00:00:06
Speaker 1: This is talkSPORT World Cup shootout, not the circumstances that we wanted to be bringing you an update. Australia out of the twenty twenty six feet of World Cup on penalties after a one all draw against Egypt. We are rejoined in the United States by Julian Lindon, News Corps reporter and great to have you with us from the venue itself. Your impressions as Australia go out and how the game left your feeling, and the impression that Australia's exit has left you with.
00:00:34
Speaker 2: Oh, it was the most gut wrenching defeat I can think of in for such a long long time in socceros. I'm old enough to have covered all of those qualifiers before we broke the duck in two thousand and six, so you know, I remember those ones against Uruguay and against you Run and this is kind of the same empty feeling, which is.
00:00:54
Speaker 3: It's odd because I think probably at the.
00:00:56
Speaker 2: Start of the tournament most people would have taken a round of thirty too, given how difficult the group was we were going through.
00:01:03
Speaker 3: But just to lose in that nature.
00:01:06
Speaker 2: On penalties against Egypt, I mean we couldn't have asked for a better.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: Team to play.
00:01:11
Speaker 2: Really we match up quite well against them, so I think there's no getting rounded.
00:01:16
Speaker 3: It was very deflating.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: It's disappointing, not disappointed in the player, it's just disappointed in the result that we didn't go through.
00:01:23
Speaker 4: Where do you think we let it slip?
00:01:26
Speaker 1: Because my personal opinion is after the equalizer we started playing for penalties for the best part of an hour and invited egypt on. At the end of the ninety minutes they were dominant and the full time whistle helped us. And even at the end of the one twenty we're clinging on the amazing say from Patrick Beach, the blocks and the heads away from Harry Souter. But I feel as though Australia seated a lot of the momentum in the game after the equalizer. What was the impression you got living every kick of the ball inside the stadium?
00:01:54
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: Look, I know that the headlines back home are all kind of around the selections and whatnot for the penalty shoot out, but I actually reckon there were kind of a few moments in the game which had they gone differently, things might have gone different good differently for Australia, so you know, you can kind of tell I think the luck balanced out, but you know, Volpato hit the bar very early on right beat to keep a long range shot.
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Whatever.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: I think that goes in and changes the whole dynamic of the game because we're the team that goes in front and then they're going to change their game. I think we gave away a soft goal off a set piece. You know, We've been so good with our big, tall timber at the back there throughout the whole tournament, so that for us like a header against guys who were like a foot shorter than us, you know. But I think the most pivotal point of the game was losing Jordi Boss Okay, because he just had so much speed down that side and they've kind of switching him from left to right and whatever. And I think I think after that, I think you're right, we got back. We got a little bit lucky with the equalizer, but it was a reward for all the pressure that we'd had.
00:02:56
Speaker 3: On them, but we just kind of didn't finish it off. After that.
00:02:59
Speaker 2: We did apply and when there were times where we got sloppy and lazy and a little bit panicky, you.
00:03:05
Speaker 3: Know, particularly at the end of regulation time.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: That last five minutes was just like what awful to go through, and then the last sort of five minutes before before the penalty shootout. So look, over two hours we scored one goal. So as much as the focus is going to be on the penalties, I don't think we did enough.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: We will come to the penalties, but one more before we do the double substitution to take off Nesta Iran Kunda and Christian Volpato. Now I think that, like many fans, like a lot of media, Iran Kunda playing as a center forward did not work.
00:03:43
Speaker 4: He was much more dangerous on the wing.
00:03:45
Speaker 1: And yet we never went back to that situation at any point and we cut our losses seemingly. And Volparto, as you mentioned, he hit the crossbar. He was promising otherwise a good set piece player as well. The double change. How big a factor in that was as Strata essentially conceding that they were going to go for a defense first mentality rather than be more proactive in trying to win the game out on the pitch, rather than settle for penalties.
00:04:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was critical.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: If you go back to the very first game that we played against Turkey up in Vancouver, right, that was the only time that Most started at center forward and.
00:04:22
Speaker 3: Erin Kunda played on the left, and that actually.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Was the best combination that they had throughout the entire tournament. So I actually surprised that they didn't go back to that. Now, Weil Pardo came on, and he did a great job when he came on, but I would have thought that there was an opportunity there rather than take them both off at the same time, would have been to go back to that combination that we had in Vancouver and just see how it go and attacked and put it in because Erin Kunda looked so much better when he's on the wing. And didn't do it, and I think again that that was a sort of a slightly missed opportunity. You could see that from that point onwards we were already looking at penalties, and which is I wrot given that we tried.
00:05:01
Speaker 3: I think we got sort.
00:05:02
Speaker 2: Of unnecessarily panned for the game against Paraguay when people, particularly British media, were sort of saying that, you know, we played for penalties from the get go, and I don't think we did. I think we tried to win that game, but Paraguay just defended well.
