Socceroos Stumble in Seattle - Game 2 Review of the 2026 World Cup

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Foreign.

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Welcome back to the Aussie football passport where the mood

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is a little bit low after the result yesterday. The soccer

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is going down 2 nil to the host nation USA in Seattle.

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So we'll try and pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off to do this episode.

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But I am joined yet again by Adam and Scott from the Brisbane Football Review.

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How are you, Scott? I'm good, Alex. Popping result yesterday. How are you?

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Yeah, look, it was a rough day yesterday, fair to

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say. I think. And no doubt you share the same thoughts, Adam.

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Yeah, I've sort of Alex and Scott and

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yeah, look, I sort of question my choice of why I got up at 5

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in the morning. But we, we do that for the Socceroos even though win,

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lose or draw. But look, it's a little disappointing, but I, I don't know if,

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if they're all hope is lost. I think we learned a few things not only

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about Socceroos, but I think as well that I think the, the US team also

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might have proved a little bit better than what I think we gave him credit

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for. Yeah, I think you're probably right in a lot of senses there and

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we'll go into that in a little bit more depth. But before we do,

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Adam, I'll throw to you to plug the Brisbane Football Review. You can

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find us on Facebook at the Raw Review or Brisbane Football Review on

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Twixball threads and Instagram.

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Brisbane Football Review or lowercase. You can drop us an email brisbane football reviewmail.com

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and you can find us on podcasting platforms such as Spotify and Apple

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Podcasts. Brilliant. Thank you very much for that, Adam. Really appreciate

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that. Go check out the Brisbane Football Review if you are in need of a

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fix of the mpl Queensland or Brisbane Raw is your club

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side in the A league because Adam and Scott and Kurt do a wonderful

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job of covering that. Now,

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today's episode. So we're going to have a look at the

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other game from the group here, Paraguay versus Turkey.

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We're going to preview the Paraguay game, get the general thoughts

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on the World cup from Adam and Scott and myself. But we

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will start with a review of the USA game.

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And look, we, we praise Tony Popovic for

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his starting 11 last week, even though it was very surprising.

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This week, though, I think it might have backfired a little bit

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as he turned, as he turned

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to Nishan Valuple and Matthew Leckie to replace the

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two goal scorers from the last game, Nestery Iron Kunda and Connor

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Metcalfe. So a little bit interesting there, Scott what, what did you think?

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Yeah, oh look, I said on the show last week leading into the USA game,

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I wouldn't be shocked if he changed that front third in terms of a pressing

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perspective, but I don't think any of us thought that Nishan Vluplay or Matthew

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Lecky were going to start a game in this World cup and certainly not start

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this game here against the United States. And they just didn't have the impact that

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we were all hoping for in terms of what they could bring in terms of

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a creative aspect because they never got the ball and never got the chance to

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show any of that near the chant. The changes just didn't work today in terms

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of having those two guys in there. They weren't able to link the play as

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well as players who came on in the second half. They weren't able to put

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the pressure on the United States in the way that we were able to in

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the first game. Just across the board. It just didn't work and it was probably

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the wrong move in hindsight to make those changes. Yeah,

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definitely the, the link, particularly Connor Metcalfe, I think

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he's the real key to linking the midfield to the front, the front third and

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that's really what we lacked. You know, the threat of Nestery,

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Aaron Kunda of course is, is crucial as well and I think that's

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what worked so well against Turkey. You've got the dual threat,

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I should say, of Nestor Yaron Kunder and Motore with their pace in behind Colin

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Metcalfe sort of linking the midfield to those two and

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I mean that's a pretty good recipe to play that counter attacking

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football that Tony Popovic wants to play.

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So speaking of Matthew Lucky, we saw an injury

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to Matthew like he, Adam is. I mean that potentially

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we, we don't know the severity, do we of of that injury for a start.

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But is that the last we see of Matthew Lecky at a

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World Cup? At a World Cup, I definitely think so. I think of the hamstring

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injury. Even if, even if the, at the best

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case scenario, I guess a realistic best case scenario which

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takes out to about July 10th or so. I don't think he,

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I don't think he recovers from that. So unfortunately we see the last

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of him as far as in this World cup and I dare

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say I don't think he'd be going to the, the next one

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either in 2030. So it decap. It's, it's sad in a way.

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Look, I, I've got to be honest, I had questions on what his

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selection to begin with because of. Not only because

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of his injuries sort of being plagued now, he has. He has been battling

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injuries, various injuries for the last couple of years, especially for Melbourn.

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And I'll surprise. We got picked. I understood that,

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but yeah, it's unfortunate, but it is. Yeah, it is

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what it is. Yeah, definitely. I'd like to pick

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up on your point there about the sad way that, you know,

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Matthew Lecky goes out here because he's been incredible for the Socceroos.

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It took him a while to get going in front of goal, which,

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you know, as an attacking player, that's what we expect from him. But once

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that floodgate opened, I mean, he wasn't prolific, but he

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scored one of the most important goals in socceros history at that last

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World cup against Denmark. And I still jump up and cheer when I see that

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one because it's an absolute beauty. So if you haven't seen it, make sure you

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go and check that one out. It's an all time favorite of the Socceroos.

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But moving on, I guess if we're to break the

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game down, would you say is pretty fair that we were

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outplayed out thought, particularly in that first half. You know,

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tactically, I thought that the Alessandro

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Chicati and Karen Burgess were sort of pulled away from Harry Sutar and

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it created those channels for the rotating attacking

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midfielders to play in Scott, is that how you saw it?

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That's a big part of what I saw. You know, two things I saw the

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United States did really, really well, and that's one of them. I'll go on that

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one. First, it was their. Their movement and their ability to move the Australian in

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a way that Turkey never were able to do so. And it came down to

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their two midfielders, Tillman and McKinney, and the way they. Their movement in the

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runs that they made along with Dest on one side, Robinson on the other,

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it just. They just moved Australia all around the field and opened them up.

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And that was something that we just did not have an answer to in that

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first half. In addition to their superior speed and

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just power and strength and everything they had in that physical,

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physicality sense as well, all of those things combined made life really,

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really difficult from an Australian perspective. And you look at the way both sides played

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in their first games, everything the US did well against Paraguay, they replicated

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in that first half against last. They moved. They moved Paraguay around and

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opened them up. They did that to us as well. Baligan up front was a

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handful against, against Paraguay was the same for us as well. The only thing that

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was different was that they had Pulisic in the first game and he was sat

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on the sideline basically having his feet up and having a nice day off in

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the end. So that was the only real change to the United States. Look,

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Pepe coming in and kind of being a dual number nine alongside Baligan as well,

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that really did provide a different look as well. Maybe that different look along

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with those things working for the US really meant that it was a much more

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different that Australia were potentially planning for. And Australia,

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everything we did well in the first game, none of it was there, was it?

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In terms of our. Our ability to hold our shape was not there in that

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first half. Our ability to have the composure when we got the ball wasn't there.

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Our press was nowhere near as strong. So everything we did

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well to get the result against Turkey, the Americans found a way to nullify and

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break down. And we said on the show in the preview that it would be

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a very different game if the U.S. could score early and they were able to

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do that and they were able to go on with it. And you have to

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say the game was pretty much over at halftime and we can be pretty lucky

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it was only two because if it was three or four at halftime we would

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have been disappointed. But you couldn't really complain given the dominance that they had.

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They were very impressive, the U.S. you have to say. Yeah, very much

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so. Scott, I can't disagree with anything that, that you brought up there.

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And I mean I don't want to say they were impressive, but they've annoyed us

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for seven months with their, with their confidence. But you have to say it was

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well founded. Yeah, it was definitely. And I think that was a point you wanted

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to touch on as well, Adam, that we. We potentially not underestimated,

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but maybe we not played down, but we

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just didn't expect this level of performance from, from the usa,

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would you say? I think the most satisfying thing if you are

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Morino, is that when you do something so well in the first game

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to go and replicate against second time I thought was.

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Was I think probably the big. The biggest thing as well, especially against a different

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style of opponent and it's sort of different shape and formation and Scott's

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right that basically what they did well against Paraguay, they did, they did to us

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and we really did not have the answers. In fact, we probably even by.

