Poletti 
Tony Popovic directing his team from the sidelines. Photo: Marcus Robertson / Round Ball Australia.
As the Socceroos won 1-0 against Cameroon in Friday’s FIFA Series game, the floor and ceiling of Tony Popovic’s side became abundantly clear.
At its ceiling, the Socceroos are a free-flowing, expansive side capable of exciting attacks that challenge their opposition, and high-pressing to win the ball back in dangerous areas, and player depth showcasing itself on the big stage.
At its floor, the Socceroos are dull, lifeless, sloppy and wasteful on the ball, and a chore to watch play that will be ripped apart by better teams.
The first half was full of errors by Popovic’s side, although the coach said his side created some good chances and openings, even if they were performing with a bit of anxiousness.
The teams also had to contend with a heavy and wet pitch which chopped up very early after a deluge of rain in the afternoon during China’s win over Curaçao.
The second half brought about a much improved performance from the Aussies, who Popovic noted were solid, compact, and aggressive, a result of getting more time together and a chance to develop some cohesion and comfort together.
Lucas Herrington hardly put a foot wrong in an impressive first cap for the 18-year-old in what was a massive positive for the Australians, with Popovic saying a training stint on Wednesday impressed him to start the Colorado Rapids defender.
“We had quite a hard session on Wednesday for the group and he just looked like he’d been around for a couple of camps,” Popovic said.
“Some boys you can see that they’re… not so much sometimes that it’s physical, it’s like they’re over-thinking every moment. ‘Oh, you know, I made a mistake. I’m with the national team. It’s not good.’
“This kid just gets on with it and he just looked really comfortable in the environment.
“I thought maybe give him some minutes in the second game, but after the training on Wednesday, I was convinced that he could start.”
Nestory Irankunda was once again at his scintillating best, even if he didn’t score, along with Awer Mabil, who both came on as half-time substitutes for Deni Juric (also on debut) and Martin Boyle.
An 85th minute Jordy Bos goal showcased the Socceroos ability to pounce on any little slip-up, after he got the ball inside the box from a defenders mistake, and powered it home from close range.
Ultimately, the game achieved exactly what is was supposed to for Tony Popovic. A stern test against quality opposition with plenty of new data to pore over as the World Cup rapidly approaches.
With a game against Curaçao on the horizon in Melbourne on Tuesday night, Popovic highlighted the importance of winning, but also identified that there might be experimentation and squad rotation for the match, but it will come down to how the players recover before the coaching staff make any solid decisions on the squad.