Socceroos’ big calls in last WCQ push, with squad marked by strange absences — Talking Pts
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic’s extended 26-player squad for crucial World Cup qualifiers against Japan in Perth on Thursday and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Wednesday week contains a mix of selection shocks, high profile omissions, strange absences and the return of several players from long injury lay-offs.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. It has become easier to predict the winning lotto numbers than a Socceroos squad under Popovic’s watch.
That’s not a bad thing. It certainly keeps opponents guessing and his tenure as boss of the national team so far points to the logic used at the selection table being sound. Everyone who is eligible should feel they have a shot and the list of players who’ve been monitored is a long one.
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Australia heads into this window on the cusp of automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup. The method in which that outcome is achieved is far from straight forward. Anything from a win, a draw to back-to-back defeats remains on the table depending on other results. The side has set-up camp in Perth with an ace up its sleeve though with the stakes higher than at any other time during the four-year cycle between tournaments.
Fourteen of the 26 players in the squad arrived in Western Australia fresh from spending some or all of the last 10 days at a training camp in Abu Dhabi. Time with players is not a luxury international football managers usually get unless it is on the eve of a major tournament.
“We could work on a lot more of our playing style, get to know the players a little off the field as well,” said Popovic.
“It was important for the players also. After a long season at their respective clubs that they could come in and really bond well with the group and also with the coaching staff.
“We feel that will certainly help us in these two games.”
Australia sits in second spot in Group C and if they can stay there at the end of these two fixtures then World Cup qualification will be assured.
Just who is given the responsibility for that remains to be seen with multiple options in the squad.
THE BOLTERS
When Paul Okon-Engstler arrived in camp in Abu Dhabi it was seen as a bit of work experience for a future Socceroo. Forget the fact his father, Paul Okon, is the current Socceroos assistant coach and a legend of Australian football. The 20-year-old is a serious talent and his exploits at the training camp caught the eye.
Okon-Engstler, a key member of the Young Socceroos Under 20 Asian Cup winning squad earlier this year, is a deep lying midfielder who is extremely comfortable receiving in tight spaces and has a football IQ to match that composure. The only concern is a lack of match minutes in Portugal with Benfica. To throw him into the fray against Japan or Saudi Arabia would be a big ask, but Popovic doesn’t seem to be concerned.
“We brought him into the camp really open minded to see the level of the young man,” said Popovic.
“Physically he was very capable. He hasn’t had a lot of minutes at Benfica but the training that he’s getting there has really helped him. He deserves to be here.”
Mohamed Toure has been slowly creeping up the depth charts thanks to nine goals and four assists from 30 games for Randers FC in Denmark this season. The forward made his Socceroos debut as a second-half substitute under former coach Graham Arnold against England at Wembley in late 2023. It might’ve only been for one minute, but the record books still show a senior appearance for his country.
Watch for he and younger brother and Young Socceroo Musa, who also plays at Randers, to emerge over the next 12-24 months, but another appearance for Mohamed over the next fortnight can’t be ruled out as Popovic continues to mull over who should be his preferred striker.
Kasey Bos is another who came from slightly left field, if for no other reason than receiving a maiden squad call-up at this point of a qualifying campaign is a little unexpected. Bos has been in fine form for beaten A-League Men grand finalists, Melbourne Victory, this season. In a twist of fate Kasey might not have been selected had older brother Jordy, who also plays left-back, been fit, but a hamstring injury continues to keep him sidelined.
THE COMEBACK STORIES
Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe and Alessandro Circati will be happy to see the back of the 2024/25 season. The key Socceroos played a combined 36 games for their clubs over the course of the campaign due to injury, but crucially all ended the season fit enough to report for duty in the Middle East.
The biggest doubts surrounded midfielders Metcalfe and McGree.
“Without this camp it would’ve been very difficult to pick those two players without seeing them for 10 days,” Popovic said.
The Socceroos coaching staff seemed more sold on Circati despite the defender suffering the most serious injury of any of the trio. The 21-year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in September while training with club side Parma in Italy but remarkably managed to return in just seven months; helping the Serie A side avoid relegation with assured 90-minute performances against eventual champions Napoli and Atalanta in the final two matches of the season.
The speed of his comeback - two months ahead of schedule - is a huge boost to a Socceroos backline still missing the giant presence of Harry Souttar due to a ruptured Achilles.
“We didn’t expect to have him,” said Popovic.
“We anticipated September would be the earliest moment to have him back.
