enough as well let alone on the ball.
Can’t cope with the press - kudos to our defense but our mids are not good enough generally
 
In future I would have a target man like Tete Yengi in the squad if forwards are gonna be served up that rubbish.
 
Now more than anything, I want to see Bahrain and Australia get wins against Saudi and relegate them to 5th/6th so Saudi get to host Indonesia/Bahrain in the play-offs.

Well done Aussies. Clearly second best tonight, and I'll maintain my contempt for Popa's selections whilst acknowledging that he's getting results and has impressively turned things around after 1 point from first 2 games under Arnie. At the end of the day, whoever is managing, I'm 100% behind the boys. Stoked that they got the 3 points. First win against Japan in 16 years and first goal against Japan scored by one of our players in open play in more than a decade is something to celebrate, especially with the stakes so high. Can imagine Saudi, China and Bahrain will all be incredulous that Japan playing a weakened team in this window. To be fair, I kinda get it - reminds me of France playing second string team to gift Tunisia the win, which I was filthy about... until Leks slotted past Schmeicel.
 
grazorblade said:
half the game is defense. This is going to be a super unpopular comment but the gap is closing between us and Japan quickly due to our excellence off the ball

Mind you I hope we catch up on the ball, until you get the guys born 2003 after we are slipping further behind haha
Click to expand...
FMD :LOL: :ROFLMAO:
 
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