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By the changes that were made probably also pretty much

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played into the hands of the Americans because simply as well by Putting in

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blue pill and Lecky in there. Wasn't that dot that

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that threat of the fast counter attack because they're not as quick as

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a Conor Metcalfe as a, as a destler And Akunda

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Motoro seems to be played even though he also stuck his Tokyo

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he is more of that hold up style,

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style striker. So again there's no, there's no

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visible foot, there's no press saw in the second half and I know we'll get

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to shortly when the socceros actually started to press

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from the front all of a sudden things happened and they put the American

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defense and playing out under pressure. So it's again

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I think it's a big L in the end of tactical wise. And look Tony

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Popovic, we praised him for his bold changes in game one. He's just going

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to take the L in game two and say hey, I got it wrong and

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we move on because the second half as we talked about was a lot better.

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Before we do that Alex, we should mention we said team profits did get

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it wrong but for two years he's probably been building Nishan Vlu play up

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to play that role as a connector who can link play and run in behind

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for this very particular game. All these circumstances in this particular

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game, we saw it in the World cup qualifying and it was relatively effective but

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you have to say it just didn't work in this game. It was proven that

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well, he was effective in that role in Asian World cup qualifying and able

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to get the old goal here and there and do that job. He was not

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able to do that against a physically stronger United States side and that

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was a big part of the problem that Adam pointed out. Once we did get

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the ball back and it was rare between Lecky and V play the link

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just wasn't there and that was a big problem as well. Yeah. And I mean

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for all the I guess positivity that Tony Popovich said

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or positive things I should say that, that Tony Pavic said about Nishan

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V play prior to the game, you know, his ability to, to track back you

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need to offer more than that. And I understand that he scored what,

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three goals in six caps in. I think two of

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those goals were in an Asian cup qualification campaign and one came

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in one of the friendlies. But on the world stage it's

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a different level and we saw that he was very much exposed and

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speaking of exposing and probably playing into the mindset the,

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the change. Well, I mean for Luplay and Lecky I

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definitely think played into us's hands really? Because they've

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got a 38 year old center back who's playing in the MLS who is on

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the decline and who was found out in the game against

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Germany I believe where the U.S.

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the Germans drove straight at him and got past him and tailor

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made for Nestery Erin Kunda from the first whistle

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of that game. The flip side is did Tony Popovic not

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playing because of the hot headedness that we know that Nestori has? Potentially that

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was his thinking. But I just think surely that's

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where you should have went. Even a

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mobile Alex with his speed compared to that someone with some

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pace to run out running at the two center backs. That was the week.

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So I completely agree they needed more speed. And Motor worked hard in

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that first half but had no service. And I do wonder if he's genuinely carrying

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an injury because he was nowhere near as sharp as he was in the first

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game either. Yeah, and Andy came off at halftime as well, which you know,

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probably adds a little bit of fuel to that fire. Even though Jackson Irvine has

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come out with his famous quote saying that he's not a doctor mate to our

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good friend Vince Rigari. However. Yeah,

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I mean there's a, there's a genuine concern there perhaps. And you know,

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even leading into the first game there was all the sort of talk around Motore.

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However, we digress and I mean for all us's

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dominance, the goals that they actually got, if you break them down

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at an individual level, I thought they were a little bit scrappy. I mean I'm

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being a little bit harsh there because you know, full credit to the us.

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They were very dominant in that first half and they would have got goals other

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ways if they didn't get the two goals. And the other point that I wanted

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to make was around Patrick Beach. We praised him in the first game for his

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saves. He did well. And this is probably being overly critical here,

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so you know, I'll put my hand up.

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But Lydia Williams made a point at halftime around the

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second goal in particular where he sort of,

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sort of went for the ball, made the save, but it opened up

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for the US and they, they poked at home. So Adam, I don't know if

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you share my thoughts if, if I'm potentially being a bit harsh, but do you

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think, you know, it's obviously a hypothetical but someone with Matt Ryan's

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experience in that situation, could he have done a little bit better and maybe it's

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only one nil. Yeah, look, it's, it's a difficult one because

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I did hear, I do hear the comments that Lydia Williams did

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make in the halftime show, she's not wrong. She's someone that,

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you know, is, you know, that has. I know the women's game is

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a little bit different, but still you, you respect the opinion of a world class

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goalkeeper. Look, I would look at it as a critique more

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than anything else that I think that the young label learned from that. And when

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he looks back, yes, he probably could have done better,

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maybe advanced out even more in the second goal.

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There certainly was confusion as well whether Balagun

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was offside, was he interfering in offside position?

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We all thought for a moment there that Alex Freeman was also offside,

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but it got proven otherwise that, that he wasn't. So there is a.

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There is a bit of that on the first goal. Again, you know,

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just. Does he. Does he advance out outward to the near post and try and

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close that off or, you know, or was

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that unpreventable that the ball that came, that came through was

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unstoppable? And in the end it was. Karen Burgess, the unlucky one who's getting touched

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with Baligan was gonna probably tap home there. So look,

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again, you're not wrong in sort of saying that yes, he could have done better.

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And I think, I think, as I said, I think it'd be more of a

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critique that he could probably look to. But I certainly wouldn't say, unfortunately,

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were blame for that at the end of the day. It broke down a long

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time before and I hope I'm not stealing Scott's done because we spoke about

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this yesterday. But what is lost in the second goal is not actually the incident

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with the header and all that, but it was actually the lead up to the

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player. The set piece routine. They had that sort of

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started that and the fact that the soccer group did not were to learn to.

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That is probably what contributed in the first place.

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Yeah, that's. That's so true. And I think I'll let Scott jump in

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there because this is his point really, isn't it? Well, it is actually.

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I shouldn't have mentioned to Adam yesterday because he is good at stealing a lot

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of the points. It was a good. It was a really well worked set piece

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routine actually from the United States wasn't in the way that they were able to

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create something different from a set piece as opposed to just the. The cross in.

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That was a different way of doing things that did catch out the Australians.

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I don't think they saw that coming as well. And Freeman was certainly was in

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the right place to finish that off. And you can make your own mind up

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at home if Baligan was impeding Patrick beach or not. I think it's a

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bit like the South Korea goal the day before where Kim also came

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out looking for the ball and wasn't strong enough to be able to. To clear

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it to your point, Alex. And then they had a. A tap in there for

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Mexico. So I think it was maybe a case we could have been a little

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bit stronger. But Patrick beach has had two really good games for Australia. I don't

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think we should be too critical of him. And I'm not critical of Burgess either

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for the own goal. I know he's got a record of having them in the

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championship, but these things can happen. Yeah. And I mean,

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if anything, just picking up on Cameron Burgess before I go back to

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Patrick Page, you know, and maybe it's my very

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limited knowledge as a junior defender, but it shows that Cameron

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Burgess is at least picking up the right positions, obviously the body,

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technique and things like that. You could, if you're being overly critical like I was

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with Patrick beach, maybe you can say something there. But I mean, Cameron Bird just

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could not do anything there with that own goal. Let's be honest,

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as, as you said, Adam Baligan was right there next to him ready

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to tap in. So I don't think that, yeah, we can be overly critical of

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Cameron Burgess with that one. As for Patrick beach, yeah, I think you nailed it

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there, Adam. It's a critique more than a criticism of Patrick Pa Wonderful

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young goalkeeper. And you do have to have these tough experiences

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like this to learn and, and this is only going to make him better.

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I mean, this, this is a guy that I listened to Thomas Sorenson

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talk on a podcast earlier last week saying that he'd

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recommended him to a few Danish sides. So I mean, this is clearly a guy

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that. That's going places and I, I think after this World cup there'll be

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a number of European clubs knocking on the door of Melbourne City to ask

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for him to join them. But before we leave,

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I guess this game, we should probably talk about the second half and the much

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better football that we played,

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particularly the substitutions,

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which again, I think the toure being replaced by Aaron

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Kunda is a bit puzzling. But Motore, probably to.

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To your point, Scott maybe is carrying a bit of a knock and.

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And couldn't get through the 90. We. We also have to remember that this

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is being played at midday in Seattle, so the temperature would have

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been quite high, I'd imagine. And actually the hydration breaks were

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sensible. For this game compared to others.

