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

No news yet as to whether Bos has travelled. No news is good news at this stage.

Saudi already with a 6pm training session on Sunday at Lakeside. We'll likely see some A League players start.

Burgess and Souttar for example will finish up. Rush to airport. Tuesday morning arrivals. Hrustic is going to get in Tuesday night along with Ryan and Izzo. At least Irvine, McGree, Balard and Bos are underway. Duke should've arrived days before so expect him to start anyway.
 
I'm worried about Goodwin's suspension for the Saudi game. A lot of attacking impetus and success comes from his contributions.
 
Decentric said:
I'm worried about Goodwin's suspension for the Saudi game. A lot of attacking impetus and success comes from his contributions.
Click to expand...
I personally thought Goodwin was having a bad game last time out until he scored. He was giving away the ball on a regular basis. But that is not something unique to him in the Oz setup. It will be good to see what someone else can produce in that role.
 
Volrath2002 said:
I personally thought Goodwin was having a bad game last time out until he scored. He was giving away the ball on a regular basis. But that is not something unique to him in the Oz setup. It will be good to see what someone else can produce in that role.
Click to expand...

Watching the replay, I wasn't focused on Goodwin in particular. He seemed okay, not turning the ball over like he has in some previous matches about a year ago. He sometimes thumped the ground in frustration with his own efforts in those games!

The Miller headed goal against China was a product of Goodwin's quality free kick. I'm pretty sure, but only surmising, that Goodwin has had quite a high involvement in many goals Aus has scored over the last year or two. Possibly higher than any other Socceroos?

I don't have data to support this though.

Welcome to the forum too, Volrath, if I haven't already said it.
 
Volrath2002 said:
Some really odd choices in the squad for these two games. But Popa must love to keep us on our toes.

Personally I am baffled by the omission of Baccus. he has been the best deep central mid for the national for a long time now. I keep wanting to cheer on O'Neill in that role whenever he is selected to perform it, but I always go away feeling underwhelmed.

First Brattan and now Caceres. I feel like Popa thinks they deserve to be capped so is ensuring they get one. But neither are in it for the long haul and I question just how much they can produce for the team in the short term. Either way, I'm not the boss so I just hope if and when they do make it on the pitch that they do perform well.

Max Balard is a great addition and should provide a good alternative to Baccas and O'Neill. I would still like to see Devlin get a proper chance to shine for the NT.

Why is Hayden Matthews getting a call up?

Mabil is playing regularly in Switzerland yet seems to have fallen off the radar of the NT. It is odd since he used to be the only winger we had who liked to take on his man and try and beat him. This is something our NT seems to struggle with constantly. It is a major problem we need to resolve as we lack creating many quality chances in games and that often is down to our inability to get in behind defenses and turn them.

I do echo what some others on here have been saying about Nisbet, Arzani and Nestory. I would have all in my squad atm.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised about Baccus' omission too?

If a sole screener is needed in an attacking midfield triangle in a 4-3-3, Baccus covers more ground better than O'Neill does in Ball Possession Opposition.

If there is a twin screener needed in a defensive midfield triangle version of a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or the 3-4-3/5-2-3/ 5-4-1 formation Popa has used to date, then O'Neill is a better technician than Baccus on the ball. The Standard Liege player may also win more hard balls without conceding fouls too.

Matthews may be similar quality to Circati? Haven't seen enough of him yet.

Mabil another surprising omission? Does Popa want to combine A L players with Euroroos to get around jet lag issues?

I'm not sure if Azani is difficult to manage? Popa did okay with him at MV. Off forum I've been told he is highly self- critical of his own performances. I think Arzani is probably the top technician we have. Definitely worth selecting Arzani just to bring him on as a high impact sub.
 
JS96 said:
Wow that's like us losing Goodwin and O'Neill. Well, they're the best winger and midfielder. Kanno suspended. Al Burikan to feature prominently.
Click to expand...
Thats a great news. To me Al Dawsari is 1 of the best player in Asian football. Big loss for Saudi Arabia.
 
Can someone tell me why we need Mitch Duke?

31 games in J1 (mostly from the bench) and only scored 4 goals. The guy probably forgot how to score already by now. He hasnt scored for God knows how long for both club and country.

We will be in trouble starting him just like that China and Japan game.
 
mkxx said:
Can someone tell me why we need Mitch Duke?

