Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

huddo said:
As I said, Popa's ultra defensive block is the only way we can play Japan, so I'm not upset about it occuring vs Japan, it's how we have played them every game for the past 20 years.

My issue is when he goes and plays an ultra defensive block vs teams like Indonesia. Why? We should have the cattle to control the midfield. We had 77 completed passes in Indonesia's half when we beat them 5-1, they had over 200!!!

Tony G Matildas were the greatest Matildas team to play in a WC, it doesn't negate the shit tactics, man management, and youth development that he had, that now leaves the Matildas in a world of hurt.

It's great he has achieved the short term goal of getting to a WC, but when our debutants are 34/35 year old Aleague players, excuse me if I'm not a little worried.
Click to expand...


Indo are not what they were a few years ago. About 5 of them play in the Eredivisie and another plays in Serie A.

I think more of the last Indo fixture in Aus was played in our defensive half, with Aus ceding territory, but Aus exploited the gaps created further back towards their defensive part of the formation with the Indo proactive gegenpressing game plan. Popa needs kudos for this. It worked.

Aus had 48% of possession based on passing stats, with much of it in our defensive half trying to build up.

It was concerning how many passes Indo played in our defensive half compared to how few we played in their defensive half. Notwithstanding, we scored 5 goals and played more balls into the pen box on the deck than Indo, which makes it easier for forwards to score from.

Conversely, Japan's gegenpressing was even better as a team unit and Aus couldn't find the gaps.

I don't have comprehensive game data - yet. Looking at the 4 min replay Japan had 6 big chances to our 2. Won't start compiling stats for Japan and Saudi WCQs until next Mon after World Test Cricket Championship.

Agree about Tony G Matildas. I think he was the wrong tactical coach, but may have been a perfect player manager.
 
Last edited:
DandyCasey said:
Feel Jake Hollman is ready made for that inverted winger Popa role, Angus Thurgate as well if he wants to play ultra defensive.
Click to expand...
I'm a huge Jake Hollman fan.

Not sure which attributes are preventing him from higher honours?

JH covers a lot of ground in midfield, has endurance, is a good ball winner, is technically adept on it. I think he is a terrific player.

Not sure if it could be lack of discipline? Or the wrong runs at the right time on occasions?
 
LFC said:
Obviously the better NT we’ve faced But their bench and fringe players wouldn’t be rated as world class.
I have not seen much mention of Brazilian modelling through my reading over the years.
FYI

Japan's Way as a National Football Philosophy​

Japan Football Association (JFA) has formulated “Japan's Way as a National Football Philosophy” and will disseminate it as a vision to be shared with all football stakeholders across the country.

“Japan's Way” is a roadmap to bridge the gap between the present and the future, working backwards from the “ideal state” of what Japanese football would be like if the dream set out in The JFA Declaration, 2005 – “to have 10 million football families and win the FIFA World Cup™ by 2050” - were to be realised.

In an effort to further develop Japanese football, JFA has been promoting the “quaternity” approach in which the four sections of “National team's strengthening,” “Youth development,” “Coaches training,” and “Grassroots,” share the same knowledge and information to maintain a close relationship between each other. In addition to this approach, we intend to share the newly formulated “Japan’s Way” to football families across the country, further discuss the approach, and create an action plan to carry out our vision.

To realise a future in which “Japan lift the World Cup trophy,” we aim to become a country where everyone involved in football can enjoy playing football and live a happy life, and to build a system that can combine the strength of the entire nation to take on variety of challenges.
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting this, LFC.

The info I have on Japan's development was based on what we were told by Football Aus boffins in national Conferences a decade ago. That their system was based very much on the Brazil Football Fed paradigm.

Our then state FFA Tech Dir, said he thought Japan was even studied re developing our NC. That some FFA staff coaches went as a study group to observe what they were doing well. Harry Bingham might have been one of the group.
 
Decentric said:
I think more of the last Indo fixture in Aus was played in our defensive half, with Aus ceding territory, but Aus exploited the gaps created further back towards their defensive part of the formation with the Indo proactive gegenpressing game plan. Popa needs kudos for this. It worked.
Click to expand...

