Why Socceroos coach is unlikely to pick the team you want

Socceroos fans pleading for a sexy new attacking quartet are likely to be disappointed on Friday (AEST).

A draw or win against Paraguay in San Francisco will guarantee progression to the World Cup round-of-32 and even a loss could see Australia sneak through as a third-placed team thanks to their three banked points against Türkiye.

Suddenly, everyone is a football expert.

Tony Popovic was a genius for benching Mat Ryan and Jackson Irvine against Türkiye and a lemon for then demoting Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe against the United States.

England great Wayne Rooney was perhaps the most famous person to give ‘Popa’ a whack after the humbling 2-0 loss and punishing Mike Grella crotch grab.

“When you’re not one of the big nations, you have to play your best team in all the group games to try and get out of the group,” Rooney said.

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“I think he’s messed up tonight.”

The Socceroos trailed 2-0 at halftime in Seattle but looked the more likely side to score in the second half as Irankunda, Metcalfe and debutant Cristian Volpato entered the fray and caused plenty of problems.

“I want to see Volpato, Irankunda, Metcalfe and (Mohamed) Toure on the field at the same time,” ex-Socceroos star Tommy Oar said on SBS.

“It’s a misconception that you lose defensive stability by having these offensive players on the field.

“The more time spent in the front third dictating the game, the less defending you have to do.”

As we are learning, anything is possible when Popovic finally shows his hand at the selection table around 11am on Friday (AEST).

Oar’s proposed attacking quartet is a mouthwatering prospect.

But it is unlikely to happen for multiple reasons.

Popovic views Volpato and Irankunda as strike players with doubts over their readiness to log big minutes game in and game out.

The former Socceroos centre back is also a defence-first pragmatist and will likely look to follow the Türkiye template of soaking up pressure and hitting Paraguay on the break.

Especially given a draw is enough to go through.

“Popa sees (Irankunda) day in, day out. There must be something there that is stopping him from starting,” Australia legend Harry Kewell said on SBS.

“In this day and age you need to be able to work off the ball.”

Stan Sport expert Mark Bosnich said Irankunda and Metcalfe “definitely have to start” while ideally he would squeeze Volpato into the XI as well.

“I know that will be difficult with the balance,” Bosnich said on SEN’s Gloves Off.

“We’re coming up against a team who don’t play too dissimilar to the way we play.

“A team that will be looking a little bit more to win than we, because we know a draw will guarantee us second place. If Irankunda gasses out, like people have said, then take him off. Quite simple. But you start with your best players and he’s arguably our best player...

“I think the future is Volpato, Irankunda and Mo Toure. Those three up front would be absolutely outstanding.

“For this game it might be a game too soon to perhaps do that with Volpato but you might have to bring him on anyway because if we’re losing we don’t want to finish on three points.”

Socceroos assistant coach Paul Okon has heard the noise and responded to it during his press conference on Wednesday (AEST).

Okon said there would likely be changes from the 2-0 loss but don’t hold your breath for Irankunda, Volpato and Metcalfe to start together.

“I can understand people want to see all of those types of players play the maximum minutes, certainly from the start of the game,” Okon said.

“But I guess every player is evaluated on how they are physically, mentally and tactically.

“Sometimes the decisions will fall on one of those three or all of those three. And I know that for the person sitting at home in front of the TV, sometimes or maybe often, certainly when the score’s not in our favour or not what that person likes, they don’t understand that. I also can understand that.

“But at the end of the day, as a head coach, you need to make a decision based on those three things and also the opposition. So all three of those players that you mentioned, did fantastically well coming on and I’ve no doubt that we’ll see all of them feature in the next match at some stage.”

The drums are also beating for veteran Irvine to get his first start of the tournament.

Irvine, who has captained the Socceroos 18 times, has been usurped in the starting lineup by young hotshot Paul Okon-Engstler - Okon’s son.

But the chatter is that workhorse Aiden O’Neill - who has played every minute of the two games - is the more likely man to make way.

“I can reveal this: that Aiden O’Neill is basically waiting to have an ankle operation,” World Cup Daily host James Dodd said on Stan Sport.

“He’s had injections in his ankle, he’s in absolute bits, but he’s still running himself into the ground for this team.”