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So you know, do you think. And when Metcalfe

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came on for Voluplay, you could see the connection there, couldn't you Adam? And,

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and a much more, a much more connected performance perhaps

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from, from front to back. I, I think so. I think immediately when

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you had the speed of Iran Kunda and sort of, I guess the linkage and,

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and whatnot from Connor Metcalf, you could tell immediately that

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they were starting to put pressure back on the us. The, that the, the back

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three, back five, back four, whatever you want. However you want to sort of describe

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what the US are playing. I think it was probably a back four.

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They were all of a sudden under pressure and you can tell Matt Free,

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even though they starting to back past the Matt Freeze, he was starting to rush

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his, his passes and that's where things happen. And the soccerouge was

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starting to get turnovers in, in the US's half.

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That, that is, that was just basically simply having a player that was

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committed and willing to actually go down and chase down balls, which will

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not happen. First half, I do think a lot of tactics were in the first

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half, which I think also is very annoying in a way was just to

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try and settle, just keep them in their place and then second half to push

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forward. I just don't think you can do that at this level. I not against

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world class teams that are obviously themselves going out there. And the

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US as well, they've shown you out in two games that Pochettino's

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way is you go out hard, go put the game out of reach and then

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manage it inside the last 30. And look, you could argue if you're a one

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eyed American say oh, but they have the game under control.

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They were probably throttling down a little bit, but at

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least the soccer has made a game for it. And if they hadn't gotten a

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goal then you could really say wow, you know, you know it was, it was

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a, it was a chance. But look, I, I think that the second half,

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I think in isolation for the soccers was a lot better. You saw a lot

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more. And I think what comes down to is Conor McCarth has

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to start. I think Iran Kunda or someone of,

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of speed as well. So like I said, Scott mentioned our mobile as

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well. He may need to, he also needs to probably start just, just to keep

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that pressure on because again, I don't think this is too many

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times now in the Popovich regime that the team has started

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so slowly to a point where they're in neutral and they're

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trying to win games in 45 minutes rather than 90. And it's just again,

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you can get away with that against the minnows of Asia. And there's no,

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and no one will question the fact that Tory Poppich knows Asian football and

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that's why he had the relative success. But against better nations or

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higher ranked nations, you just can't do that. I mean, even against some

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of those Mino nations that park the bus for to,

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to use the, the parlance of modern football,

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you can't do it. And, and I

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can't believe I'm going to do this, but Wayne Rooney actually made a point.

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I can't believe I'm doing this. I really can't, I can't stand. Wayne Rooney was

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a smart man. Yeah, I didn't think so. But he,

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he said you got to play your best players from the start. And he's right.

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And, and that's, and, and that sort of leads me to my next point

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because Christian Volpado comes on and oh my Lord,

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we have a player, don't we lads? I mean this, this guy. I don't,

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you know, obviously we didn't score so, you know, we have to

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take that. But the quality on the ball, the set piece, quality of

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the delivery. Speaking of another guy that's got

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to start, I think you got to find a way to start him, don't you,

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Scott? We'll come on to start against Paraguay in a moment. To Adam's point,

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I said that Mobile might have been a better option to start against newest than

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Lecky. I don't want to start him against Paraguay. I think the second half.

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There's two things can be true here, Alex. The first is, yes, the US did

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really throttle down. Their intensity dropped off significantly and they did just manage the

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game out. But if that offends the Australian team, go out there

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and score a goal and make them, make them pick it up again. We weren't

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quite able to do that and we did look better in the second half.

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And the three changes made at halftime help with that, as did the introduction of

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Volpatto. And we were all really excited to see what he could do in a

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green and gold shirt after so long waiting to see what he was going to

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do. And his first impact off the bench in the World cup. He did look

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very, very handy. And you've got to remember he's only been in camp with these

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players two weeks. He's still building those combinations and understanding

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the way that Tony Poppins wants the team to play the movement of players

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in the front third and how he fits into that. So to go out there

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in the first half, in the, in his first appearance and just be able

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to make things happen in terms of, be able to at least create half openings

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and opportunities in the front which unfortunately we didn't take, that was really encouraging.

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I also like his fearlessness on the ball as well. When he got the ball,

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he showed no hesitation in what he wanted to do. He wanted to, to take

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players on and get the ball into the box. And I like the fact he

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had that instinct of, no, I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm just

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going to go and do it and then the US can deal with it.

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I thought he made a real impact off the bench. That was encouraging. It is

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worth keeping in mind those positives in the second half. They were there and we

379
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did play a lot better. We looked, we looked a lot more in the game

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than we did in the first half. But in truth, the game was over in

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the first half. So you do have to remember both those things are true.

382
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,640
Yeah, that's, that's a very good point. Series of points here,

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Scott. You know, we've got to build on the, the second half, so to speak,

384
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and, and use the lessons from the first half.

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As also you mentioned Adam around the, the slow starts

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under Tony Popovich. He really needs to rectify that. We saw that even in the

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friendlies, you know, before the tournament. So it's a, it's a trait of the Tony

388
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Popovich socceroos unfortunately that he really needs

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to find how to solve in the next. What we got five days before the

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game against Paraguay, before we preview Australia.

391
00:24:44,780 --> 00:24:47,700
Oh, sorry. Yeah, go. Sorry, Alex. I was just going to say that point as

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well about, about that is I think sometimes Tony Popovich, I think he's,

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I think he's guilty of trying to out think the opposing coach.

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Now thinking that and look, Wayne Rooney is right and

395
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agreeance is that, agree with him is that you've just got to start

396
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your best 11 and trust your best 11 and make the adjustments inside the

397
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game itself. Because the problem is, is that so change trying to, trying to

398
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,420
play as horses for courses in tournament football. It's, it's different in league football.

399
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,540
I, I get that. I'm, I'm a big proponent of that. But in

400
00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,940
tournament football you need to Trust your best 11 players can

401
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,420
be, can be adaptable to any situation and then you go from there. And I

402
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,770
think that's the problem that the bit of naivety from Tony Popovich. Now I think

403
00:25:31,270 --> 00:25:35,130
he might have learned the lesson at this World World cup, especially facing

404
00:25:35,630 --> 00:25:39,450
a coach like Mauricio Pochettino, is that you just cannot

405
00:25:39,950 --> 00:25:43,410
go on the side and play and sort of go make changes. That the

406
00:25:43,910 --> 00:25:48,090
classic example I think I'm almost thinking that Scott might bring this up is 2006

407
00:25:48,490 --> 00:25:52,730
that where goose hitting tried to get a little bit cute with.

408
00:25:52,810 --> 00:25:56,750
With his selections around the goalkeeper and that nearly backfired on

409
00:25:57,250 --> 00:26:00,430
us as well. So I just think at this level when you're playing top nations,

410
00:26:00,750 --> 00:26:03,870
you gotta play your best 11 and you adapt to

411
00:26:04,370 --> 00:26:09,190
the situation as it presents itself. You don't try and make wholesale changes to adapt

412
00:26:09,690 --> 00:26:12,830
unless the situation's under control. Almost all my pointing

413
00:26:13,330 --> 00:26:16,830
out I'm not quite what's going back to 2006 also 2005 bus hitting

414
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was also one to bring players off of the bench in terms of having.

415
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Having players up his sleeve. In that case, I wonder if Tony Popovich

416
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kind of looked at the way he was hitting did things having Harry KE on

417
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the bench against Uruguay in the second leg. Of course he was the player who

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made way for Kiel in that game. So. And then you think about the game

419
00:26:33,630 --> 00:26:36,810
against Japan where he bought Tim Cahill off of the bench

420
00:26:37,310 --> 00:26:40,529
as well. So he. I do wonder if in some ways Tony Pop,

421
00:26:41,029 --> 00:26:44,210
which is thinking back to that and taking the mindset of the finishing 11

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00:26:44,610 --> 00:26:47,770
is more important than the starting 11. But that's. That can be

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true. But you still got to get to the point where you can introduce those

424
00:26:52,230 --> 00:26:55,310
players where you're still in the game when you're 2 nil down, it's a very

425
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different situation. So I do do think he just might maybe slightly overthought that

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in the US game. Yeah, definitely. And it's something.

