Tony Popovic says no regrets over Australia World Cup shootout

Tony Popovic says he has no major regrets over Australia's World Cup campaign, despite the penalty shootout heartbreak that ended it. The Socceroos boss faced criticism for his selections in the decisive shootout against Egypt, which Australia lost after a draw in Dallas.

Popovic made his first public comments since the tournament at a media appearance in Sydney. He was asked specifically about the shootout decisions that fans derided, including bringing on Maty Ryan for Patrick Beach in goal and selecting teenager Lucas Herrington to take the high-pressure fourth kick. "There’s always been a purpose behind every decision I’ve made," Popovic said. "And I’m comfortable with that purpose for all of them."

He stated flatly that he would not do anything differently if the situation were repeated. If the shootout were replayed the next day, he said the same players would take the kicks and the same goalkeeper would be in goal. The coach described himself as his own toughest critic but stood by his tournament strategy.

The Egypt disappointment

Popovic identified the round of 16 match against Egypt as the only real source of regret. "The only one was Egypt, really," he said. "The front third, and for whatever reasons, the opponent also can play a part in how well they’re playing, we didn’t really have an impact in the front third in the last game."

Australia equalised but could not finish off their opponents and were eliminated soon after the final whistle. Popovic noted that losing winger Jordy Bos to injury during the match did not help, as it robbed the side of dynamism on the left. Cristian Volpato caused problems for Egypt's Karim Hafez in the first half but became fatigued later on. Despite creating chances, Australia failed to punish a perceived weak area on Egypt's right side.

Youthful squad and future

Getting through a group containing Turkey, the USA and Paraguay was a significant achievement for a squad with an average age of 25 years and 165 days, the youngest in the entire tournament. That was 155 days younger than the next youngest side, Côte d’Ivoire. Popovic expressed pride in fast-tracking young talents like Nestory Irankunda and Paul Okon-Engstler into the senior setup.

Since the World Cup, 11 members of that squad have moved clubs, with Herrington and defender Alessandro Circati breaking the previous Australian transfer record fee. Striker Mo Touré has already scored four goals for Norwich City this season, while Herrington is featuring for Premier League surprise package Hull City. This experience, Popovic believes, will benefit Australian football in the cycles leading to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups.

Looking ahead to Brazil and Asia

Popovic acknowledged his squad selections for the World Cup involved a sacrifice, with a focus on youth and athleticism over experience. He said he does not think about his immediate future, joking that if he did, he would have picked a different squad. Popovic signed a contract extension on the eve of the World Cup that runs until the end of the upcoming Asian Cup.

His immediate focus is on a pair of friendlies against Brazil in Queensland later this month, with the first match scheduled for 25 September. Popovic then targets a deep run at January's Asian Cup, stating Australia should definitely be in the semi-finals fighting for a spot in the final. The team currently sits second in their World Cup qualifying group with four points from three games. Their recent form shows one win, three draws and one loss from the last five outings.