31 games in J1 (mostly from the bench) and only scored 4 goals. The guy probably forgot how to score already by now. He hasnt scored for God knows how long for both club and country.

We will be in trouble starting him just like that China and Japan game.
Click to expand...
Nope no idea.
 
Decentric said:
I'm surprised about Baccus' omission too?

If a sole screener is needed in an attacking midfield triangle in a 4-3-3, Baccus covers more ground better than O'Neill does in Ball Possession Opposition.

If there is a twin screener needed in a defensive midfield triangle version of a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or the 3-4-3/5-2-3/ 5-4-1 formation Popa has used to date, then O'Neill is a better technician than Baccus on the ball. The Standard Liege player may also win more hard balls without conceding fouls too.

Matthews may be similar quality to Circati? Haven't seen enough of him yet.

Mabil another surprising omission? Does Popa want to combine A L players with Euroroos to get around jet lag issues?

I'm not sure if Azani is difficult to manage? Popa did okay with him at MV. Off forum I've been told he is highly self- critical of his own performances. I think Arzani is probably the top technician we have. Definitely worth selecting Arzani just to bring him on as a high impact sub.
Click to expand...

I think Mabil has been quite poor playing for Australia for quite a while now. I'm happy that he isn't there.
 
I have a question for everyone regarding selection.

Mostly out of the dislike of certain players we see that is pretty unanimous, the Duke, Behich, even Irvine dislike. It seems this occurs more in areas we don't have stand out performers.

I feel like I am more of a runs on the board (maybe conservative) in what I would like to see regarding selections, compared to the impression I have of others here. I would like to see someone banging down the door with performances which cannot be ignored over a consistent time period. Otherwise I think the experience is more valuable. Some examples:

We seem to cycle through strikers, I think that is because our best goalscorers are about Aleague level and this is a step below international football. At various recent points in time, Jmac, Taggart, Duke and Fornaroli have either demanded selection and rotated through, while being in or out of favour with fans depending on how long it has been since their last opportunity. Mostly because they aren't quite good enough to do it on the international stage.

Mo Toure - Probably the one I like the most but he hasn't really put together a full starting season. Hopefully it will come this year, but does 412 minutes in the Danish league really demand to be picked? Not much else in his career demands to be picked. His last month has been good, let him continue that for the rest of the season, become a starting 11 player and play more than the 18 times he did for Adelaide in 21/22.

John Iredale - A good last two weeks. More minutes than Toure, less goal involvements. Still not a guaranteed starting 11 player at club level in Denmark.

Yengi - Some promise last season, 9 goals, but only managed a total of 856 minutes (less than 10 games). More injuries this year has been unfortunate but no goals at the higher standard.

Are any of these guys (or any other strikers) better selections than Duke? Maybe they are, but my point would be none are stand outs. None of them are even being picked to start every game, let alone scoring 20 goals in a season at this point in their career. So in the case Duke is picked, you know he will provide an aerial threat, defends strongly from the front and gets to contests other players cannot. Short of anyone demanding to be picked, I don't mind going back to the qualities Duke brings to a squad rather than experimenting in a qualifier.
 
Cunningstunt said:
I have a question for everyone regarding selection.

Mostly out of the dislike of certain players we see that is pretty unanimous, the Duke, Behich, even Irvine dislike. It seems this occurs more in areas we don't have stand out performers.

I feel like I am more of a runs on the board (maybe conservative) in what I would like to see regarding selections, compared to the impression I have of others here. I would like to see someone banging down the door with performances which cannot be ignored over a consistent time period. Otherwise I think the experience is more valuable. Some examples:

We seem to cycle through strikers, I think that is because our best goalscorers are about Aleague level and this is a step below international football. At various recent points in time, Jmac, Taggart, Duke and Fornaroli have either demanded selection and rotated through, while being in or out of favour with fans depending on how long it has been since their last opportunity. Mostly because they aren't quite good enough to do it on the international stage.

Mo Toure - Probably the one I like the most but he hasn't really put together a full starting season. Hopefully it will come this year, but does 412 minutes in the Danish league really demand to be picked? Not much else in his career demands to be picked. His last month has been good, let him continue that for the rest of the season, become a starting 11 player and play more than the 18 times he did for Adelaide in 21/22.

John Iredale - A good last two weeks. More minutes than Toure, less goal involvements. Still not a guaranteed starting 11 player at club level in Denmark.

