World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

[Hillbilly55]

The one thing we can be grateful for is that football throws up all kinds of challenges and people can rise to the occassion, or sit on the sidelines. Marselino Ferdinan of Indonesia certainly doesn't have the pedigree, but took a giant leap in scoring his double against Saudi Arabia last night. Hopefully Poppa will pick a Balard or Nizbit or Robertson in March and they will show us what they're made of.

Marselino Ferdinan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[FeedTheBrox]

Can someone with more knowledge than me (maybe a Sydney fan) explain to me what Hayden Matthews brings? I had never heard of him before he was selected for the Socceroos.

Granted, I only caught the last 25 minutes this morning, but that error that led to their second goal was Benny Hill music stuff.

I watched him play for Sydney against MacArthur before the international break and he was sent of before halftime with 2 yellows… So I didn’t get a proper look at him.

A quick google search tells me he’s played 17 A-League games for Sydney (not sure how many of those were starts). That suggests to me he's very inexperienced and it’s way too soon to start him in a crucial WCQ qualifier in the middle east. Surely, we have better options?

 

[zimbos05]

Holy shit we are bad.

Why are all of our attacking players on the back foot when we are moving forward?

Why is our first touch so horrible?

Why are we struggling with the basics?

What have the FA and Arnie been doing for the last few years that we have a national team that is so devoid of basic concept and ideals. That was such a poor performance.

 

[tsf]

That Yengi too, look at the first goal. The keepers touch made it go in. Looked like it was almost going for a throw lol

 

[patjennings]

Gauci has performed well. He can learn footwork.

I know the feeling wishing we had another in a certain moment. Was shocked Behich didn't shoot. Players need to be greedy.

Plenty of experienced keepers were caught out when the back pass rule was implemented suggest it should be something you learn from the beginning. Gauci was dropped from the CCM Academy side for Aidan Munford because he couldn't play with his feet. Some keepers just can't adapt.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Holy shit we are bad.

Why are all of our attacking players on the back foot when we are moving forward?

Why is our first touch so horrible?

Why are we struggling with the basics?

What have the FA and Arnie been doing for the last few years that we have a national team that is so devoid of basic concept and ideals. That was such a poor performance.

Finishing 11th at a WC is ALL we need to aspire too at this stage.. Mission Accomplished.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Plenty of experienced keepers were caught out when the back pass rule was implemented suggest it should be something you learn from the beginning. Gauci was dropped from the CCM Academy side for Aidan Munford because he couldn't play with his feet. Some keepers just can't adapt.

I dont think its a case of adapting mate, pretty sure Gauci wasnt even born when the backpass rule came about

 

[dr. bellows]

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!

Good points although I'd probably go with a 4-5-1 if we're going to persist with Irvine in midfield. I think back to when Cahill first joined Everton. IIRC Moyes deployed a 4-5-1 but so good was Cahill bombing forward late from midfield that it was effectively like playing a 4-5-2. Irvine is capable of late runs into the box and threatening aerially but not as good as Cahill, obviously. Off the top of my head I'd go with something like this:

GK: Izzo
RB: Strain
RCB: Souttar
LCB: Rowles
LB: Bos
DM: Balard
RM: Arzani
CM: Irvine
LM: Goodwin
AM: McGree
ST: Yengi

 

[Muz]

Holy shit we are bad.

Why are all of our attacking players on the back foot when we are moving forward?

Why is our first touch so horrible?

Why are we struggling with the basics?

What have the FA and Arnie been doing for the last few years that we have a national team that is so devoid of basic concept and ideals. That was such a poor performance.

Can't blame the coach for poor touches. Poor bastards get 23 players lobbing in 2 or 3 days before a match. If they're not skilled up it's not the coach's fault.

Agree with some of you other stuff. Need players that want to go forward.

 

[huddo]

Can someone with more knowledge than me (maybe a Sydney fan) explain to me what Hayden Matthews brings? I had never heard of him before he was selected for the Socceroos.

Granted, I only caught the last 25 minutes this morning, but that error that led to their second goal was Benny Hill music stuff.

I watched him play for Sydney against MacArthur before the international break and he was sent of before halftime with 2 yellows… So I didn’t get a proper look at him.

A quick google search tells me he’s played 17 A-League games for Sydney (not sure how many of those were starts). That suggests to me he's very inexperienced and it’s way too soon to start him in a crucial WCQ qualifier in the middle east. Surely, we have better options?

Extremely promising youth. Think irakunda or Farrell. Very good at reading a game.
He will be around for some time.

 

[patjennings]

I dont think its a case of adapting mate, pretty sure Gauci wasnt even born when the backpass rule came about

Point was more he hasn't learnt - even when he was dropped from the CCM Academy side. Can't see him making it consistently at the international level.

