Australia vs Indonesia World Cup qualifying talking points, preview, analysis, selection news, start time AEDT and how to watch

It’s March Madness, Socceroos style, as their hopes of sealing direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico go on the line in Sydney tonight.

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It’s almost three years to the day since an automatic berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar eluded Australia after back-to-back defeats in the March window to Japan in Sydney and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Those defeats thrust the Socceroos into a fourth-round play-off against UAE before a famous penalty shoot-out win over Peru booked a spot at a fifth consecutive World Cup.

The games against Japan and Saudi Arabia were the final fixtures of round three. This time the Aussies have a June window against those same opponents to navigate after the visit of Indonesia and a trip to China.

It makes six points over the next week vital. The last thing Tony Popovic’s side want is to have their fate hanging on defeating the best team in Asia and a big spending powerhouse who aspires to be just that. It still might pan out that way, but two straight wins will see Australia stay in second spot in group C and in control of its own fate. As it stands, the chasing pack of four are all one point behind.

AFC FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING – GROUP C STANDINGS

1. Japan – 5-1-0, 16 pts (+20 goal difference)

2. Australia – 1-4-1, 7 pts (+1)

3. Indonesia – 1-3-2, 6 pts (-3)

4. Saudi Arabia – 1-3-2, 6 pts (-3)

5. Bahrain – 1-3-2, 6 pts (-5)

6. China – 2-0-4, 6 pts (-10)

Australia’s remaining games: vs Indonesia in Sydney on March 20, vs China in Hangzhou on March 25, vs Japan in Perth on June 5, vs Saudi Arabia away on June 10

Top two nations qualify directly for World Cup

Third and fourth enter fourth round of AFC qualifying

“The expectation of the Australian public; that’s what it should be,” Popovic said.

“They should expect their national team to produce, to play good football and I expect every Australian to get behind the team.”

FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament from 32 teams to 48 for this edition means the fourth and fifth rounds offer opportunities to qualify, but the ever-increasing jeopardy involved is something to be avoided rather than embraced as a viable back-up plan.

It would be a sign of maturity for Australia to qualify at the first time of asking almost 20-years after leaving Oceania and joining Asia. This is Australia’s fifth campaign through the region. Only twice, in 2010 and 2014, has the country managed to qualify directly.

To achieve that feat Popovic must solve several selection issues.

CENTRE BACK RE-INFORCEMENTS AFTER INJURY WOES

Six doesn’t go into three.

So far, Popovic has deployed a system with three central defenders. Harry Souttar (achilles), Hayden Matthews (ankle) and Alessandro Circati (knee) are all unavailable due to injury. Sydney FC’s Alex Grant and Melbourne City’s Kai Trewin were called up to the national team for the first time for this window, joining more established squad members Cameron Burgess and Kye Rowles and the recently recalled Jason Geria and Milos Degenek. Geria, Burgess and Rowles, on experience, shape as the most likely trio. A starting debut for Trewin wouldn’t be out of the question either. In November, Popovic made a similar move with Matthews against Bahrain. At the time, the 20-year-old was less than a year removed from signing his first professional contract with Sydney FC before a transfer to Portsmouth in England eventuated. Trewin, by comparison, is 23 and has 134 senior appearances for the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City on his resume. Asked specifically about his thinking around this area of the field all Popovic would say is that “we (Australia) have enough experience and enough quality to play this match regardless of personnel.”

CENTRE MID SELECTION SQUEEZE

Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Anthony Caceres, Nectar Triantis and Ryan Teague are the options in the centre of the park.

Irvine has started all four games of the Popovic era. The St. Pauli skipper has been paired with O’Neill twice, Caceres once and Luke Brattan once.

The 32-year-old has played every minute of every game for his side in the Bundesliga this season and it would be a shock if he doesn’t start against Indonesia.

Caceres played the entirety of their last qualifier against Bahrain and it will most likely be a tight selection call between himself and O’Neill.

Triantis and Teague, in camp with the Socceroos for the first time, are not there on work experience.

Triantis proved himself ready for the big stage with a series of eye-catching performances for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) while Popovic believes Teague’s performances increase with the magnitude of the occasion.

It’s an area of enormous depth for Australia. Max Balard, who has been a regular starter for NAC Breda in the Netherlands, missed selection while Keanu Baccus, a regular starter under previous coach Graham Arnold, can’t get a look in either. Add in the considerable talent pool at under 23 and under 20 level and it’s a welcome headache.