00:05:19
Speaker 1: Now going to welcome in Amy Harrison thirteen Cap Matilda International. Amy, a devastating night for Australia going out of the World Cup. Your impressions on the way it went down, and we will get to the penalty shootout next, but your thoughts initially on just the overall performance in our exit from the tournament.
00:05:38
Speaker 5: Yeah, obviously first and foremost super disappointing. I think there was the game there for us to take and move on to the round of sixteen, and I think the first maybe twenty thirty minutes, I thought we looked a little bit uncomfortable, and I think, no, no, once the first hydration break came and then certainly halftime, we started to play more and maybe just calm the nerves a little bit and.
00:06:03
Speaker 6: Play our football.
00:06:04
Speaker 5: But I still think we weren't as ruthless enough and I think maybe that's the big reason why we didn't progress and why when all the way to penalties and unfortunately we got knocked out.
00:06:16
Speaker 1: I'll get both your opinions on this. The big decision to suber in Mattie Ryan and take off Patrick Beach, He's just made one of the saves of the tournament to keep the game at one one.
00:06:27
Speaker 4: He's been the hot hand and we take him out.
00:06:30
Speaker 1: Julian, you first the decision to swap goalkeepers, What did you make of it?
00:06:35
Speaker 3: It was the wrong call.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: You just one O one in sport is when someone's just you stick with him.
00:06:42
Speaker 3: Patrick Beach has been phenomenal on this tournament. I sawt of stat pop up.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: I think he's made more says than anyone else in the whole competition.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: But don't quote me on that if it's not right. But he was in such terrific form. He actually pulled off.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: An unbelievable savory, just palmed it over the bar just to make it go into penalties. I was stun like everyone else when they took him off. I get the whole sort of romance around Maddie. He's been a great servant for the game and all this sort of thing. But and Papa kind of tried to justify it by saying he was fresh, he's got a good record with penalties and whatever. But you just have a guy who was just like stopping everything. I just I just think it was the wrong call. I get what he was trying to do but he getsed wrong.
00:07:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, I completely agree.
00:07:25
Speaker 5: I think you know, I think we were all this stunners each other and as stunders as Paddy Beach it looked like, and hearing him speak after the game, he found out when we all found out. So I think for that moment to happen, I think it's certainly rattled not only him but the entire squad. And I think, like you said, Julian, that save that he made was one of the best saves of the tournament, and you could see it. It hyped him up, It hyped the team up.
00:07:50
Speaker 6: I was hyped up.
00:07:51
Speaker 5: It was an incredible save. And I think you also saw the body language of the Egyptians just thinking, wow, you know, how are we going to get past this guy? Like he's making these saves that are just incredible to then get subbed. I think it almost gave Egypt out a little bit of a boost of thinking, Okay, he's out, now we have a little bit of an opportunity. Sow on the screen. They were quickly watching highlights of Maddie Ryan on the screen, and I think that gave them somewhat of an advantage.
00:08:20
Speaker 6: If I'm honest, just.
00:08:21
Speaker 5: Because it gave them fresh eyes on what he does, his technique of penalties and how they can do it. And I think that's why he saw mosalah teka Apaneca, because you know, I think you could see that Maddy Ryan does like to go a little bit early sometimes. So I think it it was a hard decision. Obviously, now we can sit back and say it was the wrong one. But you know, penalties are a lottery. Anything can happen. But I don't think we set ourselves up well to go and win that properly.
00:08:47
Speaker 4: You mentioned it's a lottery.
00:08:48
Speaker 1: Did we pick the right numbers in the line because we had we had Eiden Hrustitch out there, who notably took a penalty in a Europa League final for Iron Track Frankfurt, so he's taking penalties on a big state and even though he the camp denied he was under an injury cloud from game one until the end of the tournament, Mo Toure not taking a penalty as well, and Adrian ar Trully from SBS actually tweeted out that al Jacati was going to be our fifth penalty taker if it got to the fifth one. So three center backs were in our five penalty takers. Now, Amy, you've played center back and you do take penalties all the time we've seen in your career. Should it matter that we sent up three defenders and what do you make of the decisions of more of the attack binded players not to be the ones regardless of who put their hand up, who's confident or not. From a technical point of view, should we have made better decisions there?
00:09:40
Speaker 6: Yeah?
00:09:40
Speaker 5: I think when you have attackers on the field that are confident to take those penalties, and having three center backs certainly is quite interesting. I think I did see Lucas Herrington speak after the game and say that he was taking them during the week and scoring them and was confident. But when the pressure arises of what it was that situation, you can't ever practice for that. And you can do the same run up, you can do the same steps, all those little things, but you add in everything that comes with that moment, it changes. But I do think we had the other players. Moturo, like you said, he's a striker, he scores goals. Here, who's stick who comes on can score goals? I think when you look at moments like that, and we had the players to do that, we had the players to step up and score in those big moments and take it on. But I just, yeah, we obviously didn't.