Yengi - Some promise last season, 9 goals, but only managed a total of 856 minutes (less than 10 games). More injuries this year has been unfortunate but no goals at the higher standard.

Are any of these guys (or any other strikers) better selections than Duke? Maybe they are, but my point would be none are stand outs. None of them are even being picked to start every game, let alone scoring 20 goals in a season at this point in their career. So in the case Duke is picked, you know he will provide an aerial threat, defends strongly from the front and gets to contests other players cannot. Short of anyone demanding to be picked, I don't mind going back to the qualities Duke brings to a squad rather than experimenting in a qualifier.
Click to expand...
And in one short paragraph you have summed up our failings as a football nation nicely... :(

Thats what I am so disappointed about, the fact that we do not have a starting striker to oust Mitch Duke
 
Cunningstunt said:
I have a question for everyone regarding selection.

Mostly out of the dislike of certain players we see that is pretty unanimous, the Duke, Behich, even Irvine dislike. It seems this occurs more in areas we don't have stand out performers.

I feel like I am more of a runs on the board (maybe conservative) in what I would like to see regarding selections, compared to the impression I have of others here. I would like to see someone banging down the door with performances which cannot be ignored over a consistent time period. Otherwise I think the experience is more valuable. Some examples:

We seem to cycle through strikers, I think that is because our best goalscorers are about Aleague level and this is a step below international football. At various recent points in time, Jmac, Taggart, Duke and Fornaroli have either demanded selection and rotated through, while being in or out of favour with fans depending on how long it has been since their last opportunity. Mostly because they aren't quite good enough to do it on the international stage.

Mo Toure - Probably the one I like the most but he hasn't really put together a full starting season. Hopefully it will come this year, but does 412 minutes in the Danish league really demand to be picked? Not much else in his career demands to be picked. His last month has been good, let him continue that for the rest of the season, become a starting 11 player and play more than the 18 times he did for Adelaide in 21/22.

John Iredale - A good last two weeks. More minutes than Toure, less goal involvements. Still not a guaranteed starting 11 player at club level in Denmark.

Yengi - Some promise last season, 9 goals, but only managed a total of 856 minutes (less than 10 games). More injuries this year has been unfortunate but no goals at the higher standard.

Are any of these guys (or any other strikers) better selections than Duke? Maybe they are, but my point would be none are stand outs. None of them are even being picked to start every game, let alone scoring 20 goals in a season at this point in their career. So in the case Duke is picked, you know he will provide an aerial threat, defends strongly from the front and gets to contests other players cannot. Short of anyone demanding to be picked, I don't mind going back to the qualities Duke brings to a squad rather than experimenting in a qualifier.
Click to expand...
The issue is Duke keeps starting and takes away and opportunity to see how the others go. Often in games it's a wasted hour.

Yengi's starts at the Asian Cup showed he was a viable option. Irfale has scored 3 in 3 at club level and needs national team games. We've gone back to Boyle now.

Toure has had some amazing play of late and it's sad that can't warrant a call up.
 
Keeper66 said:
I think Mabil has been quite poor playing for Australia for quite a while now. I'm happy that he isn't there.
Click to expand...
He's hardly been there to be fair. It had been a year until he played the previous window. Sure some wayward crosses and a slip or two on that spongy pitch but he had a good go. Before that it was the stand out Ecuador performance which was ages ago but he'd been out with injuries for a long time.

If we held players to the same standard then Behich and Duke should've been dropped ages ago.
 
JS96 said:
He's hardly been there to be fair. It had been a year until he played the previous window. Sure some wayward crosses and a slip or two on that spongy pitch but he had a good go. Before that it was the stand out Ecuador performance which was ages ago but he'd been out with injuries for a long time.

If we held players to the same standard then Behich and Duke should've been dropped ages ago.
Click to expand...
Don't disagree that Behich and Duke should not be there.
 
Keeper66 said:
Don't disagree that Behich and Duke should not be there.
Click to expand...
Definitely Arnold's favourites. I'll give Behich he stood up to get to and during the World cup.

He did play more forward against Japan so here's hoping the back passing is gone. Bos is the one though.
 
Thing about Duke... he's not fast or fit enough to hassle the defence like he used to.

That's all he was ever good for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LFC
Anyone hear where the Indonesia and Japan home matches may be? I am presuming that the Japan game will be Sydney.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top