Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic announced Australia's final 26-player World Cup squad, and his daring selection has been met with excitement. The young cohort, bursting with enthusiasm, promises a compelling tournament but will be tested against more polished opponents in a tough Group D.
A Youthful Revolution
Popovic described the squad as "a very exciting group for the Australian public." The leader of Australia's North American adventure needs to believe in his squad, and he just might be right. These players ooze skill and potential, topped off by the surprise inclusion of uncapped attackers Cristian Volpato and Tete Yengi, edging out more experienced options in a daring selection for a coach not known to take risks.
Run through the squad list and the argument builds. At 22, Alessandro Circati is a sumptuous defender, Serie A-proven. Mo Touré is elusive and crafty, with a recipe for goals. Nestory Irankunda is an explosive talent who could be anything. From nowhere, teenager Lucas Herrington has won Popovic's trust. "It is quite special at 18 to be doing what he's doing," the coach said. Paul Okon-Engstler shows the grace and drive of a midfielder 10 years his senior. "He hasn't reached, I believe, half of what he could reach," Popovic added. Perhaps the best is Jordy Bos, perfectly suited to Popovic's wingback system, already one of the finest left full-backs in Holland. The tournament is set to be his Cape Canaveral.
Fearlessness Under Pressure
Popovic described this generation as without fear, mostly. "I'd like them to be more fearless than what they are, because sometimes that comes with experience, that when the pressure's on, they go in their shell a little bit," he said. "And then when they do two or three good actions, you can just see them open up and relax and off they go."
Exhilaration is temptation, but reality is different. Against more polished professionals of Turkey and the USA, this young cohort will be tested. They remain far from favorites to go through from their group. Mediocrity, as is generally the tradition for Australia at World Cups, is the most likely outcome.
Handling Surprises
A World Cup does not often go to plan. The first act upon arrival at their Oakland base ended in failure: the planned livestream of Popovic discussing the squad was canned due to poor wi-fi, a reminder that surprises cannot be eliminated. How they handle them will be part of what makes the coming weeks compelling. Watching the best emerging crop of Australian players in a generation tackle a World Cup campaign offers a sense of wonder beyond the four-year cycle.
The young players are complemented by respected veterans: captain Mat Ryan, Jackson Irvine, Harry Souttar, and Mat Leckie. Leckie was the hero of Qatar after his goal against Denmark, but was all but ruled out a month ago. "A couple of months ago, God knows what he was thinking with all the injuries," Popovic said. "He's stayed very true to himself."
The Spirit of Possibility
Popovic has tried to distill a spirit of possibility, allowing authenticity to their ambition. The players parrot his mantra of "why not us." He invited fans to share it: "I don't need anyone to dampen their expectation. They should believe, they should love to see these boys play." As seen in the first half against Mexico, Popovic and these players won't always get it right. In all likelihood, the Socceroos will stutter through the group stage, leaving fans processing permutations. Then again, they might meet expectations, or even exceed them.
