Lachlan Avil 
Nishan Velupillay scores his second goal for Australia at senior level. Photo: Provided by Subway Socceroos.
As perhaps the most surprising inclusion in the starting side, Nishan Velupillay went a long way to silencing his critics with a top class performance and a second Socceroos goal, in the 5-1 win over Indonesia, in Sydney on Thursday night.
When Tony Popovic announced his squad for this window, Velupillay – alongside Melbourne Victory team-mate Daniel Arzani – stood out as selections preferred due to the manager’s familiarity rather than the latest form lines.
Whilst the likes of Adrian Segecic and Nicolas Milanovic have regularly been making significant contributions to their Sydney-based A-League outfits – and some fruitful celebrations as well – at the time of selection, Velupillay had only scored twice since he was sidelined with injury against Saudi Arabia back in November.
Plenty of people have made that same observation, not that Velupillay is too worried about what people are saying.
“I’m not really big on the socials to be fair. Everyone has their opinion, and I don’t really read into it, I just focus on my game and just go from there,” he said post-match.
It’s the kind of selection however that has the potential to ostracise players who clearly have the favourable record (Segecic 7G/2A, Milanovic 4G/2A in their last nine), but one that a coach will make when they believe they hold the key to unlocking potential that isn’t being seen at club land.
Having spent three years with Velupillay at Melbourne Victory, Popovic knows him well. And it’s hard to imagine any better vindication for the pick, with a composed first-half lob over the keeper to hand Velupillay his second senior international goal in a crucial win for World Cup qualification.
🔥 1v1 with the keeper?
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) March 20, 2025
🇦🇺 Nishan Velupillay delivers perfectly! #AsianQualifiers | #AUSvIDN pic.twitter.com/yxH0VAGhYF
Popovic was quick to highlight the need to consistently push for growth among a drive to live up to the nation’s lofty expectations, but also allowed for a moment of celebration for the youngster’s first start in the senior set-up.
“It’s a special moment for the boy, isn’t it? Starting your first game, pressure, Sydney stadium that’s full, it doesn’t come bigger than that,” Popovic said.
“So, the young man’s handling it well, scored. He has that talent, he has that ability to do that and hopefully we’ll get him stronger that he can maintain that level for longer periods.
“Of course, he got a little tired in the second half and gets a bit sloppy, but that’s part of the growth. You put these boys in, you can’t just manufacture the minutes and the experience of playing in big games, at the start they don’t have that.”
Of course, the demanding pressure for excellence that Popovic has isn’t unfamiliar to Velupillay.
“He’s really consistent in terms of, he wants everyone to be a top professional. Obviously in his playing career he knows what it takes to play at the highest level and the more elite standard that he can bring I think is always helpful to the team,” Velupillay said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with him and he’s shown me how to be a top professional and he’s helped me develop my understanding of the game enormously. I understand what he needs from his players.”
Learning on Monday that he was going to be starting his first senior international – and a big one at that, Velupillay had no doubts that he was ready for the occasion.
“It was pretty special but I think I was ready for it. It wasn’t something I was nervous about. I think I showed today that I was ready for it,” he said.
“The boss is always saying ‘stay alive’ as attackers, and that’s what I did and thankfully I kept my cool and got the goal in the end. Just let instinct take over.
It’s a massive payback in the faith that Popovic showed him, and further evidence that a manager has an often underestimated role in the performance of individuals, beyond just the combination with the other 10 players they are instructed to share a pitch with.
The selection risks didn’t all pay off of course – Adam Taggart started through a similar ‘familiarity’ lens, despite a lean season with the struggling Perth Glory, and was largely ineffectual until his substitution for Brandon Borrello at half time.
Daniel Arzani also struggled to make an impact, albeit only entering in the 72nd minute after the result was long beyond doubt.
So those two still hold question marks going into China on Tuesday, but not everyone can make game-changing impacts in a single match.
Velupillay did though, so that’s a pretty good start.
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