San Francisco: If you correctly predicted Australia’s starting line-up against Turkey, the next thing you should have done was buy a lottery ticket.
It was not the first time Tony Popovic had dropped Socceroos captain Mathew Ryan to the bench. He did that in his very first match in charge, a crucial World Cup qualifier against China in October 2024, setting the tone for a tenure as national team coach which has been marked by radical selections, calculated gambles and an apparent indifference to public opinion.
During his 20 months in charge, Popovic has given call-ups to players who many people thought were finished and overlooked others viewed as automatic or deserving picks. Almost every squad announcement since he took over as coach has produced at least one decision that left fans scratching their heads.
In the alternate universe where Australia lost to Turkey in their Group D opener, he would have been savaged for leaving Ryan and Jackson Irvine, Australia’s two most experienced leaders, out of his XI. But in this universe, Popovic looks like a genius, and the scrutiny that would have followed a defeat has been replaced by something far more valuable: trust.
“People spoke probably bad about him before Turkey. I don’t know if they did – I’m saying maybe,” Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati said.
“He sort of just shut them all up, because we got a result. So at the end of the day, he plays, depending on the game, for the result and for the win, and that’s it, really.”
And that is key: the idea of a “first XI” does not seem to exist for Popovic, which is perhaps why some supporters don’t understand his line of thinking. He is working off a different picture. He is looking for a best XI: not in the sense of who are the best players, but who are best suited for the specific job required against a particular opponent.
The United States play a different way to Turkey and have different strengths and weaknesses – and so a different approach will be required on Saturday (5am AEST) against the World Cup co-hosts at Seattle’s Lumen Field. And that could mean different personnel or different tactics, or most likely both.
For a guy obsessed with the finest of details, it’s very difficult to imagine that Popovic does not have something else up his sleeve for the Americans.
“I don’t think you’re going to show all your cards in the first game of the group stage,” said utility Kai Trewin.
“There were a lot of things that we did well, and we’re trying to just keep building on that and keep improving as the tournament goes on. The boys have been working really hard ever since we’ve been in camp on a few different things – and I’m sure as we keep going through the group stage, and hopefully further on, you guys will see that.”
Trewin describes the experience of Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkey as the best football memory of his career, even though he was an unused substitute. That sense of selflessness, shared by his teammates, is what makes Popovic’s chopping and changing sustainable.
It would not work if Ryan and Irvine had viewed their omissions against Turkey as a slight, and became negative influences on the squad, or if the other players like Trewin who didn’t see any minutes complained about their lot. Instead, they all accepted Popovic’s decisions and helped drive the team from the sidelines.
“There were some big calls from the boss but those boys did well, and the boys that weren’t playing were completely 100 per cent positive towards the boys that [were] playing, and doing whatever it takes to try and help them,” Trewin said.
“You’ve seen that after the game, clearly, with everyone celebrating. It was a massive moment for us and how hard everyone’s worked, for it to pay off a little bit in the first group game, it was positive. That wouldn’t happen if we weren’t all on the same page.”
There is plenty of talent yet to see the field for the Socceroos: Ryan, of course, plus Barcelona target Lucas Herrington, attacking maverick Ajdin Hrustic, veterans Mathew Leckie and Awer Mabil, and Cristian Volpato, a late arrival into World Cup camp who is still improving his fitness base.
“You see Cristian’s quality every day since he’s come in. He’s a really top, top player, plays at a very high level, and there’s lots of things that he can bring to this team,” Trewin said.
“I’ve been able to see it first hand how good of a player he is. If he gets his opportunity, I’m sure he’s going to do a good job.”
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