What's next for these guys to really take ownership of a Socceroos shirt and make sure that they are performing on a regular basis, regardless of the opponent?

Yeah, I think Harrington is a case in point.

You look and he's probably, along with Matty Ryan, who's obviously not in this squad, but the Socceroo, the Australian player, who's arguably playing at the highest level week in, week out.

And although he's only 19 years old, obviously only turned 19 a couple of weeks ago, but That shouldn't shy away from his leadership role in this team.

I think that we're going to be relying on him in a defensive sense, organizationally.

Also, we see the performances that he's putting in for Hull.

He's been an absolute rock for them at the back.

Is Popper about to swerve us one more time and play a different style of football in the build-up to the Asian Cup? Or is this simply going to be a refinement of what he has shown his approach to be both in club and international football over the length of his career so far?

Spain were held to a nil-nil draw and Argentina needed the full 120 minutes to rise.

I think that this World Cup, one of the great parts of the expanded World Cup and the more teams was the likes of Cape Verde and Curaçao and nations that we don't normally get to see at the World Cup play.

And they more than held their own.

And I think it showed that the margins in football between the top and the bottom are very slim.

And, you know, you see the fans from these nations.

It's amazing to see how behind the team they get.

And they added a lot in terms of not only the football but also off the field.

Tommy Orr says that despite the heartbreak, Messi's tournament only added to an already extraordinary legacy.

Spain were held to a nil-nil draw, and Argentina needed the full 120 minutes to rise.

I think that this World Cup, one of the great parts of the expanded World Cup and the more teams was the likes of Cape Verde and Curaçao and nations that we don't normally get to see at the World Cup play.

And they more than held their own.

And I think it showed that the margins in football between the top and the bottom are very slim.

And, you know, you see the fans from these nations.

It's amazing to see how behind the team they get.

And they added a lot in terms of not only the football, but also off the field.

Tommy Orr says that despite the heartbreak, Messi's tournament only added to an already extraordinary legacy.

Former Socceroo Tommy Oar echoes the sentiment.

I think any footballer who's been in the game for a long time doesn't like them, and it's, it's not about the significance of the drink or the hydration.

Of course, if it's really high temperatures of 35, 40 degrees and players need it, of course in that situation players would understand.

But I think it's being called a hydration break, but the reality is it's a commercial break.

He says it disrupts the flow and viewing experience for fans.

Players aren't fools, and fans aren't fools, and I think that's the wool's been pulled over our eyes to some extent in that regard, and I think that's where the frustration comes from.

But when you're looking at a game and analyzing it, so much, a big part of football is the momentum of the game, and I think the disruption that it causes, you see a number of goals now being conceded or scored straight after these breaks because of the change in concentration.

And I think the flow, the part of the reason everybody loves football is the flow of the game, and it's basically changed how that happens.

Former soccerer Tommy Oh echoes the sentiment.

I think any footballer who's been in the game for a long time doesn't like them.

And it's not about the significance of the drink or the hydration.

Of course, if it's really high temperatures of 35, 40 degrees and players need it, of course, in that situation, players would understand.

But I think it's being called a hydration break.

But the reality is it's a commercial break.

He says it disrupts the flow and viewing experience for fans.

Players aren't fools and fans aren't fools and I think the wall's been pulled over our eyes to some extent in that regard and I think that's where the frustration comes from.

Uh, how did you see the Aussies, mate?

mate?Yeah, half mixed, I think.

I think, you know, after, after such a great start to the tournament, um, you know, I think that was probably the best we played in the whole tournament, and to go out in a penalty shootout, I thought was obviously unlucky.

It's a little bit of a roll of the dice, but it just felt like a little bit of a missed opportunity.

Um, you know, in the last two times we've made the World Cup knockout, we've played the eventual winners in Italy and Argentina.

So, you know-

Big crowds.

Yeah.

From the group stage to the knockout stages, what have been some of your key takeaways?

Yeah, I think stylistically you look at the way that a lot of teams are playing.

It's been a little bit different to previous World Cups.

I think you're seeing a lot of the traditional nations be really defensively kind of solid.

And then you're seeing the more traditional heavyweights struggle sometimes to get through them and their stubborn defences.

But that's made the games really interesting and much more unpredictable.

But I still think, you know, you look at the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Mbappe as well.

How do you feel having watched it? And if you were a player, I guess back then or currently, how would you feel about it?

From the group stage to the knockout stages, what have been some of your key takeaways?

Yeah, I think stylistically you look at the way that a lot of teams are playing.

It's been a little bit different to previous World Cups.

I think you're seeing a lot of the traditional nations be really defensively kind of solid.

And then you're seeing the more traditional heavyweights struggle sometimes to get through them and their stubborn defences.

But that's made the games really interesting and much more unpredictable.

But I still think, you know, you look at the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Mbappe as well.

How do you feel having watched it? And if you were a player, I guess back then or currently, how would you feel about it?

think we

have the most exciting young squad that we've had in a number of years.

Since I can remember, maybe the golden generation.

Players playing at very good clubs across the world, but also at the very start of their careers.

