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World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

come on fellas seriously Ryan what I watched doesn't question his ability on this game.
The 1st worldy is football no matter the keeper, how many stand further out when we're in possession round halfway, we lost the ball !.
That was just football the bloke took it - it reminded me just having re watched the Beckham doco last night and he popped that goal from halfway.
The 2nd deflection onto the far post pops right in front of their player - come on.

I just don't get why we when attacking we don't keep on for the killer get on the pace - the lack of tempo.
Are they that programmed in their heads of Poppa's passive tactics ringing in their heads.
WE are not a team that can play Pep ball, Slotball, we don't have that ability yet we keep looking to keep control and too many turn backs, inside, back when we should be having runners link forward and look to release Yengi more.
By the way thankgoodness Yengi well done on the double !
Miller get him on the bench.

RIMB your mention of Caceras, he was too deep because that how we are playing too damn defensive, then when we get up the pitch he's making up ground in the meantime. I still give him benefit of the doubt due to the tactics.
Goodwin is a LEFT flanker POPPA - WTFU.
 
I think one drawback with this system is we get outnumbered in centre midfield. Given Irvine is an auto select that puts a lot of pressure on the other mid to be creative. But they're usually too deep to do much. With Irvine a lock I would like to see a third midfielder selected at the expense of a defender. That midfielder needs the right qualities. I think Luongo would make a big difference.
 
JS96 said:
Another window and Popovic didn't play a few players. He needn't bother with Boyle but the question make may linger. Caceres experiment don't. Matthews tidy but isn't short term.
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Popovic is the Peter principle in action:

Every executive rises to his level of incompetence and stays there.
 
We used to be good at getting crosses into the centre to men in good positions. If Timmy Cahill was playing in this team he would have been lucky to have got 20 goals.

That said, it was great that the second goal came from a cross, and we were first to a second ball. That used to be our strength!
 
T_S_F said:
I said it before - it's Japan followed by who is the least worst.

We are dreaming if we think Asian football has gotten better. Geez, I love Australia but they make it hard.

Popvic doing his same old stuff. Surely he has a record for going up, sitting back and then conceding late. Happened all the time at MV
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See I agree & disagree with you here, the Asian teams are getting better, you can see it in their skills & also their fitness, are they world beaters, no, are they better than us, no. We should not be losing or drawing to the likes of Bahrain.
However, the attitude that this a 6 points easy is all wrong. These teams like I said are no world beaters, but we need to prepare well, go out play to the best of ability.
Japan beats Bahrain 4 zip in Bahrain we draw with Japan & draw with Bahrain. Our attitude has to change, we must go in with the same attitude against Indonesia as we do against Argentina.
 
A few thoughts:

* China are perhaps best placed to finish 2nd given they've played Japan twice.
* Home games remaining: Japan 3, Australia 2, China 2, Indonesia 2, Saudi 2, Bahrain 1
* Before next window in March Indonesia play 4 matches, Saudi play 3 and Bahrain play 2 which will help them be battle hardened. We have 0.
* Ryan had absolutely nothing to do with either goal in my view.
* How many actual saves did Bahrain keeper make from shots on target? I recall one only, a tame shot from Hrustic (like the previous match!). Same old issue... we just never get actual shots on target despite people often claiming in these situations that we should have put the game away.
* Everything going our way... imagine where we'd be if it wasn't. 96' goal for Yengi, late Saudi goal disallowed against Aus. 2 points from 6 in this window is so poor but it was very nearly 0! 1 win only in 6 matches!
* Not a fan of Popovic at all - formation is rubbish, personnel decisions and changes are baffling, plus playing players out of position. Matthews, Caceres and Brattan good enough to start matches but Balard and Nisbet nowhere to be seen.
 
Robbos said:
See I agree & disagree with you here, the Asian teams are getting better, you can see it in their skills & also their fitness, are they world beaters, no, are they better than us, no. We should not be losing or drawing to the likes of Bahrain.
However, the attitude that this a 6 points easy is all wrong. These teams like I said are no world beaters, but we need to prepare well, go out play to the best of ability.
Japan beats Bahrain 4 zip in Bahrain we draw with Japan & draw with Bahrain. Our attitude has to change, we must go in with the same attitude against Indonesia as we do against Argentina.
Click to expand...
We also need to play players that brake down low blocks.
 
verrelli said:
A few thoughts:

* China are perhaps best placed to finish 2nd given they've played Japan twice.
* Home games remaining: Japan 3, Australia 2, China 2, Indonesia 2, Saudi 2, Bahrain 1
* Before next window in March Indonesia play 4 matches, Saudi play 3 and Bahrain play 2 which will help them be battle hardened. We have 0.
* Ryan had absolutely nothing to do with either goal in my view.
* How many actual saves did Bahrain keeper make from shots on target? I recall one only, a tame shot from Hrustic (like the previous match!). Same old issue... we just never get actual shots on target despite people often claiming in these situations that we should have put the game away.
* Everything going our way... imagine where we'd be if it wasn't. 96' goal for Yengi, late Saudi goal disallowed against Aus. 2 points from 6 in this window is so poor but it was very nearly 0! 1 win only in 6 matches!
* Not a fan of Popovic at all - formation is rubbish, personnel decisions and changes are baffling, plus playing players out of position. Matthews, Caceres and Brattan good enough to start matches but Balard and Nisbet nowhere to be seen.
Click to expand...