FIVE EXCITING WING OPTIONS AVAILABLE

Will this be the game where we see the re-emergence of Martin Boyle as an attacking weapon?

The Scottish born Socceroo has been back to his lethal best for Hibernian in the SPL banging in 14-goals and racking up 9-assists in 36-games across all competitions.

The winger, who has a blistering turn of speed, had looked a shadow of himself after a scan on his knee while in camp with the Socceroos at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the eve of the tournament. Boyle’s revelation at the time that he “could have had this ACL injury for about six, seven years and been playing through it,” remains barely believable.

Boyle is yet to see minutes under Popovic. He was picked in November, but didn’t make the matchday squad against Saudi Arabia in Melbourne and was an unused substitute against Bahrain. His form at club level has been impossible to ignore since that snub. All bar two of his 14 goals and one of his assists this season have come in a dazzling period from December 21 onwards.

This could be his time and big game experience is as valuable a commodity as any other at this point. Craig Goodwin rarely produces a substandard performance at international level, so his inclusion is also likely.

Nishan Velupillay, who can also play as a striker, is working his way back to his best form for Melbourne Victory after a nasty looking ankle injury suffered against Saudi Arabia. Popovic has turned to Velupillay with regularity since handing the 23-year-old his Socceroos debut in his first game in charge of the national side against China in October.

His Victory teammate Daniel Arzani is the wildcard. If he’s shown not just the breathtaking displays of skill that he’s capable of but also the high work rate and commitment in training Popovic wanted, you could see him given the chance to shine if the game state is crying out for a player with his repertoire of line breaking passes and an ability to beat the first defender.

His invitation into the squad came on the back of a reality check delivered in January where the coach revealed Arzani’s effort with the Australian side in October “wasn’t good enough” and that his “level was really poor in training.”

So, has that changed?

“He has been very good,” Popovic said before momentarily pausing to contemplate the 26-year-old’s efforts further and letting a trademark grin stretch across his face.

“Yeah, very good,” he continued.

“He’s doing a great job so far at training. I think all the players have so I’m not singling him out.”

“Does that mean he’ll be in the squad? No, that doesn’t mean he’ll be in the squad because there are 26 players that are really fighting for positions to play; to be an impact player ready to come on and that’s what you want.”

Marco Tilio has been back on the field for almost two months after spending the same amount of time rehabilitating a hamstring injury at Melbourne City.

Tilio, like Arzani, is also able to break a game open in a flash. They’re two players who could be more valuable than they appear as bench options in an extended 26-player squad.

THE STRIKEFORCE

Kusini Yengi, ordinarily, would be the favourite for the starting striker role, especially in a squad without the long serving Mitch Duke.

However, he only returned to action with Championship side Portsmouth in late February after injuring his knee against Bahrain in November.

The former Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers frontman has a superb goals-to-games ratio for the Socceroos with six in 12 but has only played 96 minutes in three months. 68 of those minutes came against Preston at the weekend before a flight that took him halfway around the world. It is a physiotherapists worst nightmare. To start him would undoubtedly be somewhat of a risk.

“He’s looked good,” Popovic said when asked about the fitness of the giant striker after his arrival from England.

“Obviously you can’t replicate the game time, but we know what Kusini can give us.”

Brandon Borrello is fresh off scoring for the Wanderers against the Victory at the weekend – breaking a run of nine games without a goal. His commitment to pressuring opposition defenses without the ball is unmatched of all the options available and in-front of a near sold out Sydney Football Stadium that must surely come into Popovic’s thinking.

Adam Taggart is the third out-and-out striker in the squad. At 31, he’s in form with seven goals in the A-League this season. Five of those have come in his last 11-games.

He possesses the composure in-front of goal the team has been lacking. Chance conversion must be part of the equation. Who to play at striker could be the toughest call of all.

Popovic named an extended squad of 26 on Friday. He has until 90-minutes prior to kick off against Indonesia to trim that to 23.

“We know the magnitude of the games and how important they are,” he said.

“We know what the expectations and pressures are of playing for the Socceroos and representing our country, but from what I’ve seen the players are embracing that.”

AFC World Cup Qualifying Third Round

Australia vs Indonesia

Thursday March 20, 8:10pm AEDT at Sydney Football Stadium

Watch live on Ten