00:10:33
Speaker 1: Julian, your thoughts on who took the penalties, and maybe just a last word from you on what next for Tony Popovic's as he deals with the fallout, because you've had firsthand experience of his lack of giving in the press conferences and an unwillingness to explain himself or elaborate on his decisions. Had he not been pushed in his press conference, he probably wouldn't have even given us the line about Matt Ryan's experience. His original line was I had a subervail and I made it and he considered it. That was enough of an explanation. So your final thoughts on the penalties and.
00:11:05
Speaker 2: Popper penalties again, I mean, I just think they got the order wrong.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: I mean, I you know, I've never been in a situation in a World Cup and sound it looks.
00:11:13
Speaker 2: So intimidating to be able to do that, And I think when you when you do that, I mean I spoke to Harry Keule before the tournament and he said, you always put your best, your best goal taker first right and get ahead, and because you put more pressure on the team who's following behind. I think they should have used heuristic first up. Not only did he kick the one in the Europa League that you mentioned, but he also he kicked the winning one for Australia to go through the last World Cup in two thousand and twenty two against against Peru. So and I spoke to him before it. I mean, he's a guy who wants to take penalties. He did miss his last one I think against Cameroon in that thing, but he was already talking about he was over that, so I think they did get the order there.
00:11:53
Speaker 3: I really felt for Lucas in particular.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: He it's one thing to be able to do them in training, but you can't put yourself in someone else's shoes, Like what.
00:12:03
Speaker 3: Do you do as an eighteen year old kid in front of seventy.
00:12:06
Speaker 2: Thousand people and a really intimidating, sort of bare pit of a stadium that Dallas is, and the eyes of Australia and everyone watching you.
00:12:13
Speaker 3: I thought it was really cantful. And I thought his body language.
00:12:16
Speaker 2: For a kid who's been so calm and composed throughout the whole tournament, he looked nervous when he was walking up to do it and didn't look like he actually struck it all right, He just sort of he didn't miss by much, but he missed, so yeah, it was a sad way for them. Look, penalties are a bit of a lottery. I mean, the two guys who have missed the most penalties and the history of football are a couple of decent footballers, So Ronaldo and Messi. So you know, remember nineteen ninety four Roberto Baggio missed a penalty in the final as one of the best players and the thing.
00:12:46
Speaker 3: So I don't think they'll be scarred for life.
00:12:48
Speaker 2: Because they've missed a penalty, Just a little bit of a missed opportunity. Look, and as for Popper, look, I think overall Pop has done a really good job with the team.
00:12:59
Speaker 3: I do. I do think the players respective.
00:13:01
Speaker 2: Look, he's not always forthcoming with the media, and we would prefer that they always are, But when you're in the business of managing the national side, I don't know whether or not that's a prerek. We've seen plenty of other prickly managers over the years, and I don't actually think he's prickly. He just likes to keep he likes to play his cards pretty close to his share. So I mean he did get a bit frustrated when during press conferences, during when we'd quiz him all the.
00:13:28
Speaker 3: Time about his selections.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: It was almost like and it was a front to him that you know why he's a journal asking me about my selections, Like what would they know? But you know, that's what people in Australia are talking about. Maybe three weeks ago half the population Australia didn't know the lineup, and now I had my wife and kids like sending me messages about the order of the penalty shootout, you know. So it shows you how quickly people got engaged in it.
00:13:51
Speaker 1: You touch on a great point which I think we'll get into in our next full episode of talks about World Cap Shootout, which is how we take people on the journey and take people who watch once every four years and have them fall in love with not just the soccer US as a team, but the game of football. But you've just tugged on a little thread which might have to wait for another day. Julian, thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations on a great coverage of the World Cup from your point of view in the media, and we appreciate you joining us on World Cup shootout.
00:14:21
Speaker 3: It was a pleasure.
00:14:22
Speaker 1: Thanks very much, Amy, while we've still got you. Julian did touch on it earlier. But the Jordi Boss injury coming off the back of the Italiano injury leaving Kai Truan to have to play out of position. Now, you have been quite a versatile player in your career. Some would say, you know one that's been put into situations to help the team in an hour of need. Just how demanding of that was on Truan, But also how does it reflect on the squad we took to this tournament. You do have to account for some injuries, but with a twenty six player squad, surely you have the depth not to have to throw someone in the deep end to play in an international game in a position they've never played a club or country.
00:15:08
Speaker 5: Yeah too, it's a It's a really good question because I thought Jody Boss was our player of the tournament.
00:15:13
Speaker 6: I thought he he was excellent.
00:15:15
Speaker 5: Not only down that left flank, but but on the right when he got switched over, like you said, whence Jacob Ataliona got injured. But it does you know, create a good little conversation about the depth and the players that he did pick for that outside back role and even the back three. I'll be honest, I thought not taking Kay Roles was was a pretty big missing in my opinion. I think he's proved, you know, the last World Cup what he can do for the country, and he's also versatile.
00:15:42
Speaker 6: I had a great year here at DC.
