Australia defender Jason Geria has made it clear that the Socceroos will not seek a draw against Paraguay in their final World Cup Group D match, despite the fact that a point would almost certainly see both teams progress to the knockout stage. Speaking ahead of the clash in San Francisco on Thursday (Friday AEST), Geria said playing for a draw would be "cheating the game in a way."
Geria Rejects 'Truce' Mentality
"I think you're cheating the game in a way if you're looking to just call a truce with 10 minutes to go, that doesn't seem right in my opinion," Geria said. "Yeah, we could both progress with a point, that's evident, but I don't think it's in us to just concede or just take the foot off the gas." The defender, who came on at half-time against the USA to help stabilize the team, emphasized that the Socceroos are not focused on the permutations. "We want to win every game, regardless of who the opponent is or what the situation is," he added.
Group D Permutations
Both Australia and Paraguay are in a favorable position: a draw would place Australia second in Group D behind the USA, while Paraguay would likely advance as one of the best third-placed teams. However, mathematical simulations indicate that a loss for Paraguay increases their elimination risk more than a loss for Australia. Despite this, Geria stressed the team's commitment to attacking play. "I don't think if it is 1-1 with five minutes left, or 50 seconds left, it's going to be us taking our foot off the pedal," he said.
Lessons from USA Match
The Socceroos were caught off guard early by the intensity of the USA in their previous match. Geria acknowledged the need for a better start against a "tough" Paraguay side that will "leave everything out there." He also recalled historic Socceroos moments in final group matches, such as Harry Kewell's goal against Croatia in 2006 and Mat Leckie's winner against Denmark in 2022, highlighting the significance of the occasion.
Call to Watch the Match
Geria urged school principals and employers to allow students and staff to watch the match, which kicks off at 12pm AEST on Friday. "Let them watch it," he said. "12pm on a Friday, it doesn't get much better than that leading into the weekend, so if they could let their employees or let their students watch, I think that would be amazing."
Team Spirit and Fan Support
The Socceroos held a training session in Oakland on Monday, meeting 400 travelling fans, family, and friends. Players were also given time with their loved ones the previous day. Among the supporters was Gianfranco Circati, father of defender Alessandro Circati, who expressed pride in his son's decision to represent Australia. "Ale was born in Italy, but he lived all his life in Australia, so he's Aussie," Circati senior said. He also joked about his son's mullet hairstyle, which he has had for six or seven years.
Thousands of Australian fans have arrived in San Francisco for the match, many heading to bars and beer gardens. However, Circati senior and his wife prefer a quieter approach: "I don't go to the pub because I don't drink, but it's myself and my wife. We just go around, we look at the history of the city, we do tours, we do galleries, we do the theatre."
Former Socceroo Optimistic
Former Socceroo Josip Skoko, who played alongside coach Tony Popovic in a 2006 friendly against Paraguay, is in the US with a traveling group. Skoko said he has had "general chit chat" with Popovic during the tournament but avoided deep tactical discussions. He remains optimistic about Australia's chances: "I feel that they're in a really good position. I think they can get to the next round even without a result. Not that we're looking for that."
