Australia’s match against the United States was always going to be the toughest of the Socceroos’ three fixtures in their World Cup group, and that proved to be the case. The US has backed up its emphatic opening win against Paraguay with a 2–0 victory that assures the host nation’s passage into the tournament’s knockout phase.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic’s ultra-defensive formation may have worked effectively against Turkey, but having revealed Australia’s approach, the US appeared tactically superior.
The Americans were not the Turks. The long passes into the centre and speculative shots from outside the box that characterised Turkey’s attack were absent here. Instead, the Americans played with greater composure and variety. Defensively they employed a high press.
Buoyed by a fanatical home crowd and immersed in the celebrity culture surrounding the match in Seattle, the Socceroos were comprehensively outplayed.
There is a saying in soccer: “Never change a winning team.” But Popovic rang the changes. Connor Metcalfe and Nestory Irankunda, heroes in the previous game against Turkey, were dropped from the starting lineup and replaced with A-League duo Matthew Leckie and Nishan Velupillay.
It would be hard to find a coach at the World Cup – or, indeed, in junior soccer – who, in Popovic’s position, would have dropped his two goalscorers from the first game. It made little sense when the team was announced, and assistant coach Paul Okon’s halftime interview did little to explain it.
In the first half, Australia’s defence looked rattled; the occasion had got to them. The team sat far too deep in defence and offered nothing adventurous. Popovic’s strategy of defending in numbers and keeping things tight only works if you do, in fact, keep things tight. After Cameron Burgess’s own goal in the 11th minute, it was effectively game over. The US scored a second shortly before half-time and had the contest in a stranglehold from that moment.
Metcalfe and Irankunda came on at half-time. But while Australia showed more creativity and fight in the second half, they lacked the composure to show a real threat, and ultimately the only statistic on which they finished above their opponents was for the number of yellow cards.
What’s next for the Socceroos?
It’s far from over. Australia needs to regroup and approach the final group-stage match against Paraguay in the knowledge that a draw would be enough to progress to the next round. But playing for a draw can be a dangerous game, so the Socceroos need to remain sufficiently ambitious to pursue victory if the opportunity arises.
Ahead of the Paraguayans’ match against Turkey later today, it is difficult to speculate on precisely what approach Australia should take. Gustavo Alfaro’s Paraguay are similar to Popovic’s Socceroos: a strong defensive, counterattacking team. While the Americans put four goals past them, Paraguay conceded just ten goals in 18 World Cup qualifiers, the best defensive record in the competition.
The problem for the Paraguayans, however, is that they may need to win to have any chance of qualifying. This could benefit the Socceroos.
It is not yet clear whether the three points Australia already has in the bag will be enough to move into the knockout rounds, although it remains a possibility given the expanded tournament format. In the knockout phase, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups will also be joined by the eight third-placed teams with the best records.
A draw against Paraguay would leave Australia with four points – almost certainly enough to secure qualification and potentially even sufficient for second place in the group. So, all is not lost.
US dominating the group
From Australia’s perspective, the ideal scenario is for the US to defeat Turkey in their third and final match, thus continuing to take points off Australia’s rivals for qualification. Meanwhile, if Turkey inflict a second defeat of the group on Paraguay, however, Paraguay would be forced to attack against the Socceroos, potentially creating a situation in which goal difference becomes decisive. Australia may then require not only a positive result but also a superior goal difference to ensure progression to the knockout stages.
The US was simply better than the Socceroos today, exposing the limitations of Australia’s conservative approach. The good news is qualification remains within reach. The bad news is the Socceroos cannot continue to survive on grit alone; they must offer considerably more in attack.
Today was a lost opportunity for Australian football. If the first game against Turkey was a coaching masterclass by Popovic, this one was a disasterclass. When Irankunda and Metcalfe came on at half-time, the game changed – but too little, too late. Both Leckie and Velupillay were substituted. Cristian Volpato came on with roughly half an hour left to play, and made an attacking impact. It is clear he also needs to start against the Paraguayans.
Australia’s goalscoring song for the World Cup is Thunderstruck. We did not hear it today, but it perfectly summed up the Socceroos’ performance. They were thunderstruck in Seattle this morning.
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