00:15:44
Speaker 5: United as well, and you know, you had someone like Milos Daganek who we didn't see, so you know, it's a it's a conversation that I think is pretty intriguing of what his plan was with those players in that back three to five role. But touching on Kai True, I do think he had a bit of an interesting start. I think oh Mama Mush got behind him bright the very good yea his credit absolutely said I was about to say he did he's picked himself up, and I thought he was excellent when he did come on and yeah, a really good, brave performance in a very difficult moment. So I thought he was great. But touching on JORDI Bill, see, it's super super unfortunate. I'm sending you know, all well wishes from from me and you and the team here at talks about because he's a fantastic player and I think he will go on to bigger and better.
00:16:36
Speaker 6: I think he was the quickest player in the whole World Cup so far, and.
00:16:40
Speaker 5: What he can do with the ball and the way he can affect games, it is truly special. I think he's a very talented player we have on our hands.
00:16:47
Speaker 1: He was in a brace on crutches at the end of the game. As someone who unfortunately knows the injury routine all too well, was there anything in the mechanics of how he went down that causes you concerned that it is a worst case scenario or are we hoping that in six months time he'll be playing for the Soccer US at the Asian Cup.
00:17:04
Speaker 6: Yeah, look, there was definitely concern.
00:17:06
Speaker 5: I think certainly the way he went down, the hyper extension of the knee and the way his knee was positioned in that extension part was was not great. The way he grabbed his knee after as well, not great. Like you said, it's unfortunately been in that position a few times and hopefully.
00:17:24
Speaker 6: He's not in that position.
00:17:25
Speaker 5: It was just a real impact sometimes the impact of that hyper extension and the bruising in and around the bone there is extremely painful, so fingers crossed it. It's just that maybe it's yet, like I said, hyper extension MCL kind of injury. You never want to say the ACL little word.
00:17:44
Speaker 6: But yes, especially.
00:17:49
Speaker 1: Especially not with you here speaking to me. One last one and we'll finish on a positive note. The Asian Cup is in six months and this tournament will do a lot for the stocks of the players. Patrick Beach surely he's played his last game in the A League. His stocks couldn't be high in terms of an overseas sale. Lucas Herrington is being attached to scouts from the biggest clubs in the world, and I think for Britzio Romano has adopted him as one of his own, which means he's got a bit of well but also as Latin and Tierry Henrie. We're talking both about him and to him on the American Fox coverage post game, sending him personal messages on air, so he's kind of become part of the public conversation, which is great for him. Iran Kunda's being attached to new bits every day. But as we know, Bayan Munich have the buyback clause and who knows who us ljacrty is being connected to bigger clubs in Seria A than his current spot in Parmas.
00:18:39
Speaker 4: So our dream of having more soccer.
00:18:41
Speaker 1: Roos in top five leagues at big clubs, but just in good club situations to get more game time. I mean, we do seem to be at a bit of a launching place. Yes, it's disappointing we couldn't go further, but this seems to be a group that we can really pin some expectations to. I guess the funny thing is Asian Cups. Every Asian team is out of the tournament before the round of sixteen. But we just know Saudi's and Qatar are going to look like world beaters in six months time because they always find a way at the Asian Cup and then they flop at World Cups. But just from a soccero's perspective, how optimistic are you about this group and about what this experience can do for the younger core as they go on to be hopefully household names into the future.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: Yeah, look, I think this tournament is invaluable for all those players that you mentioned, and also for the experience heads like Jackson Irvvine for example, I thought him Ade and O'Neill led that young group around really really well as well as you know, our captain Harry Souder, I thought he was excellent up until unfortunately that penalty. But I think when you look at the prospects of what we had have the talent coming through, and I think six months away is actually a really nice exciting timeline where they're still going to be riding the wave, they're probably all going to be signing big deals at big clubs. The confidence that comes with that, and I think, like you just mentioned, you look at Asia at the World Cup and you know we were the last, if not us in Japan country stand in and I think, you know, we can take a lot of confidence from that, but also it needs to you know, continue, and when the Asian Cup does arise next year, there's such a great opportunity for us to take what we've learned in this tournament and become powerhouses in Asia, really become powerhouses. And that's not to say we aren't now, but take it even more, become a step further, and I think we are in that position to really do that. And then you have this the Asian Cup, hopefully a trophy from the Asian Cup, and then you're building so so nicely towards the next World Cup in twenty thirty.
00:20:42
Speaker 4: I hope so as well.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Amy Harrison, thanks for jumping on and joining us from the States, and we appreciate your company on talkSPORT World Cup shoot Out through the Soccer's Journey.
00:20:51
Speaker 6: Thanks Teo, appreciate it.
00:20:53
Speaker 1: Don't forget to subscribe, but wherever you get your podcasts, also subscribe to the talkSPORT Australia YouTube channel. Dye Harfer and Kat Sasso will be back for our episode at the start of the week. We'll have had a couple of days to mull over the result and a bit more of the fallout out of Australia's World Cup exit on behalf of Julian Lyndon, whose material you can read in NewsCorp publications, and Amy Harrison. My name's Tao Pelazeri and we'll see you soon.
