“You’re going to Japan to play the best team at the moment. It’s a beautiful challenge. I can’t wait. I hope the players are really excited for it.”
Popovic’s gung-ho approach was reflected in the way Australia set up against China, playing a 3-4-3 formation in which the two wingers were inverted, coming inside to act as No.10s, with the team’s width provided by their wing-backs. It remains to be seen if they will actually play on the front foot in Japan, but the new coach’s attitude is rubbing off on his players.
Tony Popovic congratulates Socceroos star Craig Goodwin, the man of the match against China.Credit: Getty Images
Aziz Behich even evoked the old slogan of the Ange Postecoglou-era Socceroos on Friday when he told reporters: “We’re not going to take a backward step against anybody, that’s for sure.”
Behich said he thrived on the left-hand side under Popovic’s set-up and that the three centre-backs behind him gave him licence to roam.
“And the positioning our 10s were getting in, and the way we were breaking lines, it gave me much more freedom and more confidence to get forward. You’re not worried about losing the ball because everyone’s in the right position,” he said.
“It’s hard. It’s difficult to mark. We showed that, especially in the second half where we were rotating the ball, the opposite 10 was always free – and that’s when it gives myself or the other full-back time to overlap and cause a bit of problems with the two-v-one on the wing.”
While the Socceroos came away with no injury concerns, Popovic flagged the likelihood of several changes, saying he didn’t believe many players in his squad had the ability to back up “at the level we require” for a second match in four days.
Jason Geria, Riley McGree, Jordan Bos and Nishan Velupillay, who all impressed off the bench, loom as strong candidates to start, as does Ajdin Hrustic, who came on in the 90th minute.
Popovic has already put his stamp on the team by dropping captain and usual first-choice goalkeeper Maty Ryan, who is yet to play a minute for his new club AS Roma, in favour of Joe Gauci, who last month made his debut for Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup but hasn’t featured since.
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“Maty’s still our captain, that’s no doubt,” Behich said.
“The bosses make a decision and us as footballers, especially the ones like myself that have been around long enough, you’ve just got to get on with it. From what I’ve learned from Popa in the few days I’ve been with him, everything’s done with a purpose … so I’m sure there’s a reasoning behind that.”
Popovic’s other surprise move was handing Lewis Miller his first minutes since Australia’s heartbreaking loss to South Korea at the Asian Cup, in which he gave away the free kick and then the penalty which enabled them to score a last-gasp 2-1 win. He immediately repaid Popovic’s faith in him by heading in Craig Goodwin’s cross for the equalising goal, and the coach later talked up his potential.
“It didn’t go the way that I wanted to go in the Asian Cup,” Miller said.
“I took that to heart. I was let down by who I let down, the country and stuff. But at the end of the day, football is football, right? It’s a game of emotions – the best and the worst emotions. That’s why we play the game, for the thrill.
“This is the start of the redemption, and I’m keen to keep going on and on and on.”