 

[Muz]

Lot of love for Ryan here and that's fair enough but I reckon because he plays the sweeper/keeper role the ball goes backwards to him far too much. Maybe having a gumby like Gauci that can't play with his feet could help us by taking away that option.

I've see us literally take a corner and 3 passes later, without losing possession, it's back with Ryan.

 

[patjennings]

Lot of love for Ryan here and that's fair enough but I reckon because he plays the sweeper/keeper role the ball goes backwards to him far too much. Maybe having a gumby like Gauci that can't play with his feet could help us by taking away that option.

I've see us literally take a corner and 3 passes later, without losing possession, it's back with Ryan.

Maybe that is the case - and I see that and am frustrated by that as well. But playing Gauci with his footwork against any sort of press worries me

 

[huddo]

Good points although I'd probably go with a 4-5-1 if we're going to persist with Irvine in midfield. I think back to when Cahill first joined Everton. IIRC Moyes deployed a 4-5-1 but so good was Cahill bombing forward late from midfield that it was effectively like playing a 4-5-2. Irvine is capable of late runs into the box and threatening aerially but not as good as Cahill, obviously. Off the top of my head I'd go with something like this:

GK: Izzo
RB: Strain
RCB: Souttar
LCB: Rowles
LB: Bos
DM: Balard
RM: Arzani
CM: Irvine
LM: Goodwin
AM: McGree
ST: Yengi

Still no Nisbet hey?

Goodluck with the creativity.

 

[zimbos05]

Finishing 11th at a WC is ALL we need to aspire too at this stage.. Mission Accomplished.

I'm sick of "battling hard" or "overachieving". It's a bullshit attitude. If I have to watch another draw to a side ranked outside the top 50 and the commentators going, "It was a battlers point. Can't fault the effort blah blah..."

Can't blame the coach for poor touches. Poor bastards get 23 players lobbing in 2 or 3 days before a match. If they're not skilled up it's not the coach's fault.

Agree with some of you other stuff. Need players that want to go forward.

I don't really like this argument. One of the 4 cores of coaching is 1st touch. Training sessions are designed around the 1st touch. It's a focus. If you are not improving the players 1st touch, then you are ignoring that core in your coaching, or you are not mindful of it.

 

[huddo]

Lot of love for Ryan here and that's fair enough but I reckon because he plays the sweeper/keeper role the ball goes backwards to him far too much. Maybe having a gumby like Gauci that can't play with his feet could help us by taking away that option.

I've see us literally take a corner and 3 passes later, without losing possession, it's back with Ryan.

So you want to play ultra defensive tactics without a player that can use his feet?

 

[Muz]

So you want to play ultra defensive tactics without a player that can use his feet?

No.

I want us to go forward rather than back. With Ryan at the back it's an easy out for any player that has pressure put on them. Passes go back to Ryan constantly from near the halfway line when other forward options are open. I'm over it.

 

[JM47]

A really good thing we have 5 months till the next window. It's my hope it allows some of those fringe players who I believe stronger than the incumbents to enter the fray. Some of Popa's selections are bizarre: Brattan, Caceres, Grant, Geria as a RWB, Borello for examples. Next window, in an ideal world I'd love to see some of those names ala Nisbet, Balard etc really make them must picks.

Ryan
Gauci
Izzo

Souttar
Burgess
Geria
Rowles
Matthews
Miller
Strain
Bos
Farrell

Irvine
Luongo
Robertson
McGree
Hrustic
O'Neill
Balard
Nisbet

Yengi
Duke
Toure
Goodwin
Irankunda
Iredale

Any obvious exclusions?

 

[Barca4life]

Holy shit we are bad.

Why are all of our attacking players on the back foot when we are moving forward?

Why is our first touch so horrible?

Why are we struggling with the basics?

What have the FA and Arnie been doing for the last few years that we have a national team that is so devoid of basic concept and ideals. That was such a poor performance.

The FA have got alot to blame for our youth development and coaching woes, where is Ernie Merrick and JJ going to do about it? They should be held accountable but the media don't ask the hard questions.

 

[Muz]

I'm sick of "battling hard" or "overachieving". It's a bullshit attitude. If I have to watch another draw to a side ranked outside the top 50 and the commentators going, "It was a battlers point. Can't fault the effort blah blah..."


I don't really like this argument. One of the 4 cores of coaching is 1st touch. Training sessions are designed around the 1st touch. It's a focus. If you are not improving the players 1st touch, then you are ignoring that core in your coaching, or you are not mindful of it.

Mate, a couple of rounds of rondo is not going to magically improve their first touch skills. They're supposed to professionals after all.

Maybe it's the higher tempo of international football that puts more pressure onto them than they normally would at club level.