Key events
Sam Lewis
Anyone who’s been paying attention to the Socceroos over the past 18 months already knows about Nestory Irankunda, but the youngster’s performance against Brazil last week undoubtedly introduced him to a whole new South American audience.
From his slaloming run and strike in the sixth minute to his bullet free kick to put Australia ahead in the 68th, the Sporting winger reminded all of us what he’s capable of when played in the position he’s best at.
It does make you wonder what the World Cup may have looked like for the Socceroos had Irankunda played down the left for the whole tournament, instead of spending the final few games at centre-forward where he played with his back to goal and got shoved to the ground most of the time.
Head coach Tony Popovic said he has “no major regrets” from the World Cup, though admitted he had reflected on the loss to Egypt and the lack of impact Australia had in the front third up until the penalty shoot-out. Juggling different players based on fitness and fatigue levels was part of that dilemma, apparently, while the loss of Jacob Italiano and Jordan Bos to injury took the wind out of their sails.
Yet the question of Irankunda still lingers. With Mohamed Touré and Tete Yengi – two natural centre-forwards – seemingly available for those games, Popovic persisted with Irankunda up front against Egypt, where he achieved very little and looked frustrated as a result.
But against Brazil last week, we saw how lethal he can be when given the space to turn and tear in behind or run directly at defenders. He’s in the line-up once again tonight, where you’d expect to see the same. Come the Asian Cup, one would hope Popovic has learned that lesson, too.
Sam Lewis
This international window carries a bit more urgency for Australia than for Brazil, with the Socceroos already preparing for the 2027 Asian Cup which kicks off in Saudi Arabia in January.
Head coach Tony Popovic has used the opportunity to bring in a few new faces, though his hand has been forced somewhat by a spate of injuries to some of his World Cup players including Mohamed Touré (shoulder), Cristian Volpato (hamstring), Cameron Burgess (Achilles), Jordan Bos (knee), and Alex Robertson, while a few veterans including captain Mat Ryan, Mat Leckie, and Awer Mabil simply weren’t selected.
The silver lining is that five debutants were called up for this series in goalkeeper Jacob Chapman, Kealey Adamson, Eli Adams, Yaya Dukuly and Marcus Younis, who earned his first cap in Townsville. Kasey Bos – the younger brother of Jordan – and teenage defender Dylan Leonard were also selected and could make their debuts today.
There is a growing sense that this group may become the best Socceroos side since the Golden Generation of the early 2000s, with this year’s World Cup acting as a launchpad for several Australian stars into bigger and better clubs.
It’s in rather stark contrast to Brazil, who appear to still be figuring out what their new era looks like after getting knocked out of the World Cup by Norway in the round of 16.
They never really got going under Carlo Ancelotti in North America, but the head coach has called in a couple younger names to this camp such as Artur Dias (Athletico Paranaense) and Maurio Júnior (PSV Eindhoven) as they look to slowly and sustainably rebuild, with their next World Cup qualifiers starting in late 2027.
How do you think this Socceroos team will fare come January, friends? With Singapore, Iraq, and Tajikistan in their group, are they ready to seriously compete at the Asian Cup or are they still a bit too green?
Send me your thoughts and feelings via email at samantha.lewis.freelance@guardian.co.uk
Preamble
Sam Lewis
Hello folks and welcome to live coverage of the Socceroos’ second and final friendly match against Brazil. Tonight’s game at Lang Park in Brisbane will kick off at 8.10pm AEST (7.10am BRT).
It was framed as a David v Goliath match when Australia hosted the Seleção in Townsville last week, but the 90 minutes that unfolded on the rough north Queensland turf told a totally different story.
The Socceroos were seconds from a famous win after Nestory Irankunda’s dipping free kick, only to cop an equaliser from substitute Rayan in stoppage time.
Still stinging from a disappointing World Cup campaign, Brazil did not make a particularly strong statement that they’re turning things around. Despite Brazil starting some of their biggest players such as Marquinhos, Guimarães, Raphinha, and Vinícius Júnior, they struggled to break down an organised and aggressive Australian backline, carving out only a handful of serious chances on goal.
The Socceroos, meanwhile, continued their own World Cup theme of collective defence, pressing with gusto, and choosing their moments to attack at speed, though the cow-paddock surface dented some of those chances.
Both teams will feel they were robbed of something in that first match, be it a historic home win against the five-time world champions on the side of Australia, or an opportunity to turn a new page and show their true quality in the case of Brazil. Tonight’s rematch in Brisbane will be a chance for each to make amends.
In case you missed the game itself, you can catch up on the blow-by-blow over on Martin Pegan’s live blog here, or if you don’t have that kind of time and just want to get a sense of the vibes, take a read of Joey Lynch’s match report below.
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