The Socceroos pulled off simply their third World Cup win in 18 matches with an exciting 1-0 victory over Tunisia in Saturday.
The victory was Australia’s first win at a males’s World Cup since 2010, whereas it was additionally the Socceroos’ first clear sheet since 1974.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down each Aussie’s efficiency within the Socceroos Player Ratings!
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BLISTERING Duke header places Roos up! | 00:35
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Mat Ryan (c): 9
Safe arms between the sticks. The majority of the pictures in his path weren’t overly tough, however Ryan was brave and decisive – and flawless when it counted.
“He has come out for crosses and held onto them. He’s been improbable,” Harry Kewell mentioned in commentary on SBS. There was one event that wasn’t the case – an especially nervous second simply earlier than halftime when Ryan raced out of his objective to catch a protracted lob, solely to drop it underneath contact with a Socceroos defender and Tunisia attacker. But he was lucky to have a foul awarded in his favour.
DEFENDERS
Fran Karacic: 6.5
Having missed the primary match, Karacic stepped in to fill the footwear of the injured Nathaniel Atkinson however struggled to stand up to hurry within the opening minutes. He gave the ball away too typically with poor passing – together with in Australia’s defensive third – or by dwelling on the ball too lengthy. But after a shaky begin, he settled into the match effectively. Got into good positions out vast, whipping in a few harmful crosses – and his useful knack for lengthy throws. Taken off within the seventy fifth minute as Graham Arnold introduced on the closers.
Harry Souttar: 9.5
A efficiency that can go down in Socceroos historical past – and will earn him a transfer to a heavyweight membership sooner somewhat than later. He made a variety of unimaginable goal-saving blocks, the primary coming 5 minutes earlier than halftime, and one other equally good sliding sort out within the closing minutes. Unbeatable within the air and distinctive together with his passing from the again, together with establishing the one objective. He copped a variety of whacks, and joked after the match:
“I’m going to be feeling sore tonight, tomorrow morning.”
It’s simply his third begin in senior soccer since coming back from an 11-month absence after tearing his ACL.
“Obviously it was an absolute battle on the market,” he added.
Backing up after a brutal onslaught from France, this was his most interesting hour.
Kye Rowles: 8.5
The mixture of Souttar and Rowles isn’t just the long-term way forward for Australia’s defence – it’s already delivering in spades. Rowles was the right foil for his fellow centre-half, racking up clearances (10) and interceptions (4) galore – each game-highs. One horror second within the second half had Aussie hearts in mouths when he slipped as a ball was performed again to him, gifting Tunisia the ball – however Souttar saved him. I’m deducting half a degree for that almost-disastrous error, however it was really an unimaginable effort as soon as extra.
Aziz Behich: 8.5
The greatest defender towards France, Behich backed up with one other sterling efficiency. His work off the ball was completely essential in creating Australia’s objective, whereas he by no means regarded like being crushed in defence.
Souttar’s superhuman effort saves Roos | 00:36
MIDFIELDERS
Aaron Mooy: 9
When you speak about Aaron Mooy, the main target is nearly all the time on his passing, his imaginative and prescient and distribution, and his metronomic skill to run the midfield. He was the identical at this time, however it was his gutsy defence which stood out most of all. From the primary minute, he set the tone together with his depth, making crunching tackles and pouncing on each unfastened ball. Australia dominated the midfield, and Mooy was on the coronary heart of that.
Jackson Irvine: 8.5
Similar to Mooy, Irvine’s defensive workrate was really elite. At instances, he toed the road between aggression and dropping management, however was all the time on the suitable aspect – which was essential, since a yellow card would have pressured him to overlook the ultimate group recreation. Played his typical function as a key hyperlink within the build-up of Australia’s assaults, with one of the best passing accuracy of any Australian starter by far.
Riley McGree: 7
His midfield companions will declare the limelight, however McGree was quietly excellent. Ran onerous, was inventive with the ball and in his motion off it. Subbed off after 64 minutes.
Duke FIRES UP over weird altercation | 00:39
ATTACKERS
Mat Leckie: 8
His begin to the sport left a bit to be desired, with some poor touches and hesitation within the remaining third. But when he received going, he struck concern into the hearts of defenders. Raced up and down the pitch – defending tirelessly, marauding down the flank in assault – a lot that his boots will probably be so worn out they want changing. Eventually, he got here off within the eighty fifth minute, having put in a monster shift.
Mitch Duke: 9.5
Graham Arnold backed his 31-year-old veteran striker to ship – and boy, didn’t he simply. His objective was fabulous, an especially tough flick-on after a deflection. Having began the attacking transfer together with his trademark holdup play, he labored onerous to earn his reward and finish with the ball within the web.
Usually a firebrand, he managed to maintain his feelings in test when he was fouled after which had the ball thrown into his head when mendacity on the bottom. Having picked up a yellow card towards France, his composure in that second was invaluable.
Harry Kewell mentioned on SBS: “What a efficiency by Mitch Duke. He led the road. It was onerous for him. He created probabilities when he had the chance to go one-on-one towards his defender and received his rewards. But the best way he held the ball up and labored and received in and amongst the Tunisians, he led the road (completely).”
Substituted within the sixty fourth minute, having labored himself to the bone.
Craig Goodwin: 7.5
Having scored towards France, Goodwin was on the coronary heart of the opener as soon as once more this time round. He bombed in cross after cross – maybe just a few too many – however it paid off when one was deflected in Duke’s path. Worked immensely onerous, like Leckie on the opposite flank, and was substituted 5 minutes earlier than time.
SUBSTITUTES
Ajdin Hrustic: 7 (sixty fourth minute)
Came on and confirmed his class on the ball with some tidy touches in tough conditions, and a few good defensive hustle. There had been just a few indicators of rust, having recovered from damage to get his first World cup minutes off the bench. If absolutely match, he might begin towards Denmark.
Jamie Maclaren: 7 (sixty fourth minute)
After Mitch Duke had delivered a masterclass in urgent and holdup play, Maclaren got here off the bench and gave the defenders a special set of issues, together with his working behind the strains. Just minutes after he got here off the pine, he picked up the ball and delivered a beautiful cross that was mere inches away from an unmarked Leckie. But he was equally prepared to work onerous to win the ball again.
Milos Degenek: 7.5 (seventy fifth minute)
The veteran defender slotted into proper again to exchange Karacic, and used each little bit of his expertise and desperation to close down the harmful assault down Tunisia’s left flank. Degenek, usually a centre-back, didn’t look uncomfortable in any respect regardless of being deployed out vast.
Awer Mabil: 4 (eighty fifth minute)
His first motion within the warmth of battle was to be crushed for tempo as Tunisia counterattacked from deep, Mabil wanting as if he was solely jogging again to his personal field as his reverse fullback raced half the sector into Australia’s field. It wasn’t the one time he was caught out on defence in a poor cameo. He was additionally poor going ahead, losing an opportunity when a easy cross might have handed a teammate a tap-in. He turned again inside and gave away the ball, when he might simply have jogged to the nook and wasted time.
Keanu Baccus: 7 (eighty fifth minute)
A canine chasing a bone, Baccus introduced loads of grunt to the Socceroos defence simply as Tunisia regarded prone to stage the scores. Never afraid of a tricky sort out, he hounded the midfielders and noticed out the win.
