The Socceroos secured their place in the knockout phase of the World Cup with a goalless draw against Paraguay in Group D. The result ensured Australia advanced to the last 32, with Jordy Bos delivering an exceptional performance at right-back.
Player Ratings: Australia
Patrick Beach (6/10) Rarely called into action but was confident and calm whenever he was, including a stoppage-time save of a Maurício shot.
Alessandro Circati (7/10) Another tidy performance on the right side of a back three. Kept the creative Enciso largely quiet, forcing a structural change from Paraguay at half-time.
Harry Souttar (7/10) Triple-teamed at every attacking corner, but did well to suffocate striker Ávalos. Anchored Australia’s back three with assurance and physicality.
Lucas Herrington (6/10) Barely tested as left-sided centre-back. Calm decision-making under pressure except for a skewed clearance early in the second half that resulted in a rare Paraguay shot.
Jordy Bos (8/10) Started at right-back in place of the injured Jacob Italiano. Given more licence to gallop forward and attack the goal, resulting in his most impressive game so far.
Aziz Behich (6/10) Didn’t see much of the ball down the left wing so was largely ineffective. Regularly bodied off the ball by Cáceres, but maintained his composure.
Aiden O’Neill (7/10) Confident and more present than the previous two games. Combined well with Irvine, taking turns with line-breaking runs and forward-first passing.
Jackson Irvine (7/10) Australia’s midfield general, covering every blade of grass between the two penalty areas. Regularly helped Australia break out of Paraguay’s press and progress the ball, but earned a silly yellow early in the second half.
Connor Metcalfe (6/10) Played a bit wider than previous games which limited his impact. Copped a boot to the face after the first hydration break which took the momentum out of him.
Cristian Volpato (7/10) Australia’s best player in the first hour, finding multiple pockets on the right side to attack. A few poor corners, but lovely tight touches and brave dribbles.
Nestory Irankunda (6/10) Marked completely out of the game when playing with his back to goal. Tried to use his pace in behind, but rarely had the direct service to unleash it.
Substitutes: Ajdin Hrustic (6/10) replaced Volpato on the right, but lacked the creativity and speed of his starting teammate to make an impact. Paul Okon-Engstler (6/10) shored up midfield late alongside O’Neill to help defend the point. Tete Yengi (6/10) pressed well and tried to hold up the ball when it fell to him, but didn’t see it much.
Player Ratings: Paraguay
Orlando Gill (6/10) A handful of crucial saves to keep Paraguay in the game, especially in the opening and closing 10 minutes.
Gustavo Gómez (6/10) Steady at the back, worked well with Alderete and Velazquez to stifle the explosive Irankunda.
Omar Alderete (5/10) Struggled to defend Volpato out wide, and was saved by a few lucky scrambles. Suffered a knee injury just after the hour and never really recovered.
Gustavo Velazquez (6/10) Spent most of the game man-marking Irankunda, but did it well.
Juan José Cáceres (5/10) Lucky to escape without a card after multiple rough challenges on Behich in the first half.
Alexandro Maidana (5/10) Created width when overlapping down the left, but was regularly shepherded by Bos and Circati. Pulled at half-time.
Andrés Cubas (5/10) Struggled to control the midfield with Australia’s central overload.
Matías Galarza (5/10) Invisible.
Diego Gómez (5/10) Ineffective on the right side of midfield, struggled to connect with Caceres and Avalos. Earned a yellow card for a cynical foul on Bos.
Julio Enciso (7/10) Carried the team forward on his own. Caused more problems for Australia in the second half, but didn’t have the support needed to finish off his solo moves.
Gabriel Ávalos (5/10) Barely touched the ball and was regularly stifled by Australia’s towering centre-backs.
Substitutes: Maurício (6/10) brought into central midfield with more energy and attacking momentum. Álex Arce (6/10) replaced Avalos in the shadow of Souttar and struggled to make an impact. José Canale (6/10) brought on to replace the injured centre-back late on. Junior Alonso and Damián Bobadilla (N/A) came on in stoppage time.