Speaker 1: This is talkSPORT World Cup shootout, not the circumstances that we wanted to be bringing you an update. Australia out of the twenty twenty six feet of World Cup on penalties after a one all draw against Egypt. We are rejoined in the United States by Julian Lindon, News Corps reporter and great to have you with us from the venue itself. Your impressions as Australia go out and how the game left your feeling, and the impression that Australia's exit has left you with.
00:00:34
Speaker 2: Oh, it was the most gut wrenching defeat I can think of in for such a long long time in socceros. I'm old enough to have covered all of those qualifiers before we broke the duck in two thousand and six, so you know, I remember those ones against Uruguay and against you Run and this is kind of the same empty feeling, which is.
00:00:54
Speaker 3: It's odd because I think probably at the.
00:00:56
Speaker 2: Start of the tournament most people would have taken a round of thirty too, given how difficult the group was we were going through.
00:01:03
Speaker 3: But just to lose in that nature.
00:01:06
Speaker 2: On penalties against Egypt, I mean we couldn't have asked for a better.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: Team to play.
00:01:11
Speaker 2: Really we match up quite well against them, so I think there's no getting rounded.
00:01:16
Speaker 3: It was very deflating.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: It's disappointing, not disappointed in the player, it's just disappointed in the result that we didn't go through.
00:01:23
Speaker 4: Where do you think we let it slip?
00:01:26
Speaker 1: Because my personal opinion is after the equalizer we started playing for penalties for the best part of an hour and invited egypt on. At the end of the ninety minutes they were dominant and the full time whistle helped us. And even at the end of the one twenty we're clinging on the amazing say from Patrick Beach, the blocks and the heads away from Harry Souter. But I feel as though Australia seated a lot of the momentum in the game after the equalizer. What was the impression you got living every kick of the ball inside the stadium?
00:01:54
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: Look, I know that the headlines back home are all kind of around the selections and whatnot for the penalty shoot out, but I actually reckon there were kind of a few moments in the game which had they gone differently, things might have gone different good differently for Australia, so you know, you can kind of tell I think the luck balanced out, but you know, Volpato hit the bar very early on right beat to keep a long range shot.
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Whatever.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: I think that goes in and changes the whole dynamic of the game because we're the team that goes in front and then they're going to change their game. I think we gave away a soft goal off a set piece. You know, We've been so good with our big, tall timber at the back there throughout the whole tournament, so that for us like a header against guys who were like a foot shorter than us, you know. But I think the most pivotal point of the game was losing Jordi Boss Okay, because he just had so much speed down that side and they've kind of switching him from left to right and whatever. And I think I think after that, I think you're right, we got back. We got a little bit lucky with the equalizer, but it was a reward for all the pressure that we'd had.
00:02:56
Speaker 3: On them, but we just kind of didn't finish it off. After that.
00:02:59
Speaker 2: We did apply and when there were times where we got sloppy and lazy and a little bit panicky, you.
00:03:05
Speaker 3: Know, particularly at the end of regulation time.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: That last five minutes was just like what awful to go through, and then the last sort of five minutes before before the penalty shootout. So look, over two hours we scored one goal. So as much as the focus is going to be on the penalties, I don't think we did enough.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: We will come to the penalties, but one more before we do the double substitution to take off Nesta Iran Kunda and Christian Volpato. Now I think that, like many fans, like a lot of media, Iran Kunda playing as a center forward did not work.
00:03:43
Speaker 4: He was much more dangerous on the wing.
00:03:45
Speaker 1: And yet we never went back to that situation at any point and we cut our losses seemingly. And Volparto, as you mentioned, he hit the crossbar. He was promising otherwise a good set piece player as well. The double change. How big a factor in that was as Strata essentially conceding that they were going to go for a defense first mentality rather than be more proactive in trying to win the game out on the pitch, rather than settle for penalties.
00:04:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was critical.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: If you go back to the very first game that we played against Turkey up in Vancouver, right, that was the only time that Most started at center forward and.
00:04:22
Speaker 3: Erin Kunda played on the left, and that actually.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Was the best combination that they had throughout the entire tournament. So I actually surprised that they didn't go back to that. Now, Weil Pardo came on, and he did a great job when he came on, but I would have thought that there was an opportunity there rather than take them both off at the same time, would have been to go back to that combination that we had in Vancouver and just see how it go and attacked and put it in because Erin Kunda looked so much better when he's on the wing. And didn't do it, and I think again that that was a sort of a slightly missed opportunity. You could see that from that point onwards we were already looking at penalties, and which is I wrot given that we tried.
00:05:01
Speaker 3: I think we got sort.
00:05:02
Speaker 2: Of unnecessarily panned for the game against Paraguay when people, particularly British media, were sort of saying that, you know, we played for penalties from the get go, and I don't think we did. I think we tried to win that game, but Paraguay just defended well.
