General Football Discussion

The Suba-roos (Australian Men's Team)

1363 replies · 320,440 views
10 months ago
coochiee
Ah yes of course.
Wonder what the tie breaker is, if Saudi won 4-0?
 Goals scored - so Saudi, with only 6 goals to Australia's 14, need to win by 5 goals.
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10 months ago
carlind
coochiee
Ah yes of course.
Wonder what the tie breaker is, if Saudi won 4-0?
 Goals scored - so Saudi, with only 6 goals to Australia's 14, need to win by 5 goals.


Saudi to do a reverse ‘81 and be 5-0 up at half time….

Three for me, and two for them.

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6 months ago · edited 6 months ago · History
Devlin gets a callup, as does Bell's team mate Daggers.

Matches verus Canada & USA.

Jack Iredale destined to never play international football!

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/socceroos-skipper-mat-ryan-to-return-for-games-against-canada-and-the-united-states-as-coach-makes-changes-to-australias-squad/news-story/12b0d7101a169bf93a636d0d232e9322

From the Soccer Ashes squad, players omitted are attacking weapons Noah Botic (Austria Vienna), Nicolas Milanovic (Aberdeen, Scotland), Adrian Segecic (Portsmouth, England) and Sam Silvera (Middlesbrough, England), midfielders Anthony Kalik (Hajduk Split, Croatia) and Ryan Teague (Mechelen, Belgium), defender Jack Iredale (Hibernian, Scotland) and goalkeeper Tom Glover, who is without a club.

For the second squad in succession, no A-League players have been chosen.

Socceroos: Daniel Arzani, Max Balard, Jordan Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Cameron Devlin, Mitch Duke, Nicholas D’Agostino, Joe Gauci, Jason Geria, Ajdin Hrustic, Nestory Irankunda, Paul Izzo, Fran Karacic, Hayden Matthews, Connor Metcalfe, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill, Alex Robertson. Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan, Mohamed Toure, Patrick Yazbek.
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6 months ago
Good to see. Despite having a difficult day against Just recently, Hearts are the top team in the SPFL currently, ahead of Celtic, and Cammy has been a regular starter with them for years now. 


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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
Watched the last 20 mins. Finishes a 1-0 win for the Socceroos. Exciting last 20. Australia frantically hanging on.

A really useful World Cup rehersal for them in Montreal, grinding out a win.
Maybe Juneof86 was there to give some feedback

Lots of niggle and late yellows for a friendly, as Canada chased a goal. Poppa took off fiesty Irankunda as he was scared he'd be sent off. Izzo a number of saves, and he puts pressure on Matt Ryan to get his spot back. Aussie also had some counterattack chances to kill the game off.

Hopefully AWs look at this sort of result, and think they can be a real chance of a win in Oslo against what might be Norway B. Get a goal and hang on.

Match Stats
Canada 60% possession
17 shots to 5
8 corners to 1
8 shots on target to 1
Crepo 0 saves, Izzo 8

Yet Socceroos the win
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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
As it happens I was in Montreal and was right behind the goal Canada was attacking in the second half. 

It was a pretty tame first half. Feisty, not a lot of chances but Canada carrying the play and struggling to carve out an opening. As an injury replacement I thought Italiano was pretty solid and Buchanan had the beating of Kye Rowles but he did enough until Bos came on.

Canada's forwards are all in pretty poor form for their clubs and that carried on. The goal was somewhat against the run of play but also capped Australia's best spell. Our defender hit a pass off a teammate to send Irankunda going the other way and he found Toure who just missed with his volley. A few minutes later Australia had the best flowing move of the match but Circati of all people got on the end of the final pass and missed the net when he should have scored.

Canada was missing three of the starting four in the back and a loose touch by Sigur facing the corner flag gave an opening for Irankunda to use his quickness to nip in and tackle the ball into the net. A horrible goal to concede but we'd been riding our lucky.

Full credit to Izzo but Promise David hit him as much as he saved his shot inside the six and it was a nice save off of Shaffelburg but it was an absolute sitter and he should have scored. And then Oluwaseyi hit the post right at the death. Another day maybe a different result but Australia defended well.

