Australia’s unbeaten record goes on the line; kick off time, scores and results from Montreal
Canada have labelled the Socceroos as stingy, and coach Tony Popovic wouldn’t want it any other way.
The Socceroos will get further feedback on their progress under Popovic when they take on world No.26 Canada in Montreal on Saturday (AEDT) and the world No.16 United States in Colorado next Wednesday.
Australia are yet to lose since Popovic took over from Graham Arnold in September, with the Socceroos sealing qualification for the 2026 World Cup as part of their 10-match unbeaten run.
The Socceroos, who are currently ranked 25th, have scored 20 goals and conceded just seven across those matches, and the team have won their past six.
Jesse Marsch.Credit: AP
The hot form, and more specifically the tight defence, led Canada coach Jesse Marsch to label the Socceroos as stingy.
“I take that as a compliment,” Popovic, a former Socceroos defender, said on Friday. “I think that (a tight defence) is always important. I could say the same about them, when you look at their recent results and how they defend as a unit.”
Tony Popovic.Credit: Getty Images
Canada enter the match on the back of a 3-0 win over Romania and a 1-0 victory over Wales – with both performances impressing Popovic.
“We’re playing a team in very good form,” Popovic said.
“When you look at their list and see where they all play throughout the world, you see they’re formidable individuals, and they’re forming a team that’s picking up very good results. The last two against Wales and Romania in Europe were clean sheets, two very good performances.”
One notable absentee from Australia’s squad is Melbourne City star Aziz Behich, who scored a stunning goal against Japan in June but was overlooked by Popovic due to a lack of recent game time.
“It would’ve been nice to be there but I understand also that you need to be playing games to get selected,” Behich said. “It’s not really a surprise but at the moment my full focus is on City and starting the season well. I’ll put my name back into that mix once the season starts.”
