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World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

Absolute pea hearts these middle eastern teams. Why they’ll never do anything. Such a poor mentality
 
Happy days.
Not sure how one is judged to be a messiah finally doing the job meant to after so many games not kudos mind you he done good today and should every single game.
Enjoyed Matt pen save justice.
Well done fellas result all that counts for a change we have taken the easier route hence happy days and Wednesday fellas.
 
Keeper66 said:
I thought both O’Neill and Teague were poor this window. I think I said during the last window that I thought the hype about Teague was premature, he needs to show that March window form consistently before he can be lauded.
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Respectfully disagree.

Maybe Teague struggled against Japan in the first half. Who didn't? He had limited minutes against Saudi, winning a few hard balls and kept team shape. Japan, even if it was Japan B, was a superb team - better than any other in Asian history apart from current Japan A. We are talking world powerhouse. It was a huge step up in class - Japan's brilliance off the ball in pressing and squeezing, and their brilliance with the ball was exceptional. Also, Japan's Squeezing intensity dropped in the second half. Yazbek was lucky.

Ryan T was one of our best against China away. He might have had more time on the ball and more of it, but Teague showed he was one of the best Aus technicians on the ball, albeit heaps of younger Aussies being better again.

I think O'Neill was immense in both games. Screened the defence well, won heaps of hard balls, and was pretty decent on the ball. They are my live impressions, except I had a good look at the Indo and China games on replays.

After the Cricket Test Final, I'll be studying the replays assiduously as I compile stats - 1v1s, passes, shots, balls played into pen box, territory, etc. They always show up 1 or 2 surprises - players who played better and worse from watching the game live, after many reappraisals.
 
Pasquali said:
We are jetting off towards freedom and the greatest nation on earth next year :cool:
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Without wanting to change this to a political discussion, Socceroos could be arrested at the airport and thrown in the slammer if they have anything on their phones critical of Trump!

Socceroos have taken some progressive political stands. Donny T considers it against the law to be woke!

US could be in civil war by then, or curfews.
 
Decentric said:
Respectfully disagree.

Maybe Teague struggled against Japan in the first half. Who didn't? He had limited minutes against Saudi, winning a few hard balls and kept team shape. Japan, even if it was Japan B, was a superb team - better than any other in Asian history apart from current Japan A. We are talking world powerhouse. It was a huge step up in class - Japan's brilliance off the ball in pressing and squeezing, and their brilliance with the ball was exceptional.

Ryan T was one of our best against China away. He might have had more time on the ball and more of it, but Teague showed he was one of the best Aus technicians on the ball, albeit heaps of younger Aussies being better again.

I think O'Neill was immense in both games. Screened the defence well, won heaps of hard balls, and was pretty decent on the ball. They are my live impressions, except I had a good look at the Indo and China games on replays.

After the Cricket Test Final, I'll be studying the replays assiduously as I compile stats - 1v1s, passes, shots, balls played into pen box, territory, etc. They always show up 1 or 2 surprises - players who played better and worse from watching the game live, after many reappraisals.
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Yeah,nah.

9 behind the ball, and anyone's defence is going to look good.

The ball retention in the midfield, and the distribution out of danger was poor.

If you think this continually conceding possession in the final 3rd is going to fly vs attacking teams with proper 10's, you're in for a world of hurt.
 
LFC said:
Happy days.
Not sure how one is judged to be a messiah finally doing the job meant to after so many games not kudos mind you he done good today and should every single game.
Enjoyed Matt pen save justice.
Well done fellas result all that counts for a change we have taken the easier route hence happy days and Wednesday fellas.
Click to expand...
To go from 1 point after 2 games, to direct qualification and being undefeated over the next 8, playing the two best teams twice, although Indo are currently a decent unit too, is pretty impressive! Moreover, it has been the toughest qualification group we've ever experienced in Asia.

I have no doubt you think we should get an overseas coach instead of Popa.
 
huddo said:
Yeah,nah.

9 behind the ball, and anyone's defence is going to look good.

The ball retention in the midfield, and the distribution out of danger was poor.

If you think this continually conceding possession in the final 3rd is going to fly vs attacking teams with proper 10's, you're in for a world of hurt.
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Who expected the Socceroos to make the last 16 in the WC, giving the winners, Arg, a fright, and Arnie being anointed as best coach by L'Equipe?

That defensive Popa structure has worked superbly. It isn't easy to coach. Arnie walked away. I thought we would struggle defensively without Souttar. We haven't.

Plus we've had more ball in most games - apart from Japan, both games, Indo and Saudi away. Until the last 4 games, our problem has been finishing.
 