Canada has Colombia on Tuesday and they beat Mexico 4-0 this weekend. So there was an eye towards that with who started and who was subbed by Canada. But Australia didn't start Miller or Bos and I suspect Ryan gets the US game so we were both playing strong but not quite full strength 11s.

We knew Australia were going to be difficult to break down and combative and that given the we play it would be hotly contested. Hopefully we learn from it and put in a better performance on Tuesday.

Infantino was there with the Canadian Prime Minister. I'm not sure the sitting PM has ever gone to a mens match.


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5 months ago
I think that’s been a frustrating thing and a common theme for a lot of teams against Aussie. You think you’re on top in the first half and then they get a goal or two in the second. And have an unbeaten streak. 


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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
Jordy Bos is in some hot form. Eredivisie player of the month for September I think. From the 20 mins I saw he was a real threat for the Aussies. 

Read somewhere that Mark Carney is a hockey fan. No surprises. He appears a dry funny chap. His first visit to the White House he seemed to handle Trump with some spot on humour.

I'm sure Infantino finds the company of him or Claudia Sheinbaum, a bit more relaxing.
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5 months ago
martinb
I think that’s been a frustrating thing and a common theme for a lot of teams against Aussie. You think you’re on top in the first half and then they get a goal or two in the second. And have an unbeaten streak. 

A team in the mould of coach Poppa.

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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
I was quite pleased to not see Bos in the starting lineup. I think the AWs had a better first half against the Soccerroos in your home match  than Canada did. There wasn't as much urgency or pressure as Canada typically shows. The Aussies struggled to build out of the back or get much going but Canada did little with more ball. Thankfully the match came to life in the second half.

Not only is Carney a hockey fan, he was a goalie during his time at Harvard. I think he was no. 3 and never played but he must have been okay if he made the squad. He also went to see the Clash in concert in Vancouver. I also got the impression he was in Qatar for the World Cup while he was in the private sector. I don't agree with him on some of his policy but he seems like a genuinely decent person. He's in an impossible situation, so as long as he keeps the economy from going off a cliff and keeps us from being invaded I'll take it.
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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
Bell's Viking team mate Daggers gets a Socceroos start in chilly Denver.

Australia on a 12 match unbeaten streak. They are in battle to get a rankings boost and land in Pot 2 for the WC draw in December.

FA still haven't confirmed Socceroos opponents for the November window, where they are trying to secure 2 home games. Apparently they wanted Bielsa's Uruguay as a 20 year anniversary of famous 2005 WC qualification playoff win in Sydney. But the Uruguayans wanted a $4M appearance fee.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/14/socceroos-football-fifa-world-cup-friendlies-draw#:~:text=The%20Socceroos%20are%20unbeaten%20in,for%20next%20year's%20World%20Cup.

Australia secured a seventh straight victory when Nestory Irankunda’s goal was enough to snatch a 1-0 win over Canada last Saturday and are now in line to rise to world No 24 when the Fifa rankings are next updated on 23 October.

The Socceroos are unbeaten in their past 12 matches – including all 11 played since Popovic took the reins a year ago – while the projected rankings would place Australia in pot 2 of the draw for next year’s World Cup.

Little separates the world No 22-25, South Korea, Ecuador, Australia and Austria, as the teams battle for a ranking that would theoretically help them avoid a tougher opponent than if they were to land in pot 3 for the draw on 6 December (AEDT).



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5 months ago
Anyone know how to watch this in NZ?
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5 months ago
Bos really has developed a lot since he left the ALM. Libby better shine at Wrexham or we won't be able to say he is the best LB the ALM has ever produced soon.
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5 months ago
1-1 at HT.
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5 months ago · edited 5 months ago · History
HT 1-1.

Bos POTM in the Eredvisie in September. A locked on starter for the Socceroos now, and move to a Big 5 league likely on the cards.

First half ended all feisty just like the Canada game. Pulisic has gone off (he did enter the game under a cloud) after a Geria tackle, then later Daggers and O'Neill have made questionable challenges. American players & crowd not happy.

