Source :- THE AGE NEWS
San Francisco: Talent is not enough. It never has been for Tony Popovic.
That has been a consistent theme of his time as Socceroos coach: being a good player is not enough, having one good game is not enough, being capable of moments that nobody else can produce is not enough. Not if you can’t produce enough of them.
To earn enough trust to consistently start matches, a player must prove to Popovic that they can execute for 90-plus minutes, and even longer if necessary – and then do it again and again. They must be able to repeat high-intensity efforts, carry out defensive responsibilities and maintain concentration when fatigue sets in. Talent gets you into the squad, reliability gets you into the starting XI, and durability keeps you there.
Which brings us to the defining question of Australia’s 2026 campaign thus far: Why didn’t the Socceroos’ most eye-catching players start against the United States?
The verdict from most observers is that Popovic got it wrong. From Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer to Craig Foster and Kevin-Prince Boateng, the overwhelming view from pundits is that he made critical selection errors in the 2-0 defeat that must be rectified on Friday (12pm AEST) against Paraguay.
Specifically, he needs to start any two of Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato or Connor Metcalfe behind Mohamed Toure. To refuse is to commit the unconscionable sin of not “having a go”.
Why won’t Popovic do it? Well, he really would like to. But he believes that, right now, he probably can’t.
In an interview with this masthead before the World Cup began, Popovic effectively anticipated this debate. It was put to him that fans would consider Irankunda, Volpato and Toure as Australia’s best front three on paper, and want them to start together.
Popovic rejected the idea that leaving out those names was evidence of tactical conservatism, arguing instead that it was about what each could realistically produce over the course of a high-intensity World Cup match.
The challenge for Australia’s younger attackers, Popovic said, was proving they could sustain that level for an entire game, which any starter must be able to do.
Popovic used Jordan Bos as an example of the physical evolution he is looking for from his players. When he first took over the Socceroos, Bos’ minutes were carefully managed with the national team because he was unable to back up for his country after playing for his club days earlier. Now he can, as can Alessandro Circati – but Popovic believes few others in their age bracket are capable.
By the next World Cup, Popovic is hoping that more will be, and that the Socceroos will have 10 or 15 players who are operating on that kind of level.
“Then it’s a very different looking team. Same names, but very different looking team,” he said.
“So we’re at the start of that type of cycle … in years to come, if we can have a large group that’s doing it, well, then you’re watching all these boys play.
“That’s not because the coach doesn’t want to play them [now]. No, it’s not that. I love the player, but I know what he can do at the moment … I know where they’re at now and what they can produce for us at the World Cup. They’re here because they’re good enough, and they will contribute. But for each game, there will be a slightly different plan, and we need to look at what each player can produce at that time.”
Logically, there would have to be a compelling reason not to start players with such clear game-changing attributes. Lo and behold, there was: in his post-match press conference after the USA game, Popovic explained that he benched Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, the two goal scorers against Turkey, because he wanted “freshness” in wide areas.
Irankunda, he said, was cramping on the pitch after he’d been sent on, days after looking gassed at half-time in Australia’s first game; even at club level, he is not yet a bankable 90-minute player. Metcalfe is not at optimal match fitness after an intermittent season in Germany, and nor is Volpato, the last player to arrive in camp.
Toure, meanwhile, needs to be protected from accumulated fatigue – as do all of these players, with knockout football a near-certainty for the Socceroos regardless of the result against Paraguay.
Popovic also played down the idea that personnel was a factor against the USA, and he probably has a point. What difference does it really make who’s playing further up the pitch, if the defenders and midfielders couldn’t get free of the American high press to be able to pass it to them?
We know how obsessive Popovic is over physical conditioning. But the most intricate and advanced strategy of managing the team’s conditioning still resulted in what he described as a “flat and lethargic” performance on the pitch – the exact opposite of the “freshness” he wanted. Why was that? Players have dismissed the notion that their fitness base was a problem. It can’t be; they spent weeks training in Florida before most other national teams had even assembled to bring themselves up to speed, and have crowed about their ability to run out games.
The truth is that Australia’s improved play in the second half – to at least some extent – was because of the changed personnel.
So we must, then, consider what else Popovic might be missing, and whether it’s possible that, in this case, over-analysis has led to paralysis.
“You need your best players who are in form and full of confidence [on the pitch]. This is a mental game more than it is a physical game,” said former Socceroo Bruce Djite on the ABC’s Offsiders.
To what extent should physical markers be dictating selection at a World Cup? That’s impossible to answer without the information that is governing these decisions. All we can do is ask the questions and consider all possible perspectives – so here’s another one.
Darren Burgess, the former Socceroos fitness boss who is regarded as one of world football’s top sports science experts, argues that modern football has become too obsessed with data and control. After years at Liverpool, Arsenal and now Juventus, where he works as their director of performance, he arrived at a conclusion that would make many people in his line of work uncomfortable: sometimes, the player knows best when it comes to their bodies.
Burgess recalls trying to convince former Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal to follow a carefully planned injury rehabilitation program before a crucial match against Manchester United. Monreal ignored it, told him to relax, trained only once before the game, then played without issue – a lesson, for him, that numbers don’t explain everything.
Not everything can be measured. Some things have to be sensed. This is perhaps one of those times. Against Paraguay, Popovic must decide if talent is still not enough – or if, for this moment at least, it is exactly what the Socceroos need.