We need 6 from the next 2.

Anything else we're going to the playoffs or going home.
 
Playing players out of their natural position is too risky. McGree is an Am not winger. Goodwin is a left winger not right. Previous window Irankunda played as AM instead of wing.
Starting lineups changing every game makes it hard for players to settle/ gel.

Popa all over the place which shows in results
 
verrelli said:
A few thoughts:

* China are perhaps best placed to finish 2nd given they've played Japan twice.
* Home games remaining: Japan 3, Australia 2, China 2, Indonesia 2, Saudi 2, Bahrain 1
* Before next window in March Indonesia play 4 matches, Saudi play 3 and Bahrain play 2 which will help them be battle hardened. We have 0.
* Ryan had absolutely nothing to do with either goal in my view.
* How many actual saves did Bahrain keeper make from shots on target? I recall one only, a tame shot from Hrustic (like the previous match!). Same old issue... we just never get actual shots on target despite people often claiming in these situations that we should have put the game away.
* Everything going our way... imagine where we'd be if it wasn't. 96' goal for Yengi, late Saudi goal disallowed against Aus. 2 points from 6 in this window is so poor but it was very nearly 0! 1 win only in 6 matches!
* Not a fan of Popovic at all - formation is rubbish, personnel decisions and changes are baffling, plus playing players out of position. Matthews, Caceres and Brattan good enough to start matches but Balard and Nisbet nowhere to be seen.
Click to expand...
We rarely get shots on target because we rarely look to take a shot. More shots equals more chance of shots on target equals more chance of goals, either directly from the shots or from saves and second balls.
 
Balin Trev said:
Playing players out of their natural position is too risky. McGree is an Am not winger. Goodwin is a left winger not right. Previous window Irankunda played as AM instead of wing.
Starting lineups changing every game makes it hard for players to settle/ gel.

Popa all over the place which shows in results
Click to expand...
Goodwin and McGree are not being played as wingers, they are being played as dual 10’s looking to cut in on to their favourite foot. Miller and Bos/Behich are meant to be the players giving width.
 
Keeper66 said:
We rarely get shots on target because we rarely look to take a shot. More shots equals more chance of shots on target equals more chance of goals, either directly from the shots or from saves and second balls.
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Yup, 100% agree. It's pretty simple. Create the chances and take the shots when they come. We fail on both counts.
 
huddo said:
We need 6 from the next 2.

Anything else we're going to the playoffs or going home.
Click to expand...
With 5 wins only from 16 matches at this stage of qualifying across this campaign and the previous one, history suggests it's extremely unlikely we'll win 2 consecutive matches.
 
verrelli said:
A few thoughts:

* China are perhaps best placed to finish 2nd given they've played Japan twice.
* Home games remaining: Japan 3, Australia 2, China 2, Indonesia 2, Saudi 2, Bahrain 1
* Before next window in March Indonesia play 4 matches, Saudi play 3 and Bahrain play 2 which will help them be battle hardened. We have 0.
* Ryan had absolutely nothing to do with either goal in my view.
* How many actual saves did Bahrain keeper make from shots on target? I recall one only, a tame shot from Hrustic (like the previous match!). Same old issue... we just never get actual shots on target despite people often claiming in these situations that we should have put the game away.
* Everything going our way... imagine where we'd be if it wasn't. 96' goal for Yengi, late Saudi goal disallowed against Aus. 2 points from 6 in this window is so poor but it was very nearly 0! 1 win only in 6 matches!
* Not a fan of Popovic at all - formation is rubbish, personnel decisions and changes are baffling, plus playing players out of position. Matthews, Caceres and Brattan good enough to start matches but Balard and Nisbet nowhere to be seen.
Click to expand...
China's goal difference is the problem. They'll have to win 3 of their final 4 games to progress. Away to Saudi and Indonesia won't be easy. We are still best placed, having the extra point, and the better goal difference. We also have the easier games next, so can/should make a statement (haven't we being saying that all a long).
Agree the formation is rubbish. We have high wing backs who immediately we lose the ball revert to full backs. We need to be more proactive in transition, picking up players before they get momentum and putting our defense under pressure. They are a waste of space in the current formation, and it means we lose the effectiveness of Goodwin (and in prior games Irankunda) because the allegedly overlapping wing backs take the space out wide. Play a 4 - 4 - 2 with the wide men going forward and doing crosses to two in the middle with Irvine chiming in. It might be old school, but it works!
 
Another disappointing result this time we were expected to win but we needed an stoppage equaliser to get a draw and this is simply not good enough, right now there is 1 point between 2nd and 6th place in the group any other slip up we could be in an vulnerable spot to not even qualify for the World Cup let along get into the playoffs!

People need to wake up to the fact we are punching well above our weight and given the investment in Asian football its a matter of time we will get caught by the rest and look where we are now, meanwhile Japan is coasting and will probably qualify around the March matches.

Popa is trying to do hes best with mostly a-league to mid tier level players, the truth is we lack the quality of players to put teams like Bahrain to bed, heck even the China and Saudi Arabia games weren't easy this is probably expected when facing Asian opposition and unless the production of our players get better then I dont expect it to get better going into the future in terms of getting results.
 
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