00:05:19
Speaker 1: Now going to welcome in Amy Harrison thirteen Cap Matilda International. Amy, a devastating night for Australia going out of the World Cup. Your impressions on the way it went down, and we will get to the penalty shootout next, but your thoughts initially on just the overall performance in our exit from the tournament.
00:05:38
Speaker 5: Yeah, obviously first and foremost super disappointing. I think there was the game there for us to take and move on to the round of sixteen, and I think the first maybe twenty thirty minutes, I thought we looked a little bit uncomfortable, and I think, no, no, once the first hydration break came and then certainly halftime, we started to play more and maybe just calm the nerves a little bit and.
00:06:03
Speaker 6: Play our football.
00:06:04
Speaker 5: But I still think we weren't as ruthless enough and I think maybe that's the big reason why we didn't progress and why when all the way to penalties and unfortunately we got knocked out.
00:06:16
Speaker 1: I'll get both your opinions on this. The big decision to suber in Mattie Ryan and take off Patrick Beach, He's just made one of the saves of the tournament to keep the game at one one.
00:06:27
Speaker 4: He's been the hot hand and we take him out.
00:06:30
Speaker 1: Julian, you first the decision to swap goalkeepers, What did you make of it?
00:06:35
Speaker 3: It was the wrong call.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: You just one O one in sport is when someone's just you stick with him.
00:06:42
Speaker 3: Patrick Beach has been phenomenal on this tournament. I sawt of stat pop up.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: I think he's made more says than anyone else in the whole competition.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: But don't quote me on that if it's not right. But he was in such terrific form. He actually pulled off.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: An unbelievable savory, just palmed it over the bar just to make it go into penalties. I was stun like everyone else when they took him off. I get the whole sort of romance around Maddie. He's been a great servant for the game and all this sort of thing. But and Papa kind of tried to justify it by saying he was fresh, he's got a good record with penalties and whatever. But you just have a guy who was just like stopping everything. I just I just think it was the wrong call. I get what he was trying to do but he getsed wrong.
00:07:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, I completely agree.
00:07:25
Speaker 5: I think you know, I think we were all this stunners each other and as stunders as Paddy Beach it looked like, and hearing him speak after the game, he found out when we all found out. So I think for that moment to happen, I think it's certainly rattled not only him but the entire squad. And I think, like you said, Julian, that save that he made was one of the best saves of the tournament, and you could see it. It hyped him up, It hyped the team up.
00:07:50
Speaker 6: I was hyped up.
00:07:51
Speaker 5: It was an incredible save. And I think you also saw the body language of the Egyptians just thinking, wow, you know, how are we going to get past this guy? Like he's making these saves that are just incredible to then get subbed. I think it almost gave Egypt out a little bit of a boost of thinking, Okay, he's out, now we have a little bit of an opportunity. Sow on the screen. They were quickly watching highlights of Maddie Ryan on the screen, and I think that gave them somewhat of an advantage.
00:08:20
Speaker 6: If I'm honest, just.
00:08:21
Speaker 5: Because it gave them fresh eyes on what he does, his technique of penalties and how they can do it. And I think that's why he saw mosalah teka Apaneca, because you know, I think you could see that Maddy Ryan does like to go a little bit early sometimes. So I think it it was a hard decision. Obviously, now we can sit back and say it was the wrong one. But you know, penalties are a lottery. Anything can happen. But I don't think we set ourselves up well to go and win that properly.
00:08:47
Speaker 4: You mentioned it's a lottery.
00:08:48
Speaker 1: Did we pick the right numbers in the line because we had we had Eiden Hrustitch out there, who notably took a penalty in a Europa League final for Iron Track Frankfurt, so he's taking penalties on a big state and even though he the camp denied he was under an injury cloud from game one until the end of the tournament, Mo Toure not taking a penalty as well, and Adrian ar Trully from SBS actually tweeted out that al Jacati was going to be our fifth penalty taker if it got to the fifth one. So three center backs were in our five penalty takers. Now, Amy, you've played center back and you do take penalties all the time we've seen in your career. Should it matter that we sent up three defenders and what do you make of the decisions of more of the attack binded players not to be the ones regardless of who put their hand up, who's confident or not. From a technical point of view, should we have made better decisions there?
00:09:40
Speaker 6: Yeah?
00:09:40
Speaker 5: I think when you have attackers on the field that are confident to take those penalties, and having three center backs certainly is quite interesting. I think I did see Lucas Herrington speak after the game and say that he was taking them during the week and scoring them and was confident. But when the pressure arises of what it was that situation, you can't ever practice for that. And you can do the same run up, you can do the same steps, all those little things, but you add in everything that comes with that moment, it changes. But I do think we had the other players. Moturo, like you said, he's a striker, he scores goals. Here, who's stick who comes on can score goals? I think when you look at moments like that, and we had the players to do that, we had the players to step up and score in those big moments and take it on. But I just, yeah, we obviously didn't.