427
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Yeah. So let's see if he changes it for. For Paraguay.

428
00:27:07,790 --> 00:27:11,270
You could even. Just off the examples you. You both gave.

429
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You could even go back to 2010, the opening game against Germany

430
00:27:15,650 --> 00:27:19,230
with Pim the baselection of Richard Garcia up

431
00:27:19,730 --> 00:27:23,470
front. But yeah let's. Let's not before Scott and Adam and I all

432
00:27:23,970 --> 00:27:28,390
have to relive that nightmare along with you. Listening to this so

433
00:27:28,630 --> 00:27:31,950
quickly. Paraguay, Turkey. Did I review

434
00:27:32,450 --> 00:27:35,750
Cat Shack game? Because I mean that was a real scrap I thought

435
00:27:35,830 --> 00:27:39,150
from. From watching it what the

436
00:27:39,650 --> 00:27:42,310
second half of it. We were over at Heath park watching the MPL double header.

437
00:27:42,810 --> 00:27:46,160
I was watching the second half on. On the laptop screen it looked a lot

438
00:27:46,660 --> 00:27:50,120
like the Australia game versus here. They had all of the ball and had no

439
00:27:50,620 --> 00:27:53,440
idea what to do with it. They kept trying the same thing thinking it didn't

440
00:27:53,940 --> 00:27:57,600
work the first 999 times. Of course the thousands will be the time it

441
00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:01,640
comes off and it didn't. And look, Paraguay or scored almost the same way as

442
00:28:02,140 --> 00:28:05,480
Australia did. So I think there's lessons there that Turkey need to take

443
00:28:05,980 --> 00:28:08,920
away that they are just. You can't keep playing the same way I thought Paraguay

444
00:28:09,420 --> 00:28:14,360
did. Okay. The second half looked like prime South American time wasting extraordinaire

445
00:28:14,860 --> 00:28:17,560
tactics. So I'd watch that if I was Australia. I wouldn't want to be got

446
00:28:18,060 --> 00:28:20,760
1 nil down against this team because they're going to be hard to call black.

447
00:28:21,260 --> 00:28:23,840
But no Alma on I think that's going to be a quite a big,

448
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,040
big loss and I've. So I've completely forgot that

449
00:28:28,540 --> 00:28:31,920
rule was in effect until I saw the VAR thing happen. I did gone straight

450
00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:35,200
away so I forgot that rule was in effect but I didn't think it was

451
00:28:35,700 --> 00:28:38,910
going to catch anyone out. But there you go. Yeah, so. And that's

452
00:28:39,410 --> 00:28:42,430
why it's been brought in. Obviously there was that high profile incident in the last

453
00:28:42,590 --> 00:28:46,110
season of the Champions League. Gianni pressed Yani,

454
00:28:46,610 --> 00:28:50,390
I think for Benfica covering his mouth and saying something to Vinnie

455
00:28:50,890 --> 00:28:53,870
Jr. And hence why FIFA brought it in. And I'm not opposed to it.

456
00:28:54,370 --> 00:28:57,870
And yes, you'd think that the players would. Would have learned or would have known

457
00:28:58,370 --> 00:29:01,950
or been cognizant of that rule but obviously the heat of the moment

458
00:29:02,450 --> 00:29:05,580
gets to you and Miguel Moron becomes the first victim of that.

459
00:29:05,740 --> 00:29:08,580
Adam, did. Did you have any thoughts or do you want to just jump straight

460
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,620
into previewing Australia vers Paraguay I look,

461
00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:16,580
I think Scott covered it. I think at the end Dale wise games that

462
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,900
existed and especially when two teams had a lot in the

463
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,660
line and Takia go home.

464
00:29:24,300 --> 00:29:27,700
Paraguay live to fight another day as far as the group

465
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,030
goes. Yes. And to Scott's point,

466
00:29:31,110 --> 00:29:34,230
let's get into the Socceroos vs. Paraguay preview.

467
00:29:34,730 --> 00:29:38,190
But Miguel Almiron, that's going to be a massive loss for Paraguay. One of their

468
00:29:38,690 --> 00:29:42,950
most creative players, their most capped players, their biggest threat in

469
00:29:43,450 --> 00:29:46,870
attack potentially alongside Julian and Ciso and

470
00:29:47,370 --> 00:29:50,790
Diego Gomez, of course it's a big loss

471
00:29:51,290 --> 00:29:54,630
and Adam, do you think that will change the way that they.

472
00:29:55,090 --> 00:29:59,290
Well, we know how they're going to defend is going to be a solid compact

473
00:29:59,790 --> 00:30:02,970
performance, not too dissimilar to what we do. But the way they attack. Do you

474
00:30:03,470 --> 00:30:06,770
think Miguel Almiron being absent changes the way that they attack?

475
00:30:07,170 --> 00:30:10,410
Oh, Absolutely. Almiron's deadly, man. We know

476
00:30:10,910 --> 00:30:13,730
how, we know how threatening and Ciso is,

477
00:30:13,890 --> 00:30:17,530
how much he's relied on. You take. I think that's a simple game plan for

478
00:30:18,030 --> 00:30:21,250
the Socceroos. You take away the supply path and you put pressure on

479
00:30:21,570 --> 00:30:25,280
whoever the player that comes in to place Almaron.

480
00:30:25,780 --> 00:30:28,840
And I think that's the key to victory for the Socceroos. I think you can't.

481
00:30:29,340 --> 00:30:32,640
You cut the supply line off and then you go. You go for broke and

482
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,000
you. And. And basically it's there. You win the

483
00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:39,520
midfield, you're going to win the game. So I, I think it's simple, it's.

484
00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:43,400
It's sounds simplistic but Soccero still have to do it.

485
00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:47,200
I think they've got the cattle. I actually think perhaps thinking of maybe even going

486
00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,430
a third midfielder, a third sort of midfield.

487
00:30:50,930 --> 00:30:53,670
So even the possibility of, you know, Paul o', Connensler,

488
00:30:54,070 --> 00:30:57,670
Aiden o' Neill and Jackson Irvine somehow maybe

489
00:30:58,170 --> 00:31:00,790
discard one of the three center backs for it.

490
00:31:01,430 --> 00:31:04,790
Just, just a really box in that midfield of,

491
00:31:05,290 --> 00:31:09,110
of Paraguay, really make it work from. Maybe then go to the back five once

492
00:31:09,610 --> 00:31:13,190
the game is under control. But I think that's, I think that

493
00:31:13,430 --> 00:31:17,640
moment, I think might be at least for Paraguay might

494
00:31:18,140 --> 00:31:21,440
be a very, very costly one in that fracar. You say against a kia?

495
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,480
Yeah, definitely. And, and I think probably

496
00:31:25,980 --> 00:31:28,800
to add to that point and, and I'll get your thoughts on this, Scott.

497
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,320
The pressure now really comes down to Diego Gomez and Julian Enciso.

498
00:31:33,820 --> 00:31:37,640
So they're the, they're the two main creative outlets. They changed strikers in

499
00:31:38,140 --> 00:31:42,200
between. Antonio Sanabria started the first game. I can't recall who the striker

500
00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:46,570
came from, who the striker was that came in to replace him in yesterday's

501
00:31:47,070 --> 00:31:50,290
game, but there's, I guess there's, you know,

502
00:31:50,790 --> 00:31:53,610
not a nailed on starter up front and then you've got,

503
00:31:54,170 --> 00:31:58,170
you know, Enciso and Gomez in behind who are going to be the creative outlets.

504
00:31:58,490 --> 00:32:02,010
So do. Does Tony

505
00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:05,770
Popovich make those midfield changes that Adam talks about or. I mean

506
00:32:05,930 --> 00:32:09,130
I think Connor Metcalfe's got to start and I think that's. That's a point.

