‘How he was missed’: Cruel storyline Socceroos fans have forgotten

The regret stays in Dallas. Might be a while before it’s totally forgotten, but with this Socceroos squad, there is a next time. And one after that.

The 2027 Asian Cup is winnable. The 2030 World Cup should be the place the Socceroos go and crash through the knockout phase-hex.

Never before has a Socceroos squad of this age profile gone to a World Cup. 

If the Olympics were held today, six of the starting line up against Egypt would be eligible for the Under 23s tournament.

So what’s next for them?

The youngsters

This is the story of the World Cup. Tony Popovic trusted youth - not a sentence associated with him through his A-League career - and it paid off.

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Patrick Beach, Lucas Herrington, Alessandro Circati, Jordan Bos, Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato all have their best days ahead. Add in Paul Okon-Engstler, Mo Toure, and a few others like Alex Robertson, James Overy and Hayden Matthews to name three showing big promise, and the squad is well configured for the next four years.

Bos, 23, and Herrington, 18, are the pick in terms of players headed for the absolute top. They are both on track to go to big clubs in big leagues soon. Exciting. 

Circati too has admirers, but he’s already playing in a top league with Parma, which even without a move would see him improve.

Irankunda intrigues, and how Popovic used him illustrates a few what ifs about the campaign. He only played as a wide player once - to devastating effect against Türkiye. While we all love a highlight reel, it’s what happened after his goal in Vancouver that also sticks in my mind. For 10 minutes he seemed a little lost defensively, losing touch with where he was meant to be. 

Popovic screamed at him a few times. In the next game, Popovic thought better of starting him against the predicted US early onslaught, and brought him on as the central striker, which is where he stayed. 

Now, defensively, the role for the striker is physically demanding, and pressing explosively a key requirement. But it doesn’t carry the discipline and concentration that is required in defending wide areas. Miss a beat and a marauding fullback is whipping in a grenade. Can only imagine Popovic saw that as a big danger against the Americans.

From the second half in Seattle, this central use of Irankunda was effective without the ball. He chased and battled. But it blunted his attacking weapons badly. He couldn’t run at isolated defenders. It hurt us.

Popovic has obvious affection for Irankunda - a huge hug after the Paraguay game told that tale - and if the 20-year-old can add that tactical consistency to his incredible array of X-factor moments, look out. 

Volpato very much looks the part, and the trick for him is to convince his club, Sassuolo in Italy, to play big minutes in 40 games a season. For the past three campaigns Volpato has averaged 40 minutes per game, across an average of 24 games per season. A big glut of games could take him places.

The outstanding Beach and Okon-Engstler will have nibbles to move overseas, and if the right one arises, their A-League clubs should take the bait (and include sell-on clauses!). 

That 26 games is all you’re guaranteed in an A League season remains an unfunny joke. 

The mystery was what happened to Mo Toure. He looked perfect for that thankless striker role in his hour against Türkiye. He was hauled off at half-time against the US - one of three fall guys for the dismal 45 minutes, unsighted against Paraguay and brought on late to little effect against Egypt. Maybe, like the Irankunda conundrum, Popovic didn’t trust Toure defensively.

Injury? No-one alluded to it. A shame, because at full capacity, Toure is our guy up top.

Another World Cup

Mat Ryan will be 38 at the next World Cup, still a viable age for a keeper, especially how ultra-professional he has always been.

Harry Souttar will be 32, Connor Metcalfe 30, Aiden O’Neill 32. The perfect time to be still humming as a player, and not be fussed at all by anything a World Cup campaign gives.

Souttar in particular is imperative. A slew of injuries won’t help the back end of his career, but the way Souttar played at this World Cup - my best Socceroo of the tournament - means he’s a must for the next four years.

And we’re all forgetting someone here. Riley McGree. How he was missed.

Sure, Christian Volpato’s late parachute in helped cover, but McGree blowing out his hamstring in Middlesbrough’s Premier League playoff loss just before the tournament hurt badly. He was the craft that the graft could have done with. 

Thirty-one at the next World Cup, McGree has one more crack at it.

Senior citizens

Only five of the 26-man squad will probably be gone by the next World Cup. 

Mat Leckie, Aziz Behich, Jackson Irvine, Milos Degenek and Jason Geria. Much respect to all of them. Terrific Socceroos, and leaders, whether playing or not.

As a number though, just five means generational change won’t need to happen. It already has.

The manager

From when he took over the team in qualifying to Saturday’s heartbreak, Tony Popovic’s time as Socceroos boss can be so far regarded as a success. He took over when Graham Arnold ran out of petrol and dragged a team away from the abyss to automatically qualify. Not easy.

Now comes the period that will either place his Socceroos tenure in mythical terms for generations, or one who got us out of a tricky group in 2026, but nada more.

Popovic set up this team to nullify threats, then create them. Ange Postecoglou, for instance, is a manager who wants to create threats, then deal with the nullification process if it goes awry. Pros and cons with both, and forgetting the philosophical war debating one v the other, trophies can be won both ways.

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Popovic’s three centre backs, two defensive midfielders, and two wing backs illustrate his set-up of suffocating an opposition, even if they have the ball. 

In the future, what gives with the 3-4-3 (or 5-3-2) shape that gets an extra body in front of the ball when the Socceroos have it? 

Playing as the central striker at this World Cup - be it Irankunda, Mo Toure or Tete Yengi - was a thankless task.

Those three combined for two shots on target - yes, two - across a combined 390 minutes of football. That’s not feeding who needs it.

Over four games, the opposition goalkeepers at this World Cup made 10 saves in total.

Causing more attacking havoc while holding tight the other end is the fundamental question that faces Popovic and his coaching staff.

The best part is Popovic trusts youth, not always part of his DNA. For instance Perth, who he took to a grand final in 2019, had an average age of 31.

Getting the best possible line up at the Asian Cup next January might not be easy, with a number of the current young guns settling into European clubs, who won’t be chuffed about their players going on a month-long mid-season sojourn to Saudi Arabia.

Whoever is there, the Socceroos won’t be underdogs. 

Good. 

It’s about bloody time we aren’t underdogs anymore.