Mooy is the professional who knew it wasn't really needed to get out of first gear tonight. It's annoying but he was happy to and maybe even instructed to just keep the ball moving around. The question at this stage of his career is whether he'll turn it on in Asia again or is happy to wind down and the latter is becoming increasingly the path. 

I don'T think we can be safe with Hrustic as the last man. We need the covergae of Devlin, Jeggo or Dougall. It's ever apparent Irvine isn't the player for irregular games. He's a fine player when he is used to the team and system hence the strong cub form.

All qualifiers are on Paramount on my laptop

I had a great evening 👍 

Can’t see them on the Paramount+ app on my phone

Mooy was shit it wasn't an act, it's what happens when Chinese players are your opponents most of the year.
He had the first touch of a rapist.

Hrustic has a low football IQ, that is way below his skill level. Far too unsteady to play as a DM.

Mooy provided a lot of composure on the ball tonight, and excellent decision-making, even though he  isn't at his best negating slick attacking interplay when they have the ball.

Devlin, Stensness and Dougall haven't played enough international football - yet.

Jeggo has, but  conceded that needless  penalty against China, which has been decisive in  setting us back in  this WCQing camping.

I thought the same thing exactly...... 
Karacic also had a decent game..., Rogic is a brand new player this year....,,, great to watch him..
Leckie, Sainsbury and Mooy are cooked sorry to say, apart frommthat no complaints for once on Arnies selection, just weak as piss on a quick counter defensively but Degenak did quite well, perhaps we should pair him with big Harry when he comes back..... 

The little Vietnamese Am went around Mooy's high football IQ like it was a traffic cone tonight..... Also twice, or three times went for the low percentage diagonal ball  perhaps to relieve defensive duties in case of turn over rather than because it was the better avenue to goal....  Like someone said above, China has made him fat and lazy.

Very true it sounded like a home game in Hanoi at times..... great turnout for what is quite shitty weather in Melbourne this evening..... there goes the "covid keeps the football crowds away" excuse for APL.....

Wonder what the odds of a Saudi pen tomorrow are, pricks rely on them.

I thought Mooy looked relatively composed on the ball in the first half tonight, but he was not under much pressure. In the second half when he was under a bit of pressure he was very poor - poor touch, poor passing and easily beaten.

Very disappointed with Mooy and Leckie in this game.  Mooy was too slow, sideway and backpass and turned over a number of times. And Leckie couldnt dibble pass the defenders and no matter how good the opportunity Infront of goal he would miss it. The man just didn't know how to score atm. Goodwin on the other hand was fantastic when he came on.

After seeing tonight's game, I'm just sick to death of watching Matt Leckie miss so many goals ( about 100), after 10 years of watching him play international football as a striker or winger.

If both Arnie and Ange, think he is worthy of a place in the attacking trio, he just hasn't got enough composure in finishing and penalty box craft. Matt's miss after miss after miss, constantly  puts the team under pressure - if - as in today's game, too many chances fell his way.  Credit to him getting into good positions, but one has to convert!

Thank goodness Muelensteen replaced him with Goodwin. The AU winger, who was barely  on the pitch for a few minutes, scored a fantastic, deft,  well-taken, clinical strike, that was a game changer! I'm sorry, but Matt is incapable of scoring that sort of goal. Goodwin did in a few minutes on the pitch, what Matt  has not been able to do, even once,  in 10 years of Socceroo tenure!


We will struggle to get to the World Cup if  our best options are Leckie, and even Jackson Irvine. At least  Jackson has game sense, but was culpable for Rogic's disallowed goal. In a  midfield  trio off Rogic, Mooy and himself, he is the best at tracking back. Nevertheless, we need players with quicker feet, faster handling speed, able to turn in tighter places, and to be able to play rapidfire  pass and move football, like Mooy, Milligan, Grella, Culina.

What I can't get over, is that Aus preferred to play down Leckie's innocuous left flank, than   Boyle's more potent right flank, with the latter a far  more potent threat  around goal.

Maclaren's goal was well taken, and, he played some deft lay offs to other forwards.

Rogic was brilliant and should have had 2 goals, not 1.

Still though the attacking trio, of Leckie, Boyle and Maclaren, plus Rogic in a support role at number 10, with  Irvine  supporting attacks, plus Karacic and King overlapping,  it malfunctioned as a cohesive unit in the first half.

Then when Vietnam gained the ascendancy for 10 -15 mins in the second half, our defence lost a bit of shape and composure. Vietnam played some slick football too, until Goodwin changed the game to make it 3-0.

McGree was also impressive, with Goodwin produced the assist for a well taken McGree goal.

I've only accessed a few Saturday night games in this year's A League season, but  where is Chris Ikonomidis? At our last Asian Cup he was out most potent attacking player.

Tilio has made rapid improvement and like Goodwin and McGee, was a dangerous sub, who nearly scored.