507
00:32:09,850 --> 00:32:13,010
Does it mean that he goes into sort of a number 10 role perhaps

508
00:32:13,510 --> 00:32:17,070
or a floating role behind two strikers in front of him and,

509
00:32:17,570 --> 00:32:21,350
and O' Neill and Angsler. Oak on Angsler are behind him

510
00:32:21,850 --> 00:32:25,390
perhaps. What are your thoughts, Scott? First it was, it was Isidro Peter,

511
00:32:25,890 --> 00:32:28,910
the guy who came on. Thank you very much for them. I do agree that

512
00:32:29,410 --> 00:32:32,150
Almiron's the player they could not afford to lose their link, man, he said a

513
00:32:32,650 --> 00:32:35,590
huge loss to them and they played for the. Played for the 1 nil after

514
00:32:36,090 --> 00:32:39,190
he went off. And I suspect they will be quietly happy with taking in a

515
00:32:39,690 --> 00:32:42,300
nil or draw if they could get it in this game. From the Australian perspective,

516
00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,420
I agree with what you're both saying about taking out a center back and pushing

517
00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,460
an extra body into the midfield. I just don't think he's going to do that.

518
00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:51,500
I think he's too far down the path now if he wants this.

519
00:32:51,660 --> 00:32:55,020
This structure and system, he's built it from day one. I think it's something he

520
00:32:55,100 --> 00:32:58,540
really does believe in that suits the way the Australian players we have at

521
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,540
the moment. So I think we are going to stick with the shape. The interesting

522
00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,340
thing will be does he stick with this E11 who started

523
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,240
the second half? Because that actually worked quite well with Gary in the back three

524
00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:12,520
in place of Burgess. That worked a lot better. Although I still like to see

525
00:33:13,020 --> 00:33:16,360
Lucas Harrington come in in place of Gary. But we can argue about that if

526
00:33:16,860 --> 00:33:19,720
you like. I wonder if he'll fresh up the midfield because those two guys have

527
00:33:20,220 --> 00:33:23,840
played twice 90 minutes and maybe they might need a different body in there.

528
00:33:24,340 --> 00:33:27,080
But the front third's the one everyone's talking about. I think it's going to be

529
00:33:27,580 --> 00:33:30,480
three up front and it's a bit like 2006 where you had to try and

530
00:33:30,980 --> 00:33:35,620
fit Bresciano, Cahill, Keel and Verduka into the same team and did

531
00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,860
it twice. He did it off the bench against Uruguay after half an hour in

532
00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,740
the second leg. He did it for 20 minutes off the bench against Croatia,

533
00:33:41,900 --> 00:33:45,620
both times chasing goals to get back into the game. So I don't think you

534
00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,900
can fit Volpato, Metcalfe, Turen, Kunde into the same 11. Not the

535
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,940
way he plays. There's no way you can fit those four in and it's.

536
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,260
So it's one of them has to sit out. And I find it really interesting.

537
00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,760
I think that it's a case of it's Erin, Kunda or Volpato because Metcalfe

538
00:34:02,260 --> 00:34:05,000
has to play. You saw his link up play when he came on in the

539
00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:08,400
US game. He makes such a huge difference and I feel like they really do

540
00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:12,280
need that link up player against a really strong South American side who

541
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:15,600
will be really good on the press. We can guarantee they will take a lot

542
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:18,760
of what the US did and try and enforce that themselves. I think they need

543
00:34:19,260 --> 00:34:23,040
Motore's ability as a pure number nine to Run in behind. So it's a

544
00:34:23,540 --> 00:34:26,929
case of do you go with the same three that worked against Turkey or do

545
00:34:27,429 --> 00:34:30,649
you bring Volpato in for potentially here in Kunda? That to me is the choice.

546
00:34:31,149 --> 00:34:33,929
I don't think you can fit all, all four of them in. So it's a

547
00:34:34,429 --> 00:34:37,729
lovely thought. See how you would do it and maybe a different system you could,

548
00:34:38,129 --> 00:34:41,169
but the way Tony Popovich has gone down the path the last three years,

549
00:34:41,669 --> 00:34:44,649
you can't fit all four of those guys in the three positions. So I'll be

550
00:34:45,149 --> 00:34:48,969
intrigued to see who does miss out. I guess the only alternative would

551
00:34:49,469 --> 00:34:52,940
be if you were to play Metcalf Depot as one of the to sort

552
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,900
of central midfield players in that system. But his left footedness

553
00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,820
means that, that means Oakland Engsler comes out and the way

554
00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:04,780
that he's played, I see it's very difficult. But to your point

555
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,020
Scott, maybe he wants to freshen up that midfield and you could see a partnership

556
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:12,500
of Metcalfe and Irvine like work that. It's very lighthorn

557
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,380
in terms of defensive strength. So you are opening yourself up so you

558
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,340
can do it. It'd be super attacking and I'd love to see it, but I

559
00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:21,580
just don't think it's going to happen. It doesn't. No. It doesn't feel like a

560
00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,500
Tony Popovich move, does it? No, no. It feels much more an Ange

561
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,660
postecoglou type of move rather than a Tony Popovich move.

562
00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:33,340
To. To be quite honest, I guess the.

563
00:35:34,380 --> 00:35:37,740
Maybe to your point, Scott, around the back three.

564
00:35:37,980 --> 00:35:42,220
Harrington coming in. Obviously I've got two of two

565
00:35:42,300 --> 00:35:45,900
very biased people here in terms of Lucas Harrington to

566
00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:49,970
start but let's make the case for Lucas Harrington. I'll start with

567
00:35:50,470 --> 00:35:53,370
you, Adam. What do you think? Do you think he just comes straight in for

568
00:35:53,870 --> 00:35:57,490
Cameron Burgess and. And why should he? Oh well, I think definitely

569
00:35:57,990 --> 00:36:01,450
Kevin Burgess. Not. Not again. Not because anything he's done wrong, I just think

570
00:36:01,610 --> 00:36:05,210
it's. It's a mobility issue that again

571
00:36:05,290 --> 00:36:08,330
you've got. You've got the one sheet anchor in Harry Sutar.

572
00:36:08,570 --> 00:36:12,170
Ducati is very. Is very mobile. You mobility on

573
00:36:12,670 --> 00:36:16,410
the other side. Look, I think Lucas Harrington, I think familiarity

574
00:36:16,910 --> 00:36:21,510
as far as a lot of these suppliers do that

575
00:36:21,750 --> 00:36:25,150
play in the MLS as well as sort

576
00:36:25,650 --> 00:36:29,070
of if Colorado gets where they want and he's still there, that's this

577
00:36:29,570 --> 00:36:33,430
conjecture about that but that potentially go down the road, you know, in a

578
00:36:34,310 --> 00:36:37,830
Champions League. Look it's. He probably.

579
00:36:38,330 --> 00:36:41,910
It's probably more hometown bench but I think to be honest,

580
00:36:42,410 --> 00:36:45,550
I don't think it's Lucas's time just yet. Seeing what's going on.

581
00:36:46,050 --> 00:36:49,700
I think that the hand that to Pop has shown is that if you're going

582
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,860
to make changes to that, that back three of Burgess,

583
00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:57,060
Sutar and Gutati, I think he prefers Jason Garia and

584
00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,460
I seem to lean towards that as well. I think that Gerria probably

585
00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:05,460
fits that profile better than Lucas Harrington. As much as I'd love to see him

586
00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:09,380
play, I think Adam misunderstood the assignment, Alex. It was

587
00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,380
to make the case for Lucas Harrington. I will make the case.

588
00:37:13,820 --> 00:37:16,940
I think Ali Chakate is better on the right hand side of the back three.

589
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,380
So I think that automatically means that you're looking for somebody on that left hand

590
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,500
side. And again, it's nothing against Cam Burgess. It's just that the United States

591
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,300
showed that you can drag him out of position and really capitalize

592
00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,900
upon that. And you have to imagine that Paraguay will try and do the exact

593
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,660
same thing. And Tony Poppins is a big believer in Lucas Harrington.

594
00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,890
Every single game he has played he has looked incredibly comfortable in

595
00:37:40,390 --> 00:37:43,730
that side. And you have to think he's been picked for a reason over someone

596
00:37:44,230 --> 00:37:47,010
like a Kyle Rolls. He's not just there because he's an 18 year old defender

597
00:37:47,510 --> 00:37:50,850
playing in the MLS. He's there because Tony Popovich believes he can do a job

598
00:37:51,350 --> 00:37:53,930
in this team more than what Ky Rawls can do. And you have to imagine

599
00:37:54,430 --> 00:37:57,530
it could be in this game as that left side center back. So I

600
00:37:58,030 --> 00:37:59,890
think if there's going to be a change, that would be the one I would

601
00:38:00,390 --> 00:38:03,770
go with. Okay, if you insist. I've got to make a case

602
00:38:04,270 --> 00:38:06,850
for. I also, I'm just following the host rules. You're just. No, no, no,

603
00:38:07,350 --> 00:38:10,940
no. Please don't fight, gentlemen. I will add an addendum

604
00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,420
to that and what I do believe in Lucas Harrington as well, what I also

605
00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,540
think he brings, I think he is a. He's a very, very good passer.

