As the Socceroos turn their minds to the possibility of a penalty shootout against Egypt, they have a powerful presence in their corner: Mile Jedinak. Australia's assistant coach boasts a remarkable record – he never missed a penalty for the Socceroos during his career as a player, and found the back of the net from the spot three times at World Cups.
Jedinak's Record and Reluctance
Asked about his record this week as the Australian team prepare for the last-32 match in Dallas, Jedinak initially tried to deflect. “You know the answer to that,” he said. “We're not here to talk about me.”
Jedinak's hair and beard may now be greying, but he is still as imposing as he was during a professional career lasting more than 400 matches. His career arc is legendary, having battled to win a professional contract at the dawn of the A-League, before securing a move to Turkey and then spending almost a decade in the top two tiers of English football with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
The Secrets of the Penalty Spot
On Wednesday, he needed some careful coaxing to open up about the secrets of the penalty spot. “You need to allow the individuals to figure their process out, and you only do that by repetition,” he said.
Jedinak was deeply respected by teammates, having captained Palace, Villa and the Socceroos. Nothing gave his teams confidence more than his record with penalties.
At the 2014 World Cup he scored to put Australia up 2-1 against the Netherlands, though they ultimately fell to a 3-2 defeat. He scored two spot kicks against Honduras to book the Socceroos a place in the 2018 tournament, and in Russia converted from the spot against both France and Denmark. In 2019 he came on in the final minute of extra time to take a penalty in the shootout that helped Aston Villa reach the Championship final.
“It's hard to constantly do it in a game if you're not getting penalties,” he said. “But it's the familiarity of it and understanding what makes you feel in that moment [that] you have the right solution in that moment, you've got the tools to be able to deal with whatever's being thrown at you.”
Young Players Ready to Step Up
Alessandro Circati is just 22, and is seen as a leader of this Socceroos team despite his age. He has both scored and missed penalties in his short career, but has never taken a penalty in green and gold. Much can happen in 120 minutes before a shootout lineup is confirmed, but Circati said he would volunteer if it came down to it. “If I'm there, I'd be confident enough to take it as I'm quite confident in that situation,” he said.
Australia's penalty lineup will largely be a decision for Tony Popovic and his staff, including Jedinak, but Circati said the final decision will come down to the player. “They'll give a guideline, but then obviously, whoever is – in the moment – willing to take the penalty and take it, will step up.”
Jedinak's Simple Approach
Jedinak says he is happy to provide advice to players who ask for it, and his approach was simple. “Taking the moment, controlling the situation with the ball, trying not to focus on anything else, purely: ball, me and where I was going to put it. [Then] clean contact, strong enough that if the goalkeeper goes the right way that it's going to beat him.”
Likely Penalty Takers
Australia have a series of likely penalty takers including Ajdin Hrustic – scorer in the 2022 Europa League final – and Nestory Irankunda, who stepped up against Palestine in 2024 to score his first senior international goal. Awer Mabil, like Hrustic, scored in the Socceroos' 2022 shootout victory over Peru made famous by “grey Wiggle” Andrew Redmayne. Connor Metcalfe and Jordy Bos expressed a degree of confidence this week and striker Mo Touré also takes penalties, though missed one for Norwich in April.
Given the drama of the shootout, there is considerable focus given to the skill as the World Cup reaches the knockout stage. Jedinak, however, warns it can be overthought. “It's not straightforward,” he says. “But I don't think it's that complex either, to be honest.”
