Midfield is the key area. Baccus and O'Neill should start. Irvine will start but shouldn't play 90. His fatigue leads to even more errors. Irvine or Baccus of the bench should be right given their extra fitness. 

Hope we revert to a back 4 and Geria starts ahead of Miller. Back 3 with Geria was alright but Miller as a wing back will just be too high and allow too many triangle passing lanes. 

I'd start with 
   
                               Gauci
         Geria  Souttar  Rowles  Bos
                   O'Neill Baccus
              Hrustic  McGree  Goodwin
                          Apo

Maybe Duke and Apo up top together with instruction to harass all night can work.

looks like a 5-4-1

------------------Gauci-----------------
---------Souttar--Burgess-geria----
---miller------bratten-Irvine----bos-
------------Mcgree---Hrustic---------
--------------------Duke----------------

it is always funny how far off our starting xi is :D

Poppa said he wanted players to back up to the level he likes and didn't think many could. So only 4 starters keep their spot from the last game

Japan have 9 hours less recovery time and they would be jetlagged, so Poppa really wants to run them off their feet imo

for poppa's tactics to work we probably want to be getting minimum 35% possession, preferably 40+ and we need to stay in the game until the end. Even if the cbs pass the balls backwards and sideways a lot that is fine because it conserves our energy while spending theirs


Then with superior fitness and less recovery we might be able to smash and grab in the last 10

Christ we'll get slaughtered with brattan in midfield 

With 5 subs on the bench there is no running teams off their feet in the true sense anymore.

If we piss around the backline to sap their strength we are only sapping their forwards at best and more likely sapping our own midfield and wings who will be alternately terrified of losing the ball at the back and making runs hoping to get some space and momentum forwards. Their defenders will still be fresh and capable when we come calling.

If we piss around the backline we play to Japan's strengths because they are good enough with the ball to pinch it back and make us pay if we are half moving forward when it happens.

Pass around the backline for sure, but only to keep probing into midfield and up the wings with true attacking intent. We have to exhaust their minds more than their bodies - make them decide who to cover and where to go rather than making it obvious.

We cannot play in fear yet again and expect anything other than pain.

If he doesn't get carded he can be effective at reading and breaking play and passing forwards with vision.

He is going to get carded though because he is old Brattan against some very nimble and skilled opponents and he has been going the hack for a couple of seasons now to make up for the lack of pace.

Having him in front of a back 3 worries me. Please prove me wrong Brattan.

Joey Lynch reporting Socceroos HAVE NOT arrived at the ground.
Stuck on team bus due to a traffic accident.

i'm not saying pass backwards and sideways all the time

but there is nothing cowardly about slowing the game down for periods to get in a good head space and reset. Mooy was brilliant at these rhthym changes

I wonder if Poppa is setting a culture of the best trainers getting a start. That way the level of training is always lifting through competition and you are never picked on reputation or past performances

No Stensness, O'Neill or Silvera. Naming 26 is still good but the travel and being out both games isn't exactly ideal. O'Neill with a knock? I can't rememvber if he was on a card.

Brattan will need every ounce of experience here. Glad to see Hrustic and McGree together. It'll be a box midfield. 

All part of the plan. You'd expect Japan to follow fair protocol and delay the start to give ourselves time for the proper warm up. Japan would've known right away and have probably delayed their warm ups too.

Silvera hopefully starts banging them in for portsmouth soon! We need some forwards scoring

loved living in Japan. There are a small number of nationalists who hate foreigners, but the rest are the most courteous people you will ever meet

Japan is hard at the best of times, but we are missing 3 of our big five players who are all brilliant in defence - luongo, circati and metcalf

The 11 is fine for now but this is still something way off. Improvements are Bos and McGree starting. Brattan is just a fill in and people can have amazing debuts. The defence worries me with how little they've played and or together. 

So we wont score from set piece cuz Goodwin not there.

He is the only chance of the goal we have. He isnt perfect but Goodwin got final product in him.

It's almost too obvious. Hold on then bring Irankunda and Arzani if we're behind. Aerial threats and Hrustic free kicks. His corners have been poorer so here's hoping we can get lots of set plays and the big men can try.

I agree totally with the concept of managing the speed of play for our own headspace and system.

I just don't think using it to wear down an opponent these days is worth much - especially when we can so easily be burned keeping the ball in our own defensive area against Japan.

If we are doing it out of fear then we have written ourselves off in the game before the whistle goes. If we use it to draw Japan out then actually attack in a meaningful way, forcing them to move and adjust on the fly, it is a great and effective option.

I don't want us playing for a nil all draw even if my way leads to a loss. It is not a professional competitive mindset I acknowledge, but it shows the sort of football I want to see in our national side. I also acknowledge that Popa probably does not have the luxury of losing games like he should have as a change manager.

small nimble technical midfielders against a 34 year old Brattan? 

Disappointed about no Goodwin. Not sure about Burgess. I would’ve played Rowles. Worried about Brattan. Doesn’t seem well suited to the opponent.

I remember Guus' statement that big games are only lost in the first 30 minutes. Plenty of firepower to bring on later regardles of the situation

We'll soon know but you can be surprised. Brattan brings so much experience so hopefully he'll be very level headed. Of course the standard is something else but you can just hope there's a calmness about him.

could also yellow card at 30 minutes and poppa freaks out and subs him for goodwin who gets the result

bit of hopium and memories of 2005 haha

Japan's defence not entirely great. Keeper clumsy. Their 2 midfielders are no nonsense but beatable. Doan and Mitoma as wingbacks so this is an area we'll need to defend very well but can get past their defensive lack. It's their front 3 and then the link up and cutting in of the wingbacks that will create havoc so we need very tight marking. Kubo, Minamino, and Ueda.

Shortened warm up. Could or could not work in favour. Just get out there and get going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqjUzTFAXQ8

For those in UK and other markets where it works.

I'll go Paramount for Hill commentary. Rewind function back on Paramount PC stream tonight. 

Team stuck on the bus for 2 hours trying to get to the stadium. Shortened warm-up. That sucks.