I have to disagree on Mooy here, I thought he was poor for most of the match, in the first half he got beaten too easily defensively and turned over possession in the second half too easily at times.

I would not mind a Devlin in there as hes a good ball winner or even Stensness.

We must have watched a different game.

Aus was greatly enhanced by Mooy's calm composure on the ball, game sense, and slick distribution under what could have been pressure. 

Mooy is the bald one, not the lanky one.

On the ball he was excellent. h eis so two sided , and plays well on both sides of the body, he i nearly always in  teperfect body position when he receives the ball. 

 Someone else said Mooy only passed backwards and sideways. I was hoping that notion would leave the Aussie football milieu! Players pass the ball to whoever opens the  most effective  lane, forwards and diagonally, if the passing lane is open. I'd surmise Mooy played more completed passes on the pitch than anybody else, including, at the appropriate time, some very good forward passes.

He has never been a great turner and chaser to recover ball, when the  other team has the ball, or in their attacking transitions and our defensive transitions. This was compensated for by his effective reading of the game to make timely intercepts. 

ikon is a marquee player for melbourne victory but has been injured I believe

I thought it was a good performance by the lads, so good all round performances by some of the players particularly Rogic who looked a level above the rest especially in the first half.

I agree on Leckie hes just not productive enough as an attacking outlet on the left, we needed Mabil if not for poor form and covid or ideally Arzani if only if he could gets his act together in his club career and could be easily pushing for a starting role.

Clearly the strength of this team is in midfield whom we have plenty of options in how the team wants to play and the weakness is in the final third whom we dont have enough in terms of attacking and creative threats to choose from.
Although I was pleased with Tilio coming on who could be a future prospect with his creative and technical ability, also pleased for Joel King who copped it before the game whether he was a good selection but I thought he played a solid game out there.
McGree also looks set to take off at this level too with hes classy goal too.

My only disappointment of the night was the fact that the game wasnt in the main channel from Ch10 instead they put it on their Digital options, for a World Cup qualifier regardless if it was Vietnam or not this is our national team that deserves to have the attention of mainstream Australia, given also they had tennis across the road with the Aus Open too so this was disappointing to see.

After excoriating Leckie and being frustrated because coaches  keep selecting him for his  athleticism, he made a timely tackle in the centre of the pitch which resulted in a yellow card. If he had not,  the centre of the pitch was wide open.

His  other best work was when he played a timely  assist for Rogic to score just before half time. It wasn't the hardest pass, but he was running at speed. It was well weighted and accurate.

Which is why a true defensive midfielder would not be a bad idea, could free him up to play further forward.

Goodwin and Tilio looked more effective as wingers than Leckie - when we had the ball.

King was very good for a first game,  being under pressure in a WCQer, albeit against a mediocre  opposition. An auspicious start by him. Shame that King copped it ( I assume by fans who denigrate the AL?). He did his job at LB better than the very experienced  Leckie as LW, and probably Irvine at DM.

What a shame!

We need him for the Socceroos. Very composed as a ball carrier and dribbler. Also, Ikon works well as part of a unit in attacking interplay.

There was very little overlapping. None at all from King. He barely ventured into the attacking half the whole game. I've no idea why he was played so defensively against a team like Vietnam. Later in the second half he was slightly more adventurous.

Apart from their lack of international  experience, I think Jeggo, Metcalfe, Genreau, McGree, Stensness and Devlin, all have the potential to be better than Irvine is now - apart from his terrific aerial ability if the opposition play  long, high balls. Stensness and Devlin are rugged ball winning DMs.

I think Irvine's best position might be Centre Back, not DM. He was a CB at times when he was younger.

Maybe King was playing under coach's instructions?

Although weirdly, Leckie received more ball on his left flank, than  Boyle, who is a far more potent attacking threat, did on his right flank. Karacic overlapped a bit on the right.

The CM stocks look good compared to the 2018 side which is promising, plenty of options to choose from.

My wife though the game was played in Vietnam at first !

When she first tuned in, the camera lens was on all the Vietnamese fans!

Agree with Rogic and Leckie evaluation. Although I  don't think Leckie has ever had a Golden Age as a forward winger, in terms of goal predating instincts.  I think Leckie should have played his career as a RB and Wing Back.

Disagree on Mooy though, whose distribution and composure was welcome tonight, even if he struggled off the ball at times when  turning and chasing.

I'd love to look at a replay, but I thought Sains was solid tonight, even though being part of an occasional malfunctioning defensive unit, that lost its shape at times. A few years ago, when  Sains wasn't  playing much at club level  in 2017, I thought he was really  struggling for the Socceroos, but now he looks close to what he was at his peak in the 2015 Asian Cup.

Playing for Victory but not nearly at the level yet to deserve a call up based on the game vs Sydney