Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer says Tony Popovic got his team selection ‘desperately’ wrong against USA

Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer says Tony Popovic got his selection “desperately” wrong in their 2-0 defeat against the USA at the World Cup.

Popovic made two changes from the opening-round victory against Türkiye, rotating goal-scorers Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe out of the side and giving Mat Leckie and Nishan Velupillay a starting role.

The Socceroos coach’s brave selection gamble against Türkiye, when he dropped skipper Mat Ryan for Pat Beach and gave Irankunda a start, was spectacularly vindicated in Vancouver. 

However, against the USA, in a pressure-cooker atmosphere in Seattle, Schwarzer believes Popovic may have stumbled.

“I felt that we didn’t give ourselves a chance in the first 45 minutes,” Schwarzer told ABC Sport Daily.

“I thought tactically [it] was wrong, selections were wrong.

“We talked off the back of what they did against Türkiye, and it was absolutely spot on. 

“This time round, I think the changes were not effective. Actually, if anything, they hurt us a bit today. 

“We lacked any real out, we lacked the threat of Irankunda in behind. So yeah, really disappointing.”

The Socceroos appeared completely overawed by the occasion, amidst a cacophonous atmosphere created by a raucous 66,925 supporters.

“We got a little bit caught up with the occasion,” Schwarzer said. 

“Playing a home nation, we’ve never done that before. 

“There’s a good mixture of players in this squad of experience and inexperience, but every one of them, for the very first time, have played against a host nation at a World Cup. 

“It’s the first time the Socceroos have done it [and] that occasion slightly got the better of us.”

That being said, Schwarzer said the performance was desperately disappointing and a missed opportunity to top the group.

“The general feeling will be they didn’t really give themselves a chance in that first 45 minutes, they gave themselves a mountain to climb, and that’s the disappointing element,” Schwarzer said.

“You’ll come away from this thinking that was a missed opportunity to get a result. 

“I feel like we should’ve got a result in the game if we’d played our best, because I don’t think the US played anywhere near their best. 

“We made it easier for them the first half.”

Having been humbled in a disastrous first half, Popovic made three changes at half time, introducing Irankunda and Metcalf for Velupillay and Mohamed Touré, while Jason Geria also came on to replace Cam Burgess, who struggled at the back with the USA’s movement and scored the opening own goal.

Although those changes appeared to make a real difference to the Socceroos, who finally gained a foothold in the game, Schwarzer was critical of withdrawing Touré, leaving the Socceroos without a recognised target up top.

That situation was exposed even more when Cristian Volpato came on and delivered multiple teasing crosses into a penalty area without a necessary outlet.

“Taking Mo Touré off, I thought, wasn’t the right decision either,” Schwarzer, who earned 109 caps for the Socceroos, said.

“I thought he should’ve stayed on. I thought he should’ve stayed with Irankunda, unless he’s feeling something, unless he’s injured.”

Touré has struggled with injuries at the back end of the season with Norwich and missed training earlier in the tournament due to illness.

Schwarzer, who played alongside Popovic for the Socceroos, added that nobody will know that more than Popovic himself.

“The fact of the matter is, I think behind closed doors he’ll know he got that wrong,” Schwarzer said.

“He’ll know desperately that he got those changes to his starting line-up wrong. 

“I think he’ll have a better idea moving forward what team he’s going to start in the third game [against Paraguay].”

Part of the considerations about the selection for that final group game against Paraguay in Santa Clara will be whether Volpato has done enough to earn himself a starting berth.

The 22-year-old Sassuolo winger only came into the World Cup squad late on after transferring his allegiance from Italy, for which he played underage internationals.

As an 18-year-old, the Sydney-born star declined the advances of Graham Arnold to join the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar.

However, having made 20 appearances at under-19, under-20 and under-21 level for the Azzurri, he switched back to Australia at the 11th hour to link up with Popovic’s squad.

Only introduced after a hamstring injury forced Leckie off in the 60th minute, Volpato was a revelation, relentlessly attacking down the right side and creating a number of chances for the Socceroos.

Schwarzer acknowledged that Leckie struggled, saying, “I just don’t think it was the right game for him”, but was full of praise for Volpato.

“A lot of energy, a lot of movement and also a bit of an attitude, which is great,” Schwarzer said of Volpato.

“He wasn’t feeling out of his depth. He felt like he could grab the game by the scruff of the neck. 

“Unfortunately, it didn’t quite fall for him. He had a great, great chance to get a decent shot on goal [and] unfortunately got too far underneath it. 

“But I think there’s a lot of positives.”

Schwarzer notes that Irankunda “has to come back into the side” for the clash against Paraguay on Friday, as should Metcalfe.

But the bigger question is what happens at the back.

“The question mark will be whether he sticks with a back three [or] does he go with a back four?” Schwarzer said.

“Probably still sticks with a back three.

“Look, the question mark then is if, if I’m saying that Irankunda should start, Mo Touré’s a given for me as well, and if Connor Metcalfe comes back in the side, you’re either then leaving out Paul Okon-Engstler or Aiden O’Neil, and I think both of those have been superb.”