00:10:33
Speaker 1: Julian, your thoughts on who took the penalties, and maybe just a last word from you on what next for Tony Popovic's as he deals with the fallout, because you've had firsthand experience of his lack of giving in the press conferences and an unwillingness to explain himself or elaborate on his decisions. Had he not been pushed in his press conference, he probably wouldn't have even given us the line about Matt Ryan's experience. His original line was I had a subervail and I made it and he considered it. That was enough of an explanation. So your final thoughts on the penalties and.
00:11:05
Speaker 2: Popper penalties again, I mean, I just think they got the order wrong.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: I mean, I you know, I've never been in a situation in a World Cup and sound it looks.
00:11:13
Speaker 2: So intimidating to be able to do that, And I think when you when you do that, I mean I spoke to Harry Keule before the tournament and he said, you always put your best, your best goal taker first right and get ahead, and because you put more pressure on the team who's following behind. I think they should have used heuristic first up. Not only did he kick the one in the Europa League that you mentioned, but he also he kicked the winning one for Australia to go through the last World Cup in two thousand and twenty two against against Peru. So and I spoke to him before it. I mean, he's a guy who wants to take penalties. He did miss his last one I think against Cameroon in that thing, but he was already talking about he was over that, so I think they did get the order there.
00:11:53
Speaker 3: I really felt for Lucas in particular.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: He it's one thing to be able to do them in training, but you can't put yourself in someone else's shoes, Like what.
00:12:03
Speaker 3: Do you do as an eighteen year old kid in front of seventy.
00:12:06
Speaker 2: Thousand people and a really intimidating, sort of bare pit of a stadium that Dallas is, and the eyes of Australia and everyone watching you.
00:12:13
Speaker 3: I thought it was really cantful. And I thought his body language.
00:12:16
Speaker 2: For a kid who's been so calm and composed throughout the whole tournament, he looked nervous when he was walking up to do it and didn't look like he actually struck it all right, He just sort of he didn't miss by much, but he missed, so yeah, it was a sad way for them. Look, penalties are a bit of a lottery. I mean, the two guys who have missed the most penalties and the history of football are a couple of decent footballers, So Ronaldo and Messi. So you know, remember nineteen ninety four Roberto Baggio missed a penalty in the final as one of the best players and the thing.
00:12:46
Speaker 3: So I don't think they'll be scarred for life.
00:12:48
Speaker 2: Because they've missed a penalty, Just a little bit of a missed opportunity. Look, and as for Popper, look, I think overall Pop has done a really good job with the team.
00:12:59
Speaker 3: I do. I do think the players respective.
00:13:01
Speaker 2: Look, he's not always forthcoming with the media, and we would prefer that they always are, But when you're in the business of managing the national side, I don't know whether or not that's a prerek. We've seen plenty of other prickly managers over the years, and I don't actually think he's prickly. He just likes to keep he likes to play his cards pretty close to his share. So I mean he did get a bit frustrated when during press conferences, during when we'd quiz him all the.
00:13:28
Speaker 3: Time about his selections.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: It was almost like and it was a front to him that you know why he's a journal asking me about my selections, Like what would they know? But you know, that's what people in Australia are talking about. Maybe three weeks ago half the population Australia didn't know the lineup, and now I had my wife and kids like sending me messages about the order of the penalty shootout, you know. So it shows you how quickly people got engaged in it.
00:13:51
Speaker 1: You touch on a great point which I think we'll get into in our next full episode of talks about World Cap Shootout, which is how we take people on the journey and take people who watch once every four years and have them fall in love with not just the soccer US as a team, but the game of football. But you've just tugged on a little thread which might have to wait for another day. Julian, thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations on a great coverage of the World Cup from your point of view in the media, and we appreciate you joining us on World Cup shootout.
00:14:21
Speaker 3: It was a pleasure.
00:14:22
Speaker 1: Thanks very much, Amy, while we've still got you. Julian did touch on it earlier. But the Jordi Boss injury coming off the back of the Italiano injury leaving Kai Truan to have to play out of position. Now, you have been quite a versatile player in your career. Some would say, you know one that's been put into situations to help the team in an hour of need. Just how demanding of that was on Truan, But also how does it reflect on the squad we took to this tournament. You do have to account for some injuries, but with a twenty six player squad, surely you have the depth not to have to throw someone in the deep end to play in an international game in a position they've never played a club or country.
00:15:08
Speaker 5: Yeah too, it's a It's a really good question because I thought Jody Boss was our player of the tournament.
00:15:13
Speaker 6: I thought he he was excellent.
00:15:15
Speaker 5: Not only down that left flank, but but on the right when he got switched over, like you said, whence Jacob Ataliona got injured. But it does you know, create a good little conversation about the depth and the players that he did pick for that outside back role and even the back three. I'll be honest, I thought not taking Kay Roles was was a pretty big missing in my opinion. I think he's proved, you know, the last World Cup what he can do for the country, and he's also versatile.
00:15:42
Speaker 6: I had a great year here at DC.
