Tony Popovic feels the Socceroos got exactly what they needed out of their 1-1 draw with Switzerland in San Diego as they turn their attention to their opening World Cup group-stage match against Turkiye in Vancouver this coming weekend.
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The draw was a reward for resilience as Australia weathered a mountain of early pressure once again. Even that has a silver lining. There is no improvement without exposure to what needs to be fixed.
The man who scored the goal for Switzerland in the 14th minute, Dan Ndoye, made 37 appearances for Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest across all competitions this season. This was a serious test ahead of three more equally challenging assignments that will come Australia’s way over the next few weeks.
The fact the Socceroos were able to get to half-time only trailing 1-nil with a starting side that will most likely look very different by the time they walk out onto BC Place in Vancouver to face Turkiye is also something to keep in mind.
Switzerland, quarter-finalists at the last European Championships, had lost only one of their previous 13 games heading into this clash.
THE DEBUT OF CRISTIAN VOLPATO
This was a moment years in the making.
Volpato, who spent time in the academy systems at both the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC during his youth before moving to Italy, made himself eligible for Australia just before the World Cup squad was named. He had represented Italy at youth level before.
Popovic said the attacking midfielder, who plays for Sassuolo in Serie A and was previously on the books of Roma, would play against Switzerland after joining the camp just ahead of the game against Mexico in Los Angeles.
The 22-year-old took up a place on the right-hand side and his first touch was an assured switch of play to get Australia out of trouble. He didn’t have many chances to get involved with the Socceroos struggling to get on the ball, but he looked far more dangerous drifting into a more central role behind striker and fellow first-gamer Tete Yengi.
He was substituted at half-time and will be better for the experience.
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POPOVIC MAKES MASS CHANGES TO HIS STARTING LINE-UP
Popovic made seven changes to his starting line-up from the defeat to Mexico as Volpato became Socceroo cap number 660 and Yengi 661.
The coach had spoken in the lead-up to the game about the importance of exposing the entire squad to match minutes prior to the World Cup and after this clash only goalkeeper Paul Izzo is yet to see any time on the pitch. Patrick Beach was handed the gloves and, like he was on debut against Venezuela in Houston in November, was sensational between the sticks. The scoreline could’ve been far worse than 1-0 at halftime without several clutch interventions from the Melbourne City shot-stopper.
Seven changes against a near full-strength Switzerland was always going to come at a cost, but the price was worth paying given the final result. If injuries occur during the World Cup, then calling on a player who’d potentially had minimal game time for a month could be far more costly.
Yengi started up front with Volpato on the right and Nestory Irankunda on the left. Paul Okon-Engstler formed a central midfield pairing with Aiden O’Neill. Kai Trewin came in for Jacob Italiano at right-back with Aziz Behich replacing Jordan Bos at left-back and Beach was in goal for Mat Ryan.
“It was great to get the start just to get a bit more confidence before the tournament starts and I think it was a great team performance from the boys,” Okon-Engstler said.
“I think we struggled in the first 10 to 20 minutes but after that we felt more comfortable and were more into the game and towards the end of the game I felt like we were on top.”
Irankunda booked after Xhaka incident | 00:44
IS IRANKUNDA READY TO START FOR THE SOCCEROOS?
Nestory Irankunda might’ve just gone from a player capable of making an explosive impact off the bench to one that is right in contention for a starting spot against Turkiye.
The Watford livewire was instrumental in Australia’s second-half turnaround. He launched a rocket of a shot from 10 metres outside the box that cannoned off the hand of Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and onto the crossbar.
Had it gone in, it would’ve added to a growing catalogue of spectacular long-range goals the 20-year-old is compiling.
Irankunda looked Australia’s most dangerous weapon and his work rate – coming short to connect or running through the line – was impressive on a hot day on America’s west coast. The intensity of his press without the ball also provided a spark.
Irankunda won possession seven times in the game. That was the most of any player on the field and also more than twice as much as he has done during his time in green and gold according to @OptaJason on social media platform X.