“Once he played those two games and he got through it we saw the opportunity to bring him in.
“Game fitness is not quite there but we’re happy to have him and feel he can contribute.”
THE OMISSIONS
Even with 26-players instead of 23 in camp there’s some non-selections that have logical explanations while others are still puzzling at this stage.
Striker Kusini Yengi, who spoke to Fox Sports Australia last week about his desperate bid for selection amid a shocking run with injuries and search for a new club after exiting Championship side Portsmouth, wasn’t picked.
“He clearly lacks – the match fitness is one thing – but we can see he hasn’t trained enough really to be in contention for two crucial matches,” Popovic said.
An injury to Jackson Irvine looked set to open the door for midfielder Max Balard, who was a regular starter for NAC Breda in the Dutch top flight this season, but he departed from the Abu Dhabi training camp without a ticket to Perth.
“He’s a prospect,” said Popovic.
Balard has been a prospect since being called up for the first time in November last year. He didn’t get on the field against Saudi Arabia or Bahrain and then missed selection for the March qualifiers against Indonesia and China.
“Maxy knows exactly how we feel about him and I’m sure he’ll go away and start the new season at NAC Breda full of confidence and we hope to see him keep improving.”
Nectar Triantis was expected to arrive in camp on the back of a breakout season at the heart of Hibernian’s midfield in Scotland but “on the day that he was supposed to travel he informed us that he’s not coming in,” said Popovic.
Triantis, who was at Hibs on loan from newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland, has spoken in the past about having a soft spot for both Australia and Greece.
“He just said he has a lot of things on at the moment and a lot on his mind in terms of what he wants to do. We have to respect that and we’ll see what happens.”
Nicolas Milanovic was an outside chance of a spot in the 26-player squad. 12 goals and six assists for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League earned him player of the season honours and a move to Aberdeen in Scotland.
Nestory Irankunda was picked for the Young Socceroos upcoming friendly matches against Argentina but has been withdrawn from those games due to a hamstring injury. The teenager, who is contracted to German giants Bayern Munich, spent half the season on loan at Grasshoppers in Switzerland where his education about senior football in Europe continued.
“We’re very happy that he’s getting minutes, and we hope that he has the bright future that we expect him to have.”
Winger Craig Goodwin wasn’t considered due to a foot injury that requires surgery in the coming weeks.
WHICH JAPAN WILL SHOW UP?
There’s a narrative, hopeful as most are, that Japan will arrive in Australia with a second-string squad having already sealed automatic World Cup qualification. Popovic isn’t buying into that and has been quick to point out that a so-called second-string Samurai Blue outfit would still be packed with J-League players.
“We haven’t beaten them often so I’m sure they’ll be strong regardless of who they play,” he said.
“To be the best we have to beat the best and they clearly are.”
Japan currently sits seven points clear at the top of Group C with Australia second on 13 and Saudi Arabia third on 10.
Socceroos squad
Daniel Arzani, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Kasey Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Mitchell Duke, Joe Gauci, Jason Geria, Paul Izzo, Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Lewis Miller, Paul Okon-Engstler, Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan, Mohamed Toure, Adam Taggart, Ryan Teague, Marco Tilio, Kai Trewin, Patrick Yazbek
Socceroos fixtures
Australia vs Japan at Optus Stadium, Perth
9:10pm AEST, Thursday June 5
Saudi Arabia vs Australia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah
4:15am AEST, Wednesday June 11
AFC World Cup qualifying Group C standings (before final two matchdays)
1. Japan [Q] (6 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses), +22 goal difference, 20 pts
2. Australia (3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss), +7 goal difference, 13 pts
3. Saudi Arabia (2 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses), -2 goal difference, 10 pts
4. Indonesia (2 win, 3 draws, 3 losses), -6 goal difference, 9 pts
5. Bahrain (1 win, 3 draws, 4 losses), -8 goal difference, 6 pts
6. China (2 wins, 0 draws, 6 losses), -13 goal difference, 6 pts
Socceroos qualifying scenarios
Win vs Japan: Almost certainly qualified, mathematically could be passed by Saudi Arabia with a 4/5-goal loss
Draw vs Japan: Qualify with a draw or better vs Saudi Arabia (unless Indonesia def China and Japan by huge margins)
Loss vs Japan: Assuming goal difference lead holds, qualify with a draw or better vs Saudi Arabia (unless Indonesia def China and Japan)
Note: In any scenario, a win over Saudi Arabia will see Australia qualify