00:15:44
Speaker 5: United as well, and you know, you had someone like Milos Daganek who we didn't see, so you know, it's a it's a conversation that I think is pretty intriguing of what his plan was with those players in that back three to five role. But touching on Kai True, I do think he had a bit of an interesting start. I think oh Mama Mush got behind him bright the very good yea his credit absolutely said I was about to say he did he's picked himself up, and I thought he was excellent when he did come on and yeah, a really good, brave performance in a very difficult moment. So I thought he was great. But touching on JORDI Bill, see, it's super super unfortunate. I'm sending you know, all well wishes from from me and you and the team here at talks about because he's a fantastic player and I think he will go on to bigger and better.
00:16:36
Speaker 6: I think he was the quickest player in the whole World Cup so far, and.
00:16:40
Speaker 5: What he can do with the ball and the way he can affect games, it is truly special. I think he's a very talented player we have on our hands.
00:16:47
Speaker 1: He was in a brace on crutches at the end of the game. As someone who unfortunately knows the injury routine all too well, was there anything in the mechanics of how he went down that causes you concerned that it is a worst case scenario or are we hoping that in six months time he'll be playing for the Soccer US at the Asian Cup.
00:17:04
Speaker 6: Yeah, look, there was definitely concern.
00:17:06
Speaker 5: I think certainly the way he went down, the hyper extension of the knee and the way his knee was positioned in that extension part was was not great. The way he grabbed his knee after as well, not great. Like you said, it's unfortunately been in that position a few times and hopefully.
00:17:24
Speaker 6: He's not in that position.
00:17:25
Speaker 5: It was just a real impact sometimes the impact of that hyper extension and the bruising in and around the bone there is extremely painful, so fingers crossed it. It's just that maybe it's yet, like I said, hyper extension MCL kind of injury. You never want to say the ACL little word.
00:17:44
Speaker 6: But yes, especially.
00:17:49
Speaker 1: Especially not with you here speaking to me. One last one and we'll finish on a positive note. The Asian Cup is in six months and this tournament will do a lot for the stocks of the players. Patrick Beach surely he's played his last game in the A League. His stocks couldn't be high in terms of an overseas sale. Lucas Herrington is being attached to scouts from the biggest clubs in the world, and I think for Britzio Romano has adopted him as one of his own, which means he's got a bit of well but also as Latin and Tierry Henrie. We're talking both about him and to him on the American Fox coverage post game, sending him personal messages on air, so he's kind of become part of the public conversation, which is great for him. Iran Kunda's being attached to new bits every day. But as we know, Bayan Munich have the buyback clause and who knows who us ljacrty is being connected to bigger clubs in Seria A than his current spot in Parmas.
00:18:39
Speaker 4: So our dream of having more soccer.
00:18:41
Speaker 1: Roos in top five leagues at big clubs, but just in good club situations to get more game time. I mean, we do seem to be at a bit of a launching place. Yes, it's disappointing we couldn't go further, but this seems to be a group that we can really pin some expectations to. I guess the funny thing is Asian Cups. Every Asian team is out of the tournament before the round of sixteen. But we just know Saudi's and Qatar are going to look like world beaters in six months time because they always find a way at the Asian Cup and then they flop at World Cups. But just from a soccero's perspective, how optimistic are you about this group and about what this experience can do for the younger core as they go on to be hopefully household names into the future.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: Yeah, look, I think this tournament is invaluable for all those players that you mentioned, and also for the experience heads like Jackson Irvvine for example, I thought him Ade and O'Neill led that young group around really really well as well as you know, our captain Harry Souder, I thought he was excellent up until unfortunately that penalty. But I think when you look at the prospects of what we had have the talent coming through, and I think six months away is actually a really nice exciting timeline where they're still going to be riding the wave, they're probably all going to be signing big deals at big clubs. The confidence that comes with that, and I think, like you just mentioned, you look at Asia at the World Cup and you know we were the last, if not us in Japan country stand in and I think, you know, we can take a lot of confidence from that, but also it needs to you know, continue, and when the Asian Cup does arise next year, there's such a great opportunity for us to take what we've learned in this tournament and become powerhouses in Asia, really become powerhouses. And that's not to say we aren't now, but take it even more, become a step further, and I think we are in that position to really do that. And then you have this the Asian Cup, hopefully a trophy from the Asian Cup, and then you're building so so nicely towards the next World Cup in twenty thirty.
00:20:42
Speaker 4: I hope so as well.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Amy Harrison, thanks for jumping on and joining us from the States, and we appreciate your company on talkSPORT World Cup shoot Out through the Soccer's Journey.
00:20:51
Speaker 6: Thanks Teo, appreciate it.
00:20:53
Speaker 1: Don't forget to subscribe, but wherever you get your podcasts, also subscribe to the talkSPORT Australia YouTube channel. Dye Harfer and Kat Sasso will be back for our episode at the start of the week. We'll have had a couple of days to mull over the result and a bit more of the fallout out of Australia's World Cup exit on behalf of Julian Lyndon, whose material you can read in NewsCorp publications, and Amy Harrison. My name's Tao Pelazeri and we'll see you soon.
