Crunch time has arrived early for the Socceroos – and about six months earlier than anyone expected. Last month’s 1-0 defeat to Bahrain and 0-0 draw away to Indonesia left Australia’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign in tatters, triggering the resignation of long-time coach Graham Arnold and the installation of Tony Popovic as his successor.
There’s no time for Popovic to feel his way into his new gig, nor margin for error. On Thursday night, the Socceroos face China at Adelaide Oval, and anything short of a win will all but kill off the team’s World Cup hopes and plunge the Australian game even deeper into crisis mode.
Tony Popovic has taken the reins of the Socceroos.Credit: Steven Siewert
We should be beating China, right?
Absolutely. They are the only team below the fifth-placed Socceroos in Group C, and their recent record is absolutely shocking. They have recorded just one win in their past 11 games, a 4-1 triumph over the might of world No.161-ranked Singapore. Otherwise, they have been held to draws by Tajikistan and Lebanon, two teams Australia has knocked off with relative ease in recent times, while in the September window, they were crushed 7-0 by Japan (their second-worst loss of all time) and then 2-1 at home to Saudi Arabia.
To make matters worse, they flew to Adelaide without their star attacker and Chinese Super League top-scorer Wu Lei due to injury. Expectations are as low as they can get.
Part of the reason why Gianni Infantino and FIFA decided to expand the next World Cup to 48 teams – and give Asian nations a staggering 8.5 berths, up from 4.5 – is to give teams like China a better chance of making it to give their broadcast numbers an even bigger boost. But Chinese FA officials are, according to reports, conceding in private that they will fall short. They can see it, we can see it.
Wu Lei, China’s best attacker, is out of Thursday night’s match.Credit: AP
Then again, the Socceroos should have beaten Bahrain and Indonesia rather comfortably, too, so nothing here can be taken for granted.
How will Tony Popovic’s tactics differ from Graham Arnold’s?
Australia’s recurring issue under Arnold was an inability to break down teams who sit back in a low block (or a ‘parked bus’), which is exactly what China will do on Thursday night. Too often, the Socceroos have depended on crosses, long balls and set pieces as an avenue to goal, with very little central play through midfield and an absence of creativity in the final third. The debate was about whether this was down to a lack of quality personnel or Arnold’s tactics – but the debate is over because Arnold is gone, and it’s up to Popovic to find solutions.
In his unveiling press conference, Popovic spoke of how the Socceroos needed to be more “dynamic” in attack and move the ball quicker. He also dismissed suggestions that Australia lacked the requisite playing talent to be playing any better than what they have been. The pressure’s on, now, so we will see.
Sam Silvera and Riley McGree at training on Monday.Credit: Getty Images
How will the midfield look?
The return of Ajdin Hrustic and Riley McGree will give Popovic some different options in the middle of the park, although he’d have another compelling one if it wasn’t for the injury which forced Massimo Luongo out of this squad. Hrustic and McGree have the kind of game-breaking ability that has been lacking in the Socceroos of late; Arnold’s usual pairing of Keanu Baccus and Jackson Irvine as holding midfielders were outstanding at the 2022 World Cup, but neither player is particularly comfortable with the ball in tight spaces, and so a shake-up may be needed to help create better patterns of play.
What about the fullbacks?
Right-back has been a problem position for the Socceroos for many years – in fact, a lack of options was one of the reasons why Ange Postecoglou used that controversial three-at-the-back formation in 2017. Last window, Arnold put natural centre-back Alessandro Circati there, and unsurprisingly, he didn’t offer much going forward.
Is Jason Geria the answer at right-back?Credit: Getty
A change will be made because Circati has unfortunately done his ACL, but the inclusion of Jason Geria – last picked for Australia in 2016, and constantly overlooked by Arnold – suggests Popovic, his coach at Melbourne Victory until only a few months ago, knows what he wants there.
Indeed, the Socceroos need more from their fullbacks in attack, which brings us to Jordan Bos, who is also back from injury. Arnold liked to use him on the left wing to harness his physical gifts and attacking sensibilities – but Craig Goodwin can play there, and the reality is that Bos is a natural left-sided fullback who can probably fill that position for the Socceroos for the next decade. Is it time to put him there and leave him there?
Does Irankunda come off the bench or start?
The Bayern Munich sensation is yet to debut for the Bundesliga club’s senior team and remains a work in progress, but he is probably Australia’s best attacking player already. However, he’s still only 18, and the challenge will be using his strengths without burdening him with too much expectation.
Arnold used him as a super-sub against Bahrain and then started him against Indonesia (as a striker, too, next to Mitchell Duke), but he couldn’t find the breakthrough in either game, largely because he was being asked to perform individual miracles within a dysfunctional collective. It’ll be intriguing to see how Popovic handles him.
