Australia secured their place in the World Cup last 32 for the third time in history after a 0-0 draw with Paraguay at a San Francisco Bay Area stadium. The result was enough for the Socceroos to finish second in Group D, behind co-hosts the USA.
Match Overview
A much-changed Australia side controlled large parts of the match, but with both teams knowing a draw would suffice for qualification, long stretches lacked intensity. The match lacked the jeopardy of the Socceroos' opening two World Cup fixtures, but Tony Popovic's team will not mind as they secured second place in Group D.
Best for the Socceroos were Jordy Bos, playing on the right side of defence, and Lucas Herrington, the young defender on his World Cup debut who was assured throughout. The whole team delivered a historic achievement on a cool night in Santa Clara, leaving over 12,000 fans in yellow delirious.
Team Changes and Debuts
Popovic made six changes to the starting XI from the previous match. Nestory Irankunda started centrally, with Cristian Volpato and Connor Metcalfe also in the lineup. Mohamed Touré made way, and the injured Jacob Italiano was replaced by Aziz Behich. Jackson Irvine replaced Paul Okon-Engstler in midfield, and Herrington came in at left central defence for Cam Burgess.
At 18, Herrington became the youngest Socceroo to start at a World Cup, eclipsing the record set by Irankunda against Turkey. He started confidently, distributing the ball four times under pressure within two minutes and asserting his physicality after 16 minutes, easily beating Paraguay's Diego Gómez to the ball.
First Half Action
Paraguay sat back and allowed Australia to play, handing the Socceroos the bulk of possession. While not scoring in the first half, they found success down the right with the combination of Bos and Volpato. Both left-footers engineered the best chance of the half when Volpato drew a lunge from a defender, creating space for Bos, but his 20-metre shot was saved by Paraguay keeper Orlando Gil.
There was also damage down the left, but most of it was to Metcalfe's eye. A collision after the first-half drinks break saw his brow sliced by an opponent's boot. The team doctor wiped blood away, and Metcalfe replaced his shirt, appearing briefly with a black singlet and headband.
Second Half Scares and Conclusion
The second half started with several scares. Irvine was booked early for a challenge on Julio Enciso, then on a counter Andrés Cubas hit a powerful shot that goalkeeper Beach was pleased to save. Hearts were in mouths briefly when Beach and Behich were involved in a back pass mix-up, saved by the goalkeeper's toe as the veteran defender screamed at his young teammate.
With both teams content with a point, the final passages were forgettable. There was one late chance for either side: Bos sent his shot wide, and Beach gathered an injury-time strike. The match finished 0-0, job done, and the last 32 awaits.
Looking Ahead
The Socceroos will rest for a week before their last-32 match in Dallas, which is not for another eight days. The team will remain in Oakland until Wednesday before flying to Texas. Their opponent will be the second-placed team from Group G, which finishes on Friday. Belgium are well-placed to finish second in that group, needing only to beat New Zealand to secure qualification.
Popovic's reputation as a gambler grew with the six changes to the starting lineup. The World Cup mission is now back on track after the struggles against the USA. The co-hosts finished as group winners and can reach the quarter-finals with two wins against teams like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, and South Korea. For Australia, second place offers a platform for progression.
