Seven months out from the World Cup, the Socceroos have lost three straight games. Their 3-0 defeat to Colombia in Queens came with a better performance than their abject defeat against Venezuela last week but once they went behind, it all came undone; James Rodríguez’s 76th-minute penalty was followed by Luis Díaz pouncing on an error in the 88th-minute, before Jefferson Lerma fired home in stoppage time.
Against a strong opponent, possessing world-class attacking talent, Australia did what we’ve come to expect from them for the first 75 minutes. They defended resolutely and in numbers, and put their bodies on the line and into their opponents. Coach Tony Popovic revealed post-game that almost the entire squad, and several members of the staff, had spent Sunday bedridden after a virus ripped through the camp. Ultimately, it was a player-led decision to not reveal this before the game commenced.
