A beautiful day in Canberra, the blossoming wattle on the Federal Highway allowing us to forget just how miserable a winter we’ve had, gave way to a crisp evening at GIO Stadium, perfect footballing weather and a wonderful opportunity for Australia to see their current most famous footballing exports all in one place.
Up for grabs, the ad hoc Soccer Ashes, held proudly by the Socceroos since their win in London in 2023.
More importantly for the players, many of them on national duty for the first time, this was a chance to impress coach Tony Popovic and edge their way into the national team’s plans for the World Cup next year in North America.
Of the eight players in the squad with zero caps to their name, it was Paul Izzo who earned his first start, but the bench was laden with excitement, the crazy legs of Nicolas Milanovic alongside red-hot striker Adrian Segecic, with the thrilling Nestory Irankunda and outstanding prodigy Hayden Matthews for company.
The 10 photographers were given the rope treatment as they were led to the tunnel for the entrance of the players, perhaps overkill, those in charge of timing looking at their watches as they awaited the tardy arrival of the teams.
The national anthems were rousing, both teams choosing to huddle close and link arms as their stirring songs were played; it wasn’t that cold yet.
Paul Izzo had an early confidence touch as the All Whites started brightly, but a glorious break saw Ajdin Hrustic tease in a cross that was flicked onto the post by a defender and the scene was surely set for a dominant performance from the lime and yellow.
There were moments of uncertainty, Milos Degenek mugged in the corner to allow A-League favourite Francis De Vries to deliver his speciality long throw. Chris Wood used his English Premier League experience to coax a foul from the Scottish referee to the annoyance of the home crowd.
Izzo’s feint to beat the closing attacker preceded a great moment for the visitors, Sarpreet Singh firing a shot from the edge of the area that only just faded past the post. Wood was menacing, the Kiwis looked sharp, and when Wood was played clean through, the flag not going up in the Socceroos’ favour, Izzo saved his team with a superb block.
???? 85' – Max Balard comes on for his debut
— CommBank Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 5, 2025
WHAT A MOMENT! ????
???? @10FootballAU#AUSvNZL #Socceroos #ForeverGolden pic.twitter.com/pkDZFLmIrT
This was perhaps not what the fans had come to see, the active fans doing their best to pump up the rest of the chilly crowd, but Jordy Bos warmed everyone up with a superb break through the middle, unfortunately the wild finish not matching the swashbuckling run.
Izzo almost gifted the ball to Wood, but the Socceroos got lucky. Forward momentum was too often interrupted by a stray ball behind the player, New Zealand looked in control and cool, and the home team only had flashes of one-touch football to keep the crowd entertained.
De Vries rugby-tackled Sammy Silvera to let the teams take stock of the game so far and the lengthy stoppage had the Middlesbrough winger receiving treatment to his ankle for some time.
There were boos from the crowd as Izzo booted a ball aimlessly out of play, this was definitely low-quality fare from the hosts, and indeed the amount of chatter in the stands suggested a genuine disinterest in what was happening on the field.
Ryan Teague smashed in a shot that woke the crowd up, but this was a rare positive. New Zealand almost scored as Izzo pushed away a low shot by the Kiwis’ talisman Wood and the away team streamed forward in search of a goal before the break. Warm applause sent the teams down the tunnel, but it was perhaps generous. This was not good.
A brief spell of possession at the start of the second half as Lewis Miller and Aiden O’Niell got their first touches gave way to more sustained pressure from the visitors.
The Socceroos did however seem to be positioned further up the field, and the hassling and pressing from Connor Metcalfe and Martin Boyle suggested a lift in tempo. Boyle was clean through briefly but cut inside into trouble and lost his footing.
The inevitable Mexican wave pierced the boredom on the hour, as Kosta Barbarouses replaced superstar Wood, and the stoppages for injury and substitutions did nothing to stir the increasingly chilly spectators. Following a five-minute spell where passes went nowhere and niggly fouls persisted, the game felt as though it was going nowhere.
Metcalfe looked forlornly at the heavens as a miskick from a New Zealand player went through his legs. By now the crowd was amusing itself with multiple vocal waves around the stadium but it was time for the masterstroke. Mo Toure, Irankunda and Milanovic were introduced and all of a sudden focus was back on the game.
The 19,115 crowd roared as Irankunda was brought down on the edge of the area after a pulsating move, but we didn’t get the expected shot on goal from Watford’s new superhero.
Ten minutes remaining, the wildcards played, the Socceroos active fans still banging away fruriously, Lewis lifted a ball into the area where Irankunda showed great athleticism to get in front of his man to head just over.
Max Balard came on. Toure won a corner. Time was ticking away as Irankunda went across to take it. Toure kept it alive, it wasn’t pretty, the ball came inside to Balard, who curled a lovely shot around Max Crocombe for his maiden goal, five minutes into his maiden appearance. What drama!
There were nervous moments still at the back as the Kiwis pressed for an equaliser, but the four minutes of injury time couldn’t yield a second goal and this first leg Soccer Ashes tie ended with a slender 1-0 win for the hosts with it all to play for in Auckland on Tuesday. The crowd raced for the exits as the biting cold took hold as the players embraced, Izzo collared for the full-time interview after a clean sheet on his Socceroos debut.
The New Zealand team applauded their active fans as the Socceroos players ignored their own until Milos Degenek corralled his troops to return the applause from a distance at the other end of the stadium.
Former Watford player and now coach of New Zealand, Darren Bazeley, was glowing of his team’s performance, especially on the back of a fine performance against Cote d’Ivoire.
Getting caught at the end of the game was tough to take. The quick turnaround and travel was discussed, almost as an excuse, but of course that was the same for both teams.
Tony Popovic thought his team ‘did okay’ but his body language suggested otherwise as he entered the press conference. The first half was a tough watch, but they pushed further up in the second half, and he was pleased to see Balard score his first goal.
The effort and endeavour was not in question, but the Socceroos’ coach admitted that there was ‘a bit to work on’. The evening finished on a positive note; the subs had made a difference, there were no injury concerns, even after Sammy Silvera had been replaced.
The King O’Malley’s pub in the centre of Canberra was the final destination for the weary Socceroos fans, if only to warm up after the temperature had plunged even further.
This had been a good day for everyone; the fans were rewarded for their patience, the players were rewarded for their persistence, and a home victory to take to New Zealand next week could be enough to retain the Ashes until the two countries meet again in the future. See you there!
Texihttps://https://ift.tt/wzxUaAc ‘did OK’ but this was a true test of patience as Balard rises from the Ashes
Post a Comment