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Socceroos coach Tony Popovic now has all the information he needs (or will get) before picking his squad for the World Cup after Australia fell to a 1-0 defeat to Mexico at a raucous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
After an exhaustive search that saw Popovic cast the net far and wide over the last 19 months, he must now sit down with his assistants, and put 26 names on a sheet and submit it to FIFA.
That squad will be unveiled on Monday.
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The manner of the performance against Mexico will also be cause for reflection. The Socceroos struggled to get themselves into the game in the first half, but if the second half can be replicated with regularity during the group stage, then they’ll have a great chance of booking a spot in the knockout rounds where 32 of the 48 qualified teams progress.
“The players just need to believe a little bit more,” Popovic said after the game.
“In the first half we were very anxious and nervous and then after the break I thought we saw good signs.”
FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule with AEST start times and dates
FIRST HALF SHOWS WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED
Mexico scored the only goal of the game through a glancing Johan Vasquez header off a corner in the 27th minute.
It was all part of a dominant first half where the World Cup co-hosts had 85% of the ball after half an hour and 75% by half time.
After 40 minutes the Socceroos had executed just 27 passes in Mexico’s half. In contrast, Mexico had made 159 in Australia’s half.
“Our first half, in particular before the break, we found it difficult to retain the ball,” said Popovic.
“I think we got in good areas but kept losing the ball constantly.
“They pressured us very well and so we really found it very difficult to get some rhythm in possession.”
The Socceroos still showed brief flashes of promise.
Mohamed Toure was pulled down while through on goal in the 7th minute and Popovic was convinced if it was a World Cup game it would’ve resulted in a red card.
The striker, who has been prolific in front of goal for Norwich in the Championship, also missed an open net just before the break.
A poke from Jackson Irvine rolled past the post in the 15th minute as well, but these were minor moments of relief from an otherwise suffocating level of pressure applied by Mexico.
The drinks break in the 33rd minute provided the circuit breaker the Socceroos needed. These time-outs could prove game-changing during the tournament. While it didn’t alter the result, it shifted momentum in Australia’s favour after what had been almost one-way traffic.
“The first half an hour I just don’t think we got the press right and then we kind of switched it after the drinks break and sorted a few things and kind of went man for man really,” said defender Harry Souttar.
“Pushing Lucas (Herrington) into their other midfielder kind of nullified them and they just started going long really.
“That allowed us to kind of play in their half.
“Our service to the front lads weren’t great.
“The second half and towards the end of the first half it did stick up there and the ten’s started getting on the ball and we could push up a little bit more and we could keep the ball in their half and try and get some chances which we did.”
SECOND HALF SHOWED WHAT THE SOCCEROOS COULD BE
The chances came like a flood after the interval.
Toure, Aiden O’Neill, Ajdin Hrustic and Kai Trewin all had looks at goal. While Mexico’s net wasn’t breached, it was the type of turnaround that reinfused hope that had faded during the first 45 minutes. Belief, as Popovic alluded to, is a powerful thing.
“After the break we finished the half good and then the second half I thought we were very good which will give us a lot of confidence that we can play a very good nation, fantastic team, well coached, big crowd and I thought second half, we had a very good performance,” said Popovic.
In the first 20 minutes of the second half Australia managed to have 67 per cent of the ball and 56 passes in the opposition half to Mexico’s 14, including 12 final third entries to three.
It was brave, bold and needs to be bottled.
“We had the two best chances of the game. You’re not going to get too many chances, that’s football, it’s a World Cup we’re preparing for,” Popovic said.
“You don’t get many chances, they didn’t have a clear chance, but they scored from a corner.”
The side placed itself under an enormous amount of pressure at the start of the game and it only took that one moment to leave them on the wrong side of the result.
The second half showed the Socceroos can be the aggressor and dictate play.
“Jacko (Jackson Irvine) said it as soon as we came in the dressing room there that’s what we’ve got to be starting from the first whistle,” Souttar said post-game.
“There’s more things like tactical stuff that we’ll improve on, set pieces we’ll improve on.
“There’s a lot of things to work on that’s for sure.”
WHAT TYPE OF STARTING SIDE DID POPOVIC PICK FOR THE GAME?
Popovic picked an incredibly strong starting side and except for potentially swapping 18-year-old Lucas Herrington for the more experienced Cameron Burgess in the backline, it could be very close to the side that runs out against Turkiye in Vancouver in the first group stage game of the World Cup.
The side, including the bench, all came through without injury as well in what will be a huge relief to the coaching staff given setbacks to key players Riley McGree, Patrick Yazbek and Lewis Miller over the last six months that ruined their chances of featuring in the tournament.
