Australia boss Popovic calls on players to prove they are worthy of World Cup

MELBOURNE: Australia coach Tony Popovic has called on the new faces in his squad to seize their chance with a performance against Curacao as he looks to bed down his World Cup roster.

Tuesday’s friendly at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is the Socceroos’ last warmup on home soil before the June 11-July 19 finals and follows a laboured 1-0 win over Cameroon in Sydney last Friday.

While the Cameroon win did little to ease concerns around Australia’s attacking fluency, right back Jacob Italiano and 18-year-old debutant centre back Lucas Herrington impressed with their poise in defence.

Popovic hoped others would add to his selection burden with a good showing against Curacao, the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“Obviously (we’re) having a look at a few of the other boys that have been here in camp who have now settled and are more accustomed to the environment, and hopefully they can get some minutes tomorrow,” Popovic told reporters on Monday.

“It’s a World Cup, and anyone that’s here now feels they’re so close, they’re in the final camp before we go to the World Cup to prepare. “So you have to believe, as a player, you’re in the mix. And then they have to obviously try and perform to their maximum and really show that they deserve to be on that plane.”

That may mean a chance for uncapped Croatia-born striker Ante Suto, who plays for Scottish side Hibernian and had never set foot on Australian soil until this camp. Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, whose father and grandfather both represented Australia, may also hope to add to his two caps with a first appearance under Popovic, having last played under Graham Arnold in 2023.

The Socceroos will face something a bit different in world number 82 Curacao, a Caribbean side with Dutch roots eager to hit back after their 2-0 defeat by China in Sydney last week and build momentum for their World Cup debut.

“Such a small nation … it’s an amazing achievement,” Popovic said of the country of 156,000. “Two nations going to the World Cup up against each other — we’re taking it very seriously.”

After Curacao, Australia head to a training camp in Florida before meeting Mexico in a May 30 friendly at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

Australia face the US, Paraguay and either Turkey or Kosovo, who meet in a qualifying playoff on Tuesday, in Group D at the World Cup.