As above a bit riding on the match for the Socceroos with the rankings, as they chase a spot in Pot 2 for the WC draw.
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5 months ago
USA hits Aussie on the counter, 2-1
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5 months ago
59 mins and on come Hrustic, Yazbek, Toure & Irankunda.

Can the latter two repeat their goals against NZ & Canada, chasing the game against the Americans?
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5 months ago
Aussie lose for the first time under Popa, 2-1
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5 months ago
They didn't really threaten too much in the 2nd half. One mazy Irankunda run aside, but he shot directly at the US keeper. Australia will be stronger when Jackson Irvine returns.

They will have half an eye on how Ecuador go in Mexico now, re battle around those mid 20s FIFA rankings.
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5 months ago
Poppa gets experimential.
5 players from the ALM. 4 of the 7 potential debutants plus Goodwin.

Jack Iredale recalled - was picked in September, but no mins. Will he finally play for the Socceroos in this window?

https://socceroos.com.au/news/eleven-changes-commbank-socceroos-november-matches

CommBank Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic has made 11 changes for the upcoming matches against Venezuela and Colombia in the United States, selecting seven potential debutants and five Australian-based players.

“It’s another opportunity to expand the depth and introduce players who have not yet been exposed to the Socceroos environment or senior international football,” Popovic said.

“We also welcome back some familiar faces, from Australia and abroad. I’ve had the chance to closely observe the opening rounds of the A-League season, and we believe this is the ideal time to integrate domestic players into the squad.



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4 months ago · edited 4 months ago · History
Three debutants, all playing in the ALM.

Socceroos will be favoured to beat Venezuela (ranked 55th)

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4 months ago
20 years to the day Australia famously beat Uruguay on pens to go to the World Cup.

Was fully supporting them that night and happy they beat Uruguay after their antics in 2001.

Three for me, and two for them.

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2 months ago · edited 2 months ago · History
Poppa likely a bit disappointed with the quality of these opponents.
That's based on the fact the Socceroos haven't played many games outside AFC this World Cup cycle, and of those non AFC games 3 were against the AWs.

Best case it's Cameroon and Curaçao.
No real better than Chile and Finland who the AWs will play.

Socceroos WC pool - USA, Paraguay and the Winner of UEFA Play-Off C, which could be Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/football/news/football-australia-host-fifa-series-friendlies-2026-world-cup/0a5d0e968842b63eecb97c2a

Football Australia has confirmed the three nations that will travel to Australia in March as part of the FIFA Series 2026.

Providing a crucial lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup that begins in Mexico City on June 12, Australia will host Cameroon, Curaçao and China PR as part of the four-nation series of friendlies.

While the final fixtures, dates and venues are yet be announced, it is understood Tony Popovic’s Socceroos will take on two of the nations in what will be the squad’s final home soil hit outs before the World Cup tournament in North America.

Alongside Australia, only one of the visiting nations has qualified for the FIFA World Cup—Curaçao who has been drawn in Group E alongside Germany, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador.

China PR was eliminated in the Asian qualifiers last June after a shock loss two Indonesia, while FIFA World Cup regulars Cameroon have also surprisingly missed out despite making the quarters finals of AFCON 2026 earlier this month.

FIFA Men’s World Rankings
Australia (26)
Cameroon (45)
Curaçao (81)
China PR (93)
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about 8 hours ago
Last week Socceroos named to play Cameroon & Curacao.
19 yr old Lucas Herrington, who's last game in Aussie was the Roar's 3-0 loss to the Nix at Redcliffe earlier this year the surprise pick. He's straight away become a starter for Colorado in the MLS.
 
📋 Tony Popovic's CommBank #Socceroos squad for the FIFA Series 2026™ against Cameroon and Curaçao is here! 💚💛

3️⃣ Potential debutants
1️⃣0️⃣ Returning players

🗞️ Details: https://t.co/wXULyvyMkL pic.twitter.com/4rg7EAFhZz
— CommBank Socceroos (@Socceroos) March 19, 2026 


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