Australia's Jordy Bos delivered an electrifying performance against Paraguay, leaving teammates and fans in awe as the Socceroos secured a draw that propelled them into the World Cup knockout rounds. The left-back, switched to an unfamiliar right-back role, drew comparisons to Gareth Bale and Arjen Robben with his relentless runs and power.
Standout display against Paraguay
In a tense 0-0 draw at Stanford Stadium near San Francisco, Bos was a constant threat, bursting through challenges and driving into the box. His performance lifted the team, according to captain Harry Souttar, who said, 'He's a special player, a special guy, and just takes everything in his stride. The guy's body's just unbelievable to look at. I don't want to obviously put too much pressure on him, but if he keeps performing like that, there's no ceiling.'
Bos created the joint-most chances and took three shots, more than any other Australian. He completed four successful dribbles and won the most duels, including seven of nine aerial contests. Midfielder Aiden O'Neill, who won the player of the match trophy, admitted it probably should have gone to Bos.
Teammates heap praise
Substitute right winger Ajdin Hrustic called Bos 'a great player' with power, while Milos Degenek declared him already a top-five left-back in the world and the best at his age. 'That's my opinion, I'm very biased, and I love him,' Degenek said. When asked about Bos at right-back, he added, 'Top 10.'
Nestory Irankunda, the hero against Turkey, went further: 'He's the best player in the world, Jordy Bos, best winger in the world. He might have to switch to a winger, in my opinion. He's done so well at right-back today, but he got so high up the pitch and showed glimpses of what he can do with the ball.'
Unexpected role change
Bos's appearance at right-back surprised many, given the presence of competent right-sided defenders like Kai Trewin and Jason Geria. However, coach Tony Popovic had seen Bos play there during his time with Westerlo in Belgium and brought him on at right-back for half an hour against New Zealand nine months ago. 'We've seen that he can adapt and play on that side,' Popovic said. 'It's the best game he's played of the three [World Cup matches] by far.'
Bos entered the tournament as one of the Socceroos' best-credentialed players after proving his quality in the Dutch Eredivisie. At 23, he symbolized the young Australian side. His impact had been solid but unspectacular until Thursday's explosion, which came despite playing out of position and knowing a yellow card would suspend him for the knockout stage.
Comparisons to legends
Bos's proficiency on the right led Hrustic to call him 'Dani Alves' at training. He has also been compared to Arjen Robben, a left-footed right winger, though Bos downplayed that: 'Unfortunately I didn't score like him, but I tried.' Another common comparison is Gareth Bale, the former Wales left-back turned right winger. Asked who he sees himself in most, Bos said, 'Yeah, Robben … I don't mind Bale, to be honest.'
Regardless of comparisons, this was the night Jordy Bos made a name for himself, earning the admiration of teammates and fans alike.