Nestorio and Kunduz, of course, one of them.

I think he embodies everything we like about Australian sports people, whether it's the Matildas or the Socceroos or whoever you're supporting.

But he's fearless.

Tommy Orr on Cape Verde at the Global Stage.

I

think we have the most exciting young squad that we've had in a number of years.

Since I can remember, maybe the golden generation.

Players playing at very good clubs across the world, but also at the very start of their careers.

Nesteria and Kunduz, of course, one of them.

I think he embodies everything we like about Australian sports people, whether it's the Matildas or the Socceroos or whoever you're supporting.

But he's fearless.

Tommy Orr on Cape Verde at the Global Stage.

You need an extra little bit of time and any extra day you can get is a good thing.

I think extra time is great because it's, you know, the physical thing is one thing, but the main thing in the games of this, you know, the World Cup, the gravitas of the occasion, the emotional kind of toll it takes on you.

I think that the players as well, like a lot of them, this is their first World Cup.

I think that, you know, this will take them two or three days to kind of get over before they can start to be fully focused on the next job.

So, Having those few extra days up your sleeve, I think physically three or four days is enough, but the mentally and emotionally, the six days is probably a blessing because to be honest, the US as well, they have a completely different style to us, but they were very convincing as well.

I think, in fact, along with Germany this morning, they've probably been the standout performance so far.

It's going to be a difficult game against the US.

And Japan getting something out of the game, deservedly so, against the Netherlands?

Did Did it resonate with you how they were playing that obviously whatever they'd been doing in camp psychologically, it clicked?

100%.

I think that also if you look at our qualifiers and the style of play Topper implements, particularly with the back five and the three kind of man mountains we have at the back, I just know psychologically as a midfielder, when you've got three players as physically imposing as that behind you, The first five minutes, they were winning everything in the air.

It just kind of instilled so much belief in the players in front of them.

And to be honest, Turkey didn't know.

They had no answers.

They kept trying to do the same thing over and over again.

And Japan getting something out of the game, deservedly so, against the Netherlands?

What were you honestly thinking before kickoff?

Well, anyone who's followed Tony Popovich's kind of journey as a manager to this point knows he loves big calls.

So you knew there were going to be some, but you just didn't know what they were going to be.

And I mean, Matty Ryan in particular, he was not one that I was expecting.

But Patrick Beattie, he plays in the A-League for Melbourne City.

Anyone who follows the A-League this year knows how good he was.

He was absolutely a giant for them and had a real breakout year.

What are your thoughts on Australia's chances against the U.S.? And here, you can hit back.

How strong are they?

They are very good.

I think that, you know, they have a lot of pressure [laughs] going, uh, on them going into this tournament.

But in the first game, I think they've been the standout team so far, you've gotta say, along with Germany this morning.

I think just the athleticism they have.

Uh, Pochettino, their coach, very high profile coach, he has them absolutely humming, and I think that that's gonna be a very difficult game because, you know, if they started slowly, I think there would've been a lot of pressure on them going into Socceroos game.

But they were equally, if not more convincing than the Socceroos were.

Do you go with the exact same side? Would you make any changes?

But when it's so important, I'd rather them take a little bit more time and get it right than just be for the sake of one minute because they want to speed it up to get it wrong.

I agree.

But I think the issue is maybe largely, I think as well, VAR often will take a still, a photo of something, and then they draw a conclusion from that.

But that's not often the whole picture.

And in this West Ham one, I agree.

I think the right decision was arrived at.

But you look at how it kind of came about.

So if they're going to kill you, whatever you do, you're in trouble.

I agree.

I think the big test for them, though, is because we've seen United before.

In the big games, they turn up.

But then the next five games, you look at them and we said it's 5-0.

They're going to have to make the game.

It's a completely different type of test.

And I think that's going to be the big test for Carrick in getting the fans on board.

The nervous energy, you know, when you travel away and you're in the hotel and the next game, it's dinner, relaxing, and all those little details...

Yeah.

And I think the difficulty is, though, that you look...

When Xavi Alonso became the manager, it looked like it was a little bit of a long-term project.

Long-term at Real Madrid, you know, you have to take that with a grain of salt because there's no patience at that club.

But at the same time, they were saying, we've seen what he can do, we're going to give him time to implement.

Well, it's like you can't expect long-term results if you're not going to have the patience for the process in the meantime.

So, you know, you can't expect him to come in and implement his ideas unless you give him the keys completely.

Where should they go,

well

completely different world, and I'm sure you both experience this as well, but in the A-League, I think, and in Australian football, everybody's very nice to each other, and I think if you maybe put in one or two bad performances, you know, things can get overlooked, and you're given more opportunity here, essentially, and I think over there, one bad performance, and that can be it for you at a club.

That's as simple as that, and I think I experienced that when I first went to Utrecht.

The left winger at the time there was Dries Mertens, who then, at that time, he hadn't really made a name for himself, but...

Fantastic player.

Yeah, so I was in the Socceroos and went over there.

And the expectation in Australia was that I would go over there and kick on.

Sorry.