606
00:38:17,620 --> 00:38:21,340
I think that his passing range is a lot better than I believe

607
00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,380
in Harry Sutar. Definitely better than Cameron Burgess. No disrespect to either of

608
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:29,180
them. So again, if they're trying to play quicker ball out and trying to

609
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:33,340
hit, trying to hit Paraguay on the counter, especially if they've got him

610
00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,780
boxed in. I think Luke's Terrence is probably the better.

611
00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:40,740
It's a better range of passing to get that quick mobility and

612
00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:45,000
that then brings in the front three. So that's also

613
00:38:45,500 --> 00:38:48,760
probably if you have one advantage, how he compares to Jason Garrier in

614
00:38:49,260 --> 00:38:52,920
that regard, look, I still think that Harrington probably naturally has got a better

615
00:38:53,420 --> 00:38:57,120
pass on him. Yeah, I tend to agree. And I think the other point that

616
00:38:57,620 --> 00:39:01,000
I'd like to add here is the ability that Lucas Harrington has in stepping

617
00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:05,480
into midfield to potentially create that third midfielder when

618
00:39:05,980 --> 00:39:09,960
we have the ball. That could be a really crucial element

619
00:39:10,460 --> 00:39:13,590
to the game plan of Tony Popovic. You know,

620
00:39:14,070 --> 00:39:18,390
you know, Ducati and Sutar sort of slide across and Harrington

621
00:39:18,890 --> 00:39:22,390
steps into that midfield to create that third midfielder. It could be a great way

622
00:39:22,890 --> 00:39:26,550
for Australia to attack. And as you said, Adam box out

623
00:39:27,050 --> 00:39:30,310
that Paraguayan midfield. So that's probably the case

624
00:39:30,810 --> 00:39:33,270
for Lucas Harrington. In terms of other changes,

625
00:39:34,390 --> 00:39:37,350
would you go with, I mean, Cameron Devlin?

626
00:39:37,590 --> 00:39:41,230
We've not seen anywhere near enough of him, in my biased

627
00:39:41,730 --> 00:39:44,940
opinion, under Tony Popovich. Is he someone you throw straight into the

628
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,500
central center of midfield or are we going to go Jackson Irvine potentially

629
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,820
over Aidan o' Neill to pair up with Ocon Angsler?

630
00:39:53,460 --> 00:39:56,540
I don't think we're going to see Ken Devlin playing in this tournament. Unfortunately for

631
00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,660
you, Alex, I think if there's going to be a midfielder coming, it will be

632
00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:03,380
the experience of Jackson Irvine. I actually don't think there'll be too many changes until

633
00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,260
the team. There'll be one at the back in terms of starting lineup. It would

634
00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:10,000
be probably for me to be Harrington in for Burgess and then in

635
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,360
the front third, there will actually be three changes because I take out both Lecky

636
00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:17,960
and Voluple and then I bring in Metcalf and. And Aaron Kundas.

637
00:40:18,460 --> 00:40:21,320
That'd be the three changes I'll make to the team they started against the US

638
00:40:21,820 --> 00:40:24,600
I'd like to change the two in the middle of midfield, but they played so

639
00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:28,360
well in there and clearly they trust Paul o' Conning quite a lot

640
00:40:28,860 --> 00:40:31,320
to do, do that job and he's doing pretty well in the first two games.

641
00:40:31,820 --> 00:40:34,080
I don't know there's anybody else who could come in and do that job.

642
00:40:34,580 --> 00:40:37,570
I think Jackson Irving's a different sort of player who just gets forward and gets

643
00:40:38,070 --> 00:40:41,210
in the penalty area. So I think I'd be bringing in Harrington at the back

644
00:40:41,710 --> 00:40:44,450
for Birds. Just. I'll be changing the two wingers. That's the changes I'd make.

645
00:40:45,170 --> 00:40:48,690
What about for you, Adam? Would. Would you do anything differently to Scott?

646
00:40:49,890 --> 00:40:52,610
No, you know, I. I tend to agree with him and say I think they're

647
00:40:53,110 --> 00:40:56,410
the three changes that need to be made. The only. The only sort of sidebar

648
00:40:56,910 --> 00:40:59,730
I'd say is that if there's any game that you want to see a different

649
00:41:00,230 --> 00:41:04,510
player say like a Cam Devlin or something like that. Given the

650
00:41:05,010 --> 00:41:07,990
relative stakes in this game. While they are high, they're not,

651
00:41:08,150 --> 00:41:11,750
they're not, you know the end of the road as long

652
00:41:12,250 --> 00:41:15,870
as you don't get absolutely smashed. So that might be

653
00:41:16,370 --> 00:41:20,190
it. But again it just make a total contradiction

654
00:41:20,690 --> 00:41:23,870
what we're saying before about playing his best 11 every game and at

655
00:41:24,370 --> 00:41:27,710
the moment I think that those players are probably the best 11 that strike have

656
00:41:28,210 --> 00:41:32,040
got. Two other quick things. Alex. We haven't mentioned Adrian Fustic

657
00:41:32,540 --> 00:41:34,640
yet and you have to think he's been taken for a particular purpose as well.

658
00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:37,880
So who knows if, if this game is in mind for that delapoint.

659
00:41:38,380 --> 00:41:40,920
Adamax is a really good one about the stakes of this game. Yes, it's important.

660
00:41:41,420 --> 00:41:44,720
It's the final group stage game in the US have wrapped up top spot in

661
00:41:45,220 --> 00:41:48,720
group D convertation to them and all the rest of it. But there is a,

662
00:41:49,220 --> 00:41:51,440
there is a bit on the line here but there's a pretty good chance both

663
00:41:51,940 --> 00:41:55,160
of these two sides, unless there's a heavy defeat for either of them, we'll get

664
00:41:55,660 --> 00:41:58,710
through as at worst one of the best third place sides. So well,

665
00:41:59,210 --> 00:42:01,910
it is all to play for in terms of that second spot in group D.

666
00:42:02,070 --> 00:42:04,990
I think there is a good chance both will get through anyway. So while it

667
00:42:05,490 --> 00:42:09,190
is a notionally high stakes game, there is that fallback for both

668
00:42:09,690 --> 00:42:12,750
and I do wonder how both sides will look at this game going, going ahead

669
00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:16,550
with that in mind. Yeah, that's a good point that you raised,

670
00:42:17,050 --> 00:42:20,390
Scott. And if we look at both sides,

671
00:42:20,470 --> 00:42:23,990
Socceroos and Paraguay, we've, we've watched two games

672
00:42:24,150 --> 00:42:27,390
each from them both. It's fair to say that the coaches

673
00:42:27,890 --> 00:42:31,830
are on the conservative side with the way that they play. Everything in

674
00:42:32,330 --> 00:42:35,910
me says it's going to be an ill or draw. Everything. I don't know if

675
00:42:36,410 --> 00:42:39,590
you disagree with that gentleman. I hate making predictions and I take it right now

676
00:42:40,090 --> 00:42:43,190
though, wouldn't you? Yeah, oh 100% because we, we would get ahead

677
00:42:43,510 --> 00:42:47,350
as a second place team if my understanding is correct.

