One month from now, the Socceroos will play two games in six days that will decide whether they automatically qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup or take the more familiar rocky road to the game’s showpiece event.
The June window starts with the visit of Japan before a tricky trip to Saudi Arabia and two young stars are desperate to catch the eye of national team boss Tony Popovic when the A-League finals start on Friday night, while a third is hoping he’s already done enough.
Western United striker Noah Botic takes on Adelaide United on Friday night in an elimination final before forward Nicolas Milanovic and the Western Sydney Wanderers put their season on the line against the Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.
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Adrian Segecic will be reduced to the role of spectator after Sydney FC missed the top six.
It is one of many issues for Popovic to navigate ahead of the two most important fixtures of his tenure so far.
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HAVE STAR A-LEAGUE TRIO DONE ENOUGH TO EARN SELECTION?
All three have lit up the domestic competition this season. Segecic is the joint top-scorer alongside Adelaide’s Archie Goodwin with 13 while Botic and Milanovic both have 12.
The trio created headlines after all scored on the same weekend after being overlooked by Popovic for the March international window. Segecic and Botic made gestures after hitting the back of the net that mimicked not receiving a phone call while Milanovic took his jersey off and held it aloft for all to see his name and number.
It is clear now, two months on, that Popovic was paying attention, whether the celebrations were a direct message to him or not.
“It’s different times,” Popovic says with a broadening grin.
“I am not sure I would have done that. I would not have had the confidence to do that.
“When I was playing, we had players, we all had personality, we all had confidence, we all had a belief and nothing would waver that. I feel we’ve probably lost a lot of that. These boys have just for me shown they have got some personality which is great.”
The praise had an asterisk. Popovic, while a huge fan of confidence, rates consistency over the long term even more.
“That’s fine. Then you have just got to back it up. If you want to be like that, great, fantastic, but then you’ve got to be the best player on the park every week and that’s the challenge that they’ve got.”
Milanovic makes the strongest case in that regard after also producing an eye-catching 2023/24 campaign with the Wanderers that included nine goals and five assists from 25-games in the A-League.
YOUNG EUROPE-BASED STARS ALSO BEING MONITORED
Nestory Irankunda started the first match of the Popovic era but hasn’t been seen in green and gold since. The winger was substituted for the more experienced Riley McGree at half-time in that 3-1 win against China at Adelaide Oval.
The 19-year-old moved from German giants Bayern Munich to Swiss side Grasshoppers in search of more minutes in January and is back on the radar after becoming a regular starter.
“He’s got more of a chance now than before because he’s playing regularly,” said Popovic.
“We’ve been watching him closely, he’s been starting a lot of matches, so I think for a young player, for him in particular it’s a really important step and we’ll keep watching him until the end of the year.”
There’s still question marks about Irankunda’s suitability to Popovic’s system where the wingers play a more inverted role as opposed to being given the freedom of the flank, but the coach also knows he needs to find another attacking threat from a different part of the field to cover the loss of the injured Jackson Irvine in midfield.
Regardless, the teenagers move to Switzerland has kept him front of mind. There’s a lesson in that as well for another young attacking talent stuck in a long waiting line at a big European club.
Garang Kuol almost became a national hero if not for a miracle save from Emi Martinez denying his strike in the seventh minute of added time in Australia’s round of 16 game against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Argentina was 2-1 up at the time and went on to be crowned world champions.
It’s been two-years since his last game for the Socceroos, but Kuol has five goals in his last 10 Premier League 2 games for Newcastle United after the 20-year-old endured difficult loan spells in Scotland and the Netherlands.
“He just needs consistent football,” said Popovic.
“For any striker, when they’re scoring they’re confident.
“So, regardless of the level he’s scoring goals and he seems to be a lot more confident on the field and when you see him in and around the box you can see there’s a clear focus and confidence about him when he’s dribbling a player which maybe we haven’t seen for a while.”
Kuol’s next steps are crucial. A move to the right club in the right league is a must.
ARZANI IMPRESSIVE BUT POPOVIC WANTS MORE
Tony Popovic hasn’t been shy in his criticism of Daniel Arzani. In January, he revealed to reporters the Melbourne Victory winger “wasn’t good enough” in camp prior to the October qualifiers last year and that Arzani’s “level was really poor in training.”
It was criticism aimed at inspiring, and it appears to have done just that. Arzani was not only part of the Socceroos squad in March but also got on the field as a second-half substitute in wins against Indonesia in Sydney and China in Hangzhou. Several eye-catching performances for the Melbourne Victory have followed.
Now 26, it has been some time since Arzani was dubbed the next big thing in Australian football. While the tag might’ve faded his skill has not. Popovic knows players with x-factor tend to drift in and out of games, but Arzani has been issued with a challenge to buck that trend.
“We’ve seen some of his performances in the last few games where he has probably been the best player on the park for 45-minutes. He’s got to try and get those minutes longer,” said Popovic.
“We shouldn’t be shy of the high expectation we have whether that’s Daniel or any other player.”
STRIKER SHOOTOUT AT ABU DHABI TRAINING CAMP
Tony Popovic is looking for a 20-goal per season striker.
At the moment that is a benchmark out of reach for those in contention for the role.
Perth Glory’s Adam Taggart started up front against Indonesia in March with Wanderers forward Brandon Borrello handed that task against China. Mitch Duke and Kusini Yengi have also filled the number nine position.
Whoever impresses at a planned 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi from May 20 could be handed first crack against Japan.
Yengi will arrive in the Middle East off the back of an injury riddled campaign with Portsmouth in the second-tier Championship in England and with the national team. The 26-year-old, who is out of contract at Pompey, will be given the chance to prove his fitness because he offers “something different to any other striker, any potential striker that we have,” according to Popovic.
“There’s no-one that has that frame or body.
“I’d love him to use it more.
“I think he needs to find somewhere to play regular football to do that.”
A strong international window would be the perfect way to convince potential suitors.
THE STATE OF PLAY
The Socceroos sit in second spot in group C ahead of the final match day of round three. If they remain there after playing Japan and Saudi Arabia, then they’ll be off to the World Cup next year. The qualifying equation is still up in the air and depends on other results in the group with four points separating third-placed Saudi Arabia from China in last.
The Samurai Blue have already secured an automatic qualification berth so just what their squad looks like for this fixture, which falls at the end of another long European season, is unclear.
“I’m sure they’ll come with a mindset of winning,” said Popovic.
Every member of Japan’s starting eleven the last time they played the Socceroos in October was on the books of a European club.
“No J League player made the (starting side) and I’m sure we all agree it’s a strong competition.”
It is, so the theory that a Japan squad at less than full strength equals an easier night for Australia in Perth doesn’t add up.
“If they do change any players, if some of the J-League players come in I’m sure they want to prove their worth to the coach because they also want to go to a World Cup.”
The Socceroos share that ambition.
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