“It felt good to play again,” Irankunda said.
“A lot more minutes than I did in the last few games, but it’s something that I’ve been working for, you know, to be playing many minutes for the Socceroos and to finally get to do that again today was great.”
Asked for his thoughts on Irankunda after the game, Popovic felt that he “found the first half difficult.”
The coach did concede the fresh-faced line-up made cohesion harder to come by but had already clearly identified some things he wanted cleaned up.
“At times he’s too deep, then he’s too high,” he said of Irankunda.
“He’s just trying to understand it, but we had three new front players so that also didn’t help him to understand clearly when to run forward, when to sit off, when to be in the pocket, but second half, like the team, he did better and we know he’s got those moments.”
TETE YENGI SHOWS WHY HE WAS NAMED IN THE SQUAD
Tete Yengi was the surprise inclusion (even accounting for the dramatic late arrival of Cristian Volpato) in the squad. Popovic had called up more than 60 players between taking charge of the national team and the start of their Florida training camp. The only Yengi on that list was Tete’s injured brother and fellow forward, Kusini. To land a spot in the final 26 for the World Cup, having never featured for the Socceroos before was slightly unexpected for the striker who moved to Japan on loan in January from Livingston in Scotland.
A starting spot against Switzerland was a huge chance and while scoring Australia’s only goal of the game was the undoubted highlight, some of his interplay while dropping deep and his ability to hold up the ball higher up the pitch showed why the coach made such a big call.
Yengi told reporters over the last week that he wasn’t just the traditional big man up front, he could and in-fact enjoyed the more technical side of the game with the ball at his feet, and there were certainly signs of that.
Mohamed Toure, who came off the bench in the second half and looked a handful once again, will most likely be the starting striker, but Yengi can definitely add something to the set-up.
IS AUSTRALIA’S BACKLINE TAKING SHAPE?
Popovic’s system uses a back five with three centre backs.
While Jacob Italiano is expected to come in for Kai Trewin at right back and Jordy Bos for Aziz Behich on the left, a consistent theme with the three centre backs is emerging.
Against Mexico, Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington started and it was the same again against Switzerland. It will be a big call to leave Cameron Burgess, who laid on the pass that eventually led to Yengi’s goal, on the bench in favour of Herrington but the lead-up games certainly suggest the 18-year-old is being seriously looked at. Burgess spent the 2024/25 season playing in the Premier League with Ipswich and featured a staggering 51 times for Swansea in the Championship this season. Herrington has four caps for Australia and has started all four of those games.
NEW TEAM BUT SAME ISSUE AT THE START
Australia once again struggled to get on the ball at the start of the game. They had 11 per cent possession in the first 10 minutes, and it cost them a goal soon after.
That had improved to a 38 per cent share of the ball by half time, but it is still an enormous amount of pressure to try and weather.
It was the same against Mexico in Los Angeles, but it’s hard to draw a line between the start to that match with a far more experienced eleven and the beginning of this one because of the mass changes to the line-up.
Would the more experienced players have learned from what happened against Mexico and made life tougher for Switzerland at the start? We’ll never know. What we can glean from the second half performance though is that the more experienced campaigners certainly made a massive difference when they came on.
“I don’t think it’s a lack of intent to do better at the start,” Popovic said.
“It’s a lot of changes to a starting eleven from last week, so we accept that there will be moments that it’s difficult trying to build the relationships with players that you haven’t played with before, but the exercise was done for the next three games ahead.
“We found the first part very difficult against a very good side. That’s the reality of it.”
THE DRESS REHEARSAL FOR THE USA GAME
One of the more valuable lessons from this game came off the field.
Kick-off was at midday local time which will mirror the start time for the game against the USA in Seattle on June 20.
The earlier start had flow-on effects for training, meal and meeting times in the days prior.
It might seem minor, but this particular fixture time is something most professionals don’t experience too often, especially when it means getting to the ground hours before that as well.
The dress rehearsal that played out in camp over the last couple of days takes another variable out of the preparation for that match.