678
00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:52,400
So I mean. Yeah, and Paraguay wouldn't be disappointed

679
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:55,920
with getting through. I mean they, they did a similar sort of thing

680
00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,320
in the 2010 World cup from memory and backed it

681
00:43:00,820 --> 00:43:03,840
up again in the 2011 Copper America where they were just

682
00:43:04,340 --> 00:43:07,560
a defensively solid side that ground teams down and wore

683
00:43:08,060 --> 00:43:11,560
them down, took them to penalties or nick the late goal to progress

684
00:43:12,060 --> 00:43:16,260
with with one nil victories. So that's really, I don't Think this team's

685
00:43:16,340 --> 00:43:19,700
very much different from that previous

686
00:43:19,780 --> 00:43:23,420
Paraguay generation that we saw. Especially with the force change

687
00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:26,900
now. No, no, I'm around as well. I think that may, they may go back

688
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,580
into history and do that. You look, you're right. I do think Paraguay

689
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:34,820
will try and at some point try and win the game. But I think there'll

690
00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:37,820
be. They'll come a point to say you know what preservation might be the best

691
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:40,860
as. As we're starting to see with a lot of these other groups. It looks

692
00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:45,250
like that four points will be more than enough to fish those top eight

693
00:43:45,750 --> 00:43:48,850
third place guys. This gives some points potentially that two points

694
00:43:49,330 --> 00:43:52,490
might add a good and a good enough goal difference might get.

695
00:43:52,990 --> 00:43:57,010
Get you there. So I think certainly yeah, going out or like

696
00:43:57,510 --> 00:44:00,370
must win. I don't think is entered into this,

697
00:44:01,010 --> 00:44:04,730
this conversation as far as this, this game. Yeah,

698
00:44:05,230 --> 00:44:08,290
fair enough. Yeah. I, I don't think they're just going to be. Yeah.

699
00:44:08,530 --> 00:44:12,610
It's hard to see it being a. A score draw of

700
00:44:12,770 --> 00:44:16,250
more than you know, two goals really. It's,

701
00:44:16,750 --> 00:44:19,690
it's everything. I think that's generous. I think one all is probably the most likely

702
00:44:20,190 --> 00:44:23,090
score to be honest with you. Yeah, it's, it's. It's going to be a nil

703
00:44:23,590 --> 00:44:26,490
or a one all. It's hard to see it playing out any other way than

704
00:44:26,990 --> 00:44:29,570
that. The under, the under two and a half goals might be the special of

705
00:44:30,070 --> 00:44:33,330
the World cup on this game. Yeah. Can we get James's thoughts from.

706
00:44:33,490 --> 00:44:35,490
From Ned's or on that one,

707
00:44:36,370 --> 00:44:40,680
whatever you do. Yes, that's right. Yeah. Think what you can do with

708
00:44:41,180 --> 00:44:44,560
your money. Other than that, I think that's the, the plug. Right. Anyway,

709
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:51,200
whilst we're still talking World cup what do you

710
00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:55,560
the general thoughts been so far in this tournament? Adam, have you have anything

711
00:44:56,060 --> 00:44:59,760
sort of stuck out to you other than these God awful hydration

712
00:45:00,260 --> 00:45:03,600
breaks, any teams you want to big up or any general

713
00:45:04,100 --> 00:45:07,970
thoughts. Look for all the discourse and all the chatter and

714
00:45:08,470 --> 00:45:10,930
everything like that and the predictions of doom, this has been a very good World

715
00:45:11,430 --> 00:45:12,770
cup which in a way,

716
00:45:14,450 --> 00:45:17,210
in a way there's a part of me that says oh I wish it wasn't

717
00:45:17,710 --> 00:45:21,130
because it means that 48 teams was a good idea. But then again

718
00:45:21,630 --> 00:45:25,650
you see scenes like this morning with Kurikao the Caba Verde raw

719
00:45:26,150 --> 00:45:29,930
against the. The might of Spain and the emotion that you see on

720
00:45:30,430 --> 00:45:34,770
the even our good mates Qatar and their, their last bit ditches Switzerland

721
00:45:35,090 --> 00:45:38,650
draw and you see the emotion. This is, this is what the World cup

722
00:45:39,150 --> 00:45:41,930
is all about the, we have to say with the Australia cup that did the

723
00:45:42,430 --> 00:45:45,930
magic of the couple, the magic of the World cup is that it's a tournament

724
00:45:46,430 --> 00:45:50,010
that you see emotion from all parts from the players

725
00:45:50,510 --> 00:45:53,370
to the coaches to the fans and all that. And you see this in America

726
00:45:53,870 --> 00:45:57,130
and it's a shame in a way that there's been this is backdrop of it

727
00:45:57,630 --> 00:46:01,160
being in Trump's America. Less of the better about that part of things.

728
00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,120
But I think on the pitch I think it's been a fantastic tournament. And look,

729
00:46:05,620 --> 00:46:08,480
to be honest, I thought the hydration breaks actually would have a marked effect.

730
00:46:08,980 --> 00:46:12,440
But I think after, after what are we down? I think 20 something games in,

731
00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:16,920
I'm not really seeing much, much change on that.

732
00:46:17,420 --> 00:46:21,200
So look all as well made this tournament long continue and have

733
00:46:21,700 --> 00:46:25,440
some great moments. They are junk, Alex. The hydration breaks. They are

734
00:46:25,940 --> 00:46:27,720
having an impact though. If you look at the way teams are coming out of

735
00:46:28,220 --> 00:46:31,670
them, the momentum shift is quite strong. In a number of games, including the Australia

736
00:46:32,170 --> 00:46:34,870
game, we've been able to, to maximize those to our effect. I think the way

737
00:46:35,370 --> 00:46:38,070
teams are handling them, the teams that are doing it the best are actually the

738
00:46:38,570 --> 00:46:40,870
ones who are benefiting from them at the moment. I do agree with that and

739
00:46:41,370 --> 00:46:44,430
the tournament itself has been really fun. The everyone now, including Kurosaw,

740
00:46:44,930 --> 00:46:48,110
has had their moment in this tournament. All the, all the newcomers have actually held

741
00:46:48,610 --> 00:46:51,350
their own for the most part. I know it was a bit very fortunate that

742
00:46:51,430 --> 00:46:54,950
Curacao got the draw today against Ecuador. Very fortunate Cabo

743
00:46:55,450 --> 00:46:58,740
Verde against Spain. But they were able to, to get a result which those countries

744
00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:02,820
will talk about for decades to come long after we've all forgotten anything about

745
00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:06,740
this World Cup. So I think they have been quite good. It's a very

746
00:47:07,240 --> 00:47:11,020
wide open tournament as well. I'm not sure anyone's necessarily really flagged

747
00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,900
themselves as a clear cup favorite to this point. There's a few traditional

748
00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:19,220
teams who are traditionally in the contender range who aren't necessarily playing

749
00:47:19,460 --> 00:47:23,080
at their absolute best. There's a few teams who are in that secondary bracket like

750
00:47:23,580 --> 00:47:27,360
a Japan or Colombia or Mexico who are going quite well at the moment.

751
00:47:27,860 --> 00:47:31,000
So it's very open as well. It could very much be anybody's tournament.

752
00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:35,080
Yeah, I tend to agree with you there, Scott. And the other surprise

753
00:47:35,580 --> 00:47:38,679
upset that I just want to throw in there is the Congolese against Portugal.

754
00:47:39,179 --> 00:47:42,040
Wow. Won all that. That's a big one. That was really good. Great to see

755
00:47:42,540 --> 00:47:46,000
for, for the demo. Democratic Republic of Congo or Dr.

756
00:47:46,500 --> 00:47:50,440
Congo as it's been called. Cup Fever by Ed Cavalier

757
00:47:50,940 --> 00:47:54,510
and Santo Chillaro. But yeah, look, it is wide open.

758
00:47:54,590 --> 00:47:58,470
I guess the, the one team that looks a little

759
00:47:58,970 --> 00:48:02,030
bit scary and that. But we all know that there's an implosion.