This clearly wasn’t the time for experimentation.
It had the feeling of a full-dress rehearsal.
WHERE WAS CRISTIAN VOLPATO?
Socceroos fans would no doubt have loved to have seen Cristian Volpato but his name was missing from the matchday squad altogether.
The 22-year-old Sydney-born-and-raised attacking midfielder, who plays for Sassuolo in Serie A, switched his international allegiance from Italy to Australia over the last week after a four-year pursuit.
While it would’ve been intriguing to see Volpato in green and gold, it would’ve been a big ask given he only arrived in camp in the last 48 hours.
Assuming he is named in Popovic’s 26 player squad, a debut for Australia seems more likely against Switzerland in San Diego this coming weekend.
WHO MIGHT’VE PLAYED THEMSELVES INTO THE SQUAD?
Was this the match that sealed Lucas Herrington’s spot at the World Cup?
The 18-year-old was named to start in a backline that also included Alessandro Circati and Harry Souttar and didn’t look out of place against a side who will be very competitive at the tournament.
Herrington was picked ahead of Cameron Burgess, Milos Degenek, Kye Rowles and Jason Geria and while those four are certainly more of a known quantity at international level, a mature performance showed the coach and some of his teammates that he wouldn’t look out of place if selected.
“It’s easy to forget he’s only 18,” said Souttar.
“He’s mature beyond his years. The biggest compliment I can say to him is that he looks like a man out there.”
Souttar played his first game for the national team in 557 days after a torrid return from a ruptured Achilles and appeared as though he’d never been away with a commanding performance. There are no more doubts. He is ready for the World Cup.
It was a long overdue return for Mathew Leckie as well after his own injury problems since the last World Cup in Qatar.
He suited up for Australia for the first time in 718 days as one of the inverted number tens on the right side. Popovic has spoken previously of how much he values the 35-year-old’s experience in what is expected to be a squad with more than a smattering of first timers.
“I thought Mathew Leckie, for someone that hasn’t played for a long time for the national team, I think physically he maybe found it challenging in the first 25 minutes, but second half he retained the ball better and showed his quality, so did Connor Metcalfe,” Popovic said.
McGree RULED OUT of World Cup | 00:40
A World Cup debut could also be about to materialise for Paul Okon-Engstler.
Popovic has turned to the midfielder with regularity over the last few international windows and did so again at the Rose Bowl. Okon-Engstler might only be 21 years old but he possesses the technical ability to turn the tempo of a game instantly in his side’s favour and did just that against Mexico.
Kai Trewin replaced Jacob Italiano in the second half at right back which has been a problem position when it comes to depth.
Trewin set up a golden chance for Ajdin Hrustic with his first touch and had one himself as well after a lung busting run. The versatile New York City player did his chances no harm.
Aiden O’Neill also allayed any concerns around his ankle, pumping out 67 minutes in the heart of midfield alongside Jackson Irvine.
“I wouldn’t say that we had several players needing to do something extraordinary today to get picked,” said Popovic.
“Fitness wise, Harry Souttar gets minutes, Mathew Leckie gets minutes, Jackson Irvine gets minutes so we took a lot of things, not just football wise but physically we needed to gain something today and it was a real pressure game.
“Good for us. I’m happy they got through the game well and I think it will help those players leading into the Turkey game.”
WHO IS NOW LONGER ODDS TO MAKE THE SQUAD?
Popovic has 30 players with him in camp and that number needs to be trimmed to 26.
Tete Yengi, Brandon Borrello, Joe Gauci and Cristian Volpato weren’t in the matchday squad to face Mexico.
If Volpato is named in the 26 that leaves questions around Yengi, Borrello, Gauci and one other player who was in the squad in Los Angeles.
There seems to be one more defender in camp than is needed. Heartbreak awaits.
MY SOCCEROOS WORLD CUP SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3)
Mat Ryan, Paul Izzo and Patrick Beach
Defenders (10)
Jacob Italiano, Kai Trewin, Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess, Jordy Bos, Milos Degenek, Lucas Herrington, Kye Rowles and Aziz Behich
Centre midfielders (4)
Aiden O’Neill, Jackson Irvine, Paul Okon-Engstler and Cameron Devlin
Wingers/Attacking midfielders (7)
Connor Metcalfe, Mathew Leckie, Nishan Velupillay, Ajdin Hrustic, Cristian Volpato, Martin Boyle and Awer Mabil
Strikers (2)
Mohamed Toure and Nestory Irankunda
Unlucky players to miss out (4)
Joe Gauci, Jason Geria, Tete Yengi, Brandon Borrello