Keeper66 said:
Here here! Are you calling your dog? I think you mean hear hear!

And “elucidates”???
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Homophone - always get those two confused!

Elucidate - sheds light.

Bit sad when it keeps coming up from a national sports team and coaches about all the negative keyboard warriors excoriating them don't you think, Keeper?
 
huddo said:
Yeah,nah.

9 behind the ball, and anyone's defence is going to look good.

The ball retention in the midfield, and the distribution out of danger was poor.

If you think this continually conceding possession in the final 3rd is going to fly vs attacking teams with proper 10's, you're in for a world of hurt.
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The comment about ball retention and distribution is spot on. They are core skills for holding midfielders. Ball winning is one thing, but if it is immediately given away then that’s not good.
 
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Song said:
The World Cup qualification process is very hard. The travel and short turn arounds are tough and severely underappreciated by many outside of the game. To qualify is always an incredible and taxing achievement.

Hard to believe where we ended up in the end, with 19 points, and no losses to either Japan or Saudi Arabia. In reflection, there was only really one stumbling block for the third phase, the first game against Bahrain.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is bizzare to think that after our World Cup performance and ease in which he guided the team through the second phase, Arnold was let go based on one game. I am not saying it was right or wrong, and I am sure no one will question it given the outcome, but on reflection (and in my opinion) it was really one game / one loss that cost him the position. Tough world being a national team coach.

Staying on Arnold, and to a lesser extent the coaches prior to him (ignoring Arnold's first stint), the Socceroos team for a while now has something unique. They have incredible belief in themselves, well beyond that of most other teams. They come across as a very close knit unit that work hard, are well structured and hard to break down. I always sense we will deliver more than most expect of us.
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Good to read a positive post about the WCQ process.

Well said, Song!

I don't think Arnie was 'let go'. There was an article someone posted and a video, where Arnie felt like he had lost his ability to get the most out of the team after the Asian Cup loss to South K. He expected to win it - according to him. Self- doubt set in after the Asian Cup exit, by his own admission.
 
Well done Socceroos on their sixth consecutive World Cup qualification, and great result against Saudia Arabia away from home. Middle Eastern nations are very tough to beat at home, and after conceding the first goal, the Socceroos showed character to come back and win the game. And the lead up work to the first goal that Australia scored was brilliant, that pass that Mitch Duke that set up Connor Metcalfe was first class.
 
Decentric said:
Good to read a positive post about the WCQ process.

Well said, Song!

I don't think Arnie was 'let go'. There was an article someone posted and a video, where Arnie felt like he had lost his ability to get the most out of the team after the Asian Cup loss to South K. He expected to win it - according to him. Self- doubt set in after the Asian Cup exit, by his own admission.
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Redemption of sorts is still on for Arnie. Iraq remain in with a chance of qualifying for WC26 which would be an excellent outcome for them.
 
Keeper66 said:
The comment about ball retention and distribution is spot on. They are core skills for holding midfielders. Ball winning is one thing, but if it is immediately given away then that’s not good.
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There is also a risk and reward.

By committing players to gegenpress in the attacking third, space is exposed further back in the formation. Aus exploited it well against Indo, when they gegenpressed, but not Japan.

Japan's gegenpressing in the attacking was too effective, and they continued intensive S further back to the half way line, forcing Aus to play in less time and space than they were comfortable with, particularly in the first half

Saudi had to do it to win, as they risked losing all.

All teams at some stage can't deal with intensive Squeezing and Full Pressing if it is intensive and cohesive enough, and sustained.

A case in point is a few years back, Arsenal just couldn't play effectively against Barca's Full Pressing and intensive Squeezing game effectively in a Champ League. They had just never experienced that level in the EPL at that point in time.
 
Decentric said:
Homophone - always get those two confused!

Elucidate - sheds light.

Bit sad when it keeps coming up from a national sports team and coaches about all the negative keyboard warriors excoriating them don't you think, Keeper?
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Yeah, I know what elucidate means, it just read a bit strangely in your sentence.

Regarding keyboard warriors, with todays technology allowing anyone to air their opinion relatively broadly, I think that a national sports team and coaches just need to ignore any vituperative comments.
 
Cunningstunt said:
Impressive how Arzani has gone from only being selected because he played under Popa, to Popa deliberately railroading him. All within the space of six months.
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I think Popa used Toure, and Tilio as a direct replacement for Metcalfe, to give them both experience at his level in a serious WCQ.

Popa had used Arzani in the last 10 mins of the Japan game.

Popa needed Boyle, Duke and Chapman to do all the donkey work, defending from the front, closing down space in BPO.
 
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