760
00:48:02,530 --> 00:48:06,030
Probably not far around the corner is France. That, that 31 winner over Senegal

761
00:48:06,530 --> 00:48:09,830
was pretty impressive. And Buffet looks like he's got some pent

762
00:48:10,330 --> 00:48:14,230
up anger to take out after a difficult season in for Real Madrid where he

763
00:48:14,730 --> 00:48:17,510
scored, you know, 40 goals in 40 games or something like that. You know,

764
00:48:18,010 --> 00:48:21,150
difficult season for him, whatever. So you know that,

765
00:48:21,650 --> 00:48:25,810
that's a scary thought but you know, Spain's draw, Portugal's draw against

766
00:48:25,890 --> 00:48:29,490
teams that they were expected to beat. Wow. I mean,

767
00:48:29,990 --> 00:48:33,650
does that, does that reign them in or does that propel them on? I don't

768
00:48:34,150 --> 00:48:37,250
know. It's open. Germany, I didn't,

769
00:48:37,750 --> 00:48:41,970
I don't have high expectations for them and nothing that I've seen suggests

770
00:48:42,470 --> 00:48:46,370
otherwise. I thought Cote d', Ivoire, Ivory coast could have, could have

771
00:48:46,870 --> 00:48:50,050
beaten them and probably should have. They look traditional German, don't they,

772
00:48:50,550 --> 00:48:53,090
in terms of the way they're playing. They've got, you can tell they've got quality,

773
00:48:53,590 --> 00:48:57,360
but they're not necessarily that absolute high end of opponent.

774
00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,520
Yeah, there's a player, he looks a real

775
00:49:02,020 --> 00:49:05,800
good player. Yeah, he does. But you know, I've heard whispers

776
00:49:06,300 --> 00:49:09,800
that him and Julian Nagelsmann don't get on. So I

777
00:49:10,300 --> 00:49:14,400
mean, you know, your best striker, I mean, obviously Kai Hovertz

778
00:49:14,900 --> 00:49:17,360
is a great player but you know, you play him as a false nine or

779
00:49:17,860 --> 00:49:20,750
whatever. But if you've got a finisher like that in your team and you've got

780
00:49:21,300 --> 00:49:24,580
the creative outlets that Germany have, surely you

781
00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:28,820
starting. But again, that just goes back into our debate about the Socceroos and their

782
00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,860
best 11. So I guess just before you wrap up,

783
00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:35,740
like speaking about the debate around the national team, I'm looking forward to this week

784
00:49:36,240 --> 00:49:39,540
being actually about the football again because the last week's been about one particular

785
00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:43,700
pundit and his arrogant, condescending remarks around the Australian team. And I'm very much looking

786
00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:47,380
forward to the discourse in this country getting back to being about us as opposed

787
00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:51,470
to what one particular American thinks. I think that'd be shift.

788
00:49:51,790 --> 00:49:54,830
I just want to add to that point and not, not by, want to regurgitate

789
00:49:55,330 --> 00:49:58,790
any of what he said because look, look, give, give the man his credit in

790
00:49:59,290 --> 00:50:02,670
a way that in his arrogant, brash way he did call it to happen.

791
00:50:02,990 --> 00:50:06,390
That, that's great. But I just hope now that with his new

792
00:50:06,890 --> 00:50:10,350
ill gotten fame that he actually then starts also speaking

793
00:50:10,850 --> 00:50:13,940
a bit positivity for the game. Yeah. Look, if he's going to be parochial about

794
00:50:14,090 --> 00:50:17,370
the US as well, having them win the group, they've got a very,

795
00:50:17,870 --> 00:50:20,730
very nice run that could take them all away to at least the last eight.

796
00:50:21,130 --> 00:50:24,650
I just hope that he uses this new platform to actually speak. Good.

797
00:50:25,150 --> 00:50:28,050
Because at the end of the day, the. The whole legacy for the United States

798
00:50:28,550 --> 00:50:32,170
is to get more people at. At the, at the, in that sport,

799
00:50:32,670 --> 00:50:35,530
in that country to play the game, because we know it's not the primary game.

800
00:50:36,170 --> 00:50:39,570
So the fact that he. He used Australia to basically

801
00:50:40,070 --> 00:50:42,800
become, you know, this, this mega sir pundit, and he got it right.

802
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:46,320
Pray to him. I just hope now that he uses that

803
00:50:46,820 --> 00:50:50,240
to spread a bit of positivity, even if it's that American parochial way,

804
00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:53,280
to then, you know, start rallying against some traditional sports,

805
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:57,320
professional sports like the NFL and all that, to ensure that football has a

806
00:50:57,820 --> 00:51:01,200
place of. Soccer has a place in the US beyond the World

807
00:51:01,700 --> 00:51:04,960
cup and that. That the US national team does go on

808
00:51:05,460 --> 00:51:09,200
to be a top 10 nation and whatnot, rather than him just, you know,

809
00:51:09,700 --> 00:51:13,370
trying to get some cheap clicks and being a clickbait artist, and they're

810
00:51:13,870 --> 00:51:17,730
disappearing for the next four years. I'm not sure positivities in his repertoire

811
00:51:18,230 --> 00:51:20,810
given what we've seen of him in the last seven months, but I'm just glad

812
00:51:20,890 --> 00:51:23,650
from our perspective, Alex, we don't have to hear about it because the game is

813
00:51:24,150 --> 00:51:26,769
in the past. And I have to say, the circus of the last week has

814
00:51:27,269 --> 00:51:29,890
actually made me more and more think leading into the game. I can't wait for

815
00:51:30,390 --> 00:51:32,610
the game to be over. And now that it is over, we can forget about

816
00:51:33,110 --> 00:51:36,210
him and not worry about him anymore. That's so true and well said,

817
00:51:36,710 --> 00:51:40,050
Adam. I really, I really agree with what you said there.

818
00:51:40,210 --> 00:51:43,890
I think you absolutely nailed it because ultimately, USA face

819
00:51:44,390 --> 00:51:48,370
a similar position to us here in Australia with their football or

820
00:51:48,870 --> 00:51:52,090
soccer, as they call it, or some people here do as well. And to

821
00:51:52,590 --> 00:51:56,130
your point, Scott. Yeah, done and dusted. I don't want to see that bloke ever

822
00:51:56,630 --> 00:52:00,130
again. Please just stay over there in your country and

823
00:52:00,630 --> 00:52:04,130
enjoy someone else. Yeah, exactly. Go and trash talk someone

824
00:52:04,630 --> 00:52:07,810
else and we're fine. The circus is over. We can talk for New Zealand if

825
00:52:08,310 --> 00:52:10,410
he. If they happen to play them in the knock. Oh, dear Lord.

826
00:52:11,770 --> 00:52:14,170
Yeah, yeah, they're in the path, so.

827
00:52:14,890 --> 00:52:18,490
Oh, God. Okay. Yeah, good luck. Yeah. Look,

828
00:52:19,130 --> 00:52:23,010
football. Football is back on the agenda. We've got a South American team that

829
00:52:23,510 --> 00:52:26,410
we play. We know that we've got a poor record against South American teams,

830
00:52:26,910 --> 00:52:30,890
but it's a World Cup. Anything can happen and both

831
00:52:31,390 --> 00:52:33,530
teams really don't need to push for a result.

832
00:52:34,630 --> 00:52:37,910
It's just who wants to finish second and how highly they value that.

833
00:52:38,550 --> 00:52:41,990
And I think that's where we will leave it for this week. So thank

834
00:52:42,490 --> 00:52:45,910
you very much, gentlemen. Before we go though, I will get you to do

835
00:52:46,410 --> 00:52:49,869
another plug for the Brisbane football Review. Please, Adam, you can

836
00:52:50,369 --> 00:52:54,230
find us on our Facebook, the Raw Review or Football View

837
00:52:54,550 --> 00:52:58,470
on Twix at bne football threads and Instagram

838
00:52:58,970 --> 00:53:03,100
prison for four of you. Drop us an email brazil4ofyoumail.com

839
00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:07,620
and find this show and many other of ours on podcast

840
00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:11,020
platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brilliant.

841
00:53:11,520 --> 00:53:14,700
Thank you very much, Adam. Thank you very much, Scott, for your time this

842
00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:19,180
afternoon. As we record this and the dust has settled, we move on to Paraguay

843
00:53:19,340 --> 00:53:22,820
and hopefully we bring you some positive news

844
00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:26,940
in the next episode which we will bring out after that last

845
00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:30,700
group game against Paraguay. Hopefully we progress to the knockout stages.

846
00:53:31,390 --> 00:53:34,950
Thank you very much for listening to the Aussie football passport, joined here

847
00:53:35,450 --> 00:53:38,550
by Adam and Scott. Really appreciate it and we'll talk to you next week.

848
00:53:39,050 --> 00:53:39,470
Goodbye for now.