It seems to be his go to game plan. The only other style I've seen him play is the panic of going a goal down. Then the ultra defence goes out the window, and the game is attack at all cost e.g Bahrain and MV in the GF.
 
huddo said:
It seems to be his go to game plan. The only other style I've seen him play is the panic of going a goal down. Then the ultra defence goes out the window, and the game is attack at all cost e.g Bahrain and MV in the GF.
Click to expand...
Having multiple game plans at international level is very hard. Even the 10 day camp isnt very long. Poppa already has a lot of complexity to his game plan, nearly as much as club football. I dont think its a good idea to make things more complex unless you want even more victory players in the xi haha
 
Last edited:
Another phenomenon in the Socceroos' turnaround since Popa has taken the reins, is the roles of his assistant coaches, Paul Okon (a former AL head coach himself) and Hayden Foxe. As a team coaching panel it has worked.

Also, do I see Frank Juric as goalkeeping coach?
 
Decentric said:
Another phenomenon in the Socceroos' turnaround since Popa has taken the reins, is the roles of his assistant coaches, Paul Okon (a former AL head coach himself) and Hayden Foxe. As a team coaching panel it has worked.

Also, do I see Frank Juric as goalkeeping coach?
Click to expand...
Yes, Juric is keeper coach. Interesting how Gauci got hit stint. Izzo was a shoe in to be in squad. Wonder a little about their addition of Glover. Beach is doing Olyroo stuff. Hall is still very young. Chapman would be interesting one day.
 
Think Tilio is a must start with Behich as they have a good understanding and Tilio is smooth on counters. Borrello shouldn't be playing but if so, have him on the wing to shield the ball. We need to play a full 90 and adapt to the match situations as they go.

My 11

Ryan
Geria
Circati
Burgess
Rowles
Behich
Teague
Yazbek
McGree
Taggart
Tilio


Caceres and Toure handy when they get tired.
 
I'm worried about this game. They get 2 in the first 15 and we're in all sorts.



Quick question: I'm reffing late tonight so I couldn't be arsed getting up at 4.30am. Is it possible on Paramount to watch a replay at say 8am?
 
Muz said:
I'm worried about this game. They get 2 in the first 15 and we're in all sorts.



Quick question: I'm reffing late tonight so I couldn't be arsed getting up at 4.30am. Is it possible on Paramount to watch a replay at say 8am?
Click to expand...
By 8am I'd say yes. Immediately after full time once it gets put the the replay category instead of live, I noticed a play error for the first 60min or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muz
Paramount is a confusing mess. Works on Chrome laptop browser but not phone. Get error 3304 on phone. Not using incognito.

Works fine in app on phone but not TV. TV app shows up as having basic package with ads. This shouldn't hinder streams when only one user is on.

Anyone else experiencing such oddities?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muz
Muz said:
I'm worried about this game. They get 2 in the first 15 and we're in all sorts.



Quick question: I'm reffing late tonight so I couldn't be arsed getting up at 4.30am. Is it possible on Paramount to watch a replay at say 8am?
Click to expand...
fark mate don't set this precedent will you hahaha

I'm going to get up for bloody sure but you get me to think do I want to watch a possible meltdown. :(

Surely they are not as good as the JapBteam who didn't have their scoring boots on or was it due to our park the bus Poppa game and desperate defending.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muz
Saudi know it's everything or nothing so expect a long ball and charge from the kick off and whipping of balls across field and overlaps. This plays in well that Circati can intercept and go long to Tilio on a counter.

I anticipate a Saudi goal in first 30min from a box scramble or deflection.

Ideally we score to make it 1:1 and that should be that.
 
grazorblade said:
hopefully we see minutes for bos, okon and toure
Click to expand...
An added bonus actually. In hindsight I got nervous about opening games against Kuwait or Palestine but even in the preliminaries we can't allow early slips. This game is technically much bigger than those and Popovic what leave anything to chance.

Still, I don't think it hindsight it'd be suicidal to give Okon the second half or Toure a start.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top