All with emotion now. Fox Sports gave Behich a 4. Certainly did well in attack.

Where in earth was Maclaren? Hrustic not fit all tournament. A wasted spot. Who bloody knows if Rogic event wants or or is even liked by the group. The same goes for a lot of players not there. Some errors in that Baccus was perfectly fit and should've stayed on. I think Devlin's engine and muscle would've been useful.

Tough game and you could tell many of the players were exhausted already by the errors creeping in. We've been punching against big teams and that left our tank empty. Personally I'd have subbed Jackson at halftime, whatever. First goal, well it was good through defenders legs blindsiding the keeper. Second, well it can happen, it did, have to move on. That run from Aziz, that chance from kuol! Second half Mooy was also spent. 
All up our lack of rotation undid. Everygame was a final for us. We took it to them and they knew they were in a real brawl. That though isn't a tournament strategy.
We do lack a true finisher. Craig Goodwin as our highest scorer I could not have imagined. Our deadballs were also truely awful most of the time in that game. 

Should I have added <sarc> for clarity?

He came out well for crosses those two games no doubt. 

Kinda awkward I've still got a Devlin kit to arrive in the post from DHgate. Didn't see a minute. Made a promise I'd order every scorers kit as the outlook was so dire. I think I'll get Goodwin's. Got McGree, Souttar, Devlin, Ryan. Got Rogic, Mooy, Sainsbury last time. Don't care what she says. Our closet is green and gold beautiful. 

Just realised the irony the Ryan error occurred in the same goal where we won the shootout. Totti penalty was in same goal where we scored vs Japan. Funny Behich went for a late game stroll nearly scoring just like vs Peru.

Reading through this after watching the game, and well... like we keep saying, it's the hope that kills ya!
Points I've told a mate, plus as responses to posts in here that I can't be bothered quote replying to:

Only real criticisms to the game are:
1) Too many fouls (I thought the referee did a good job. During the first 10 mins/to around when Irvine was booked, I was worried at some stage someone would be sent off)
2) Matt. Effing. Ryan. Yes, poor ball, but he had plenty of time to just boot it first. Tried to find a different option when there was none, and it cost big time.
3) Not sure if its a sign of probably the only criticism I'd give Arnie on this tournament (which would be that we tended to rely on that starting line up with minimal changes a lot), but seemed to be quite a few errant passes and cheap turnovers.


Well done, hopefully lets kick on, quite a few of this squad are young and will be around, and the qualifying campaign should be a lot easier here on out (fingers crossed)

Anger has turned to sadness. 

I'll have another beer. It's ended after such a gruelling campaign. Missed the opening Kuwait game but was relieved when my phone showed the early Leckie goal. What a long drawn out process it all was. Jordan away was bloody scary but we won. Covid came and changed so much. How annoying Taggart got the golden boot in 2019. Just great how many have been introduced to the national team set up this cycle. We've got to look forward but there is a pool of older ones who may enjoy some time away yet can easily come in if required. 

Great effort proud have to build on this our team and football in this country time to wakeup up FFA.

Ryan for me to blame for both goals first one was bread and butter for a keeper to haven't been impressed with him all campaign need a keeper.

Yup, best world cup ever , australia should be proud of the team

Great effort proud have to build on this our team and football in this country time to wakeup up FFA.

Eh, that might have been a tough one for him, quite a few bodies between him and the ball to get a good sight on it

Haven't been impressed with him , we need keepers to push him out a good keeper saves that I believe he had enough time to react.

Yeah, I wasn't angry or ashamed. Of course I was disappointed, but that kind of thing happens to all goalkeepers. Schwarzer against Japan and Kalac against Croatia were just as bad. It's a shame it happened at such a key moment, but it's just psychotic threatening to murder him like you were. 

The difference in 2006 was that we carried enough of a goal threat to compensate for the errors. This world cup, we could barely get a shot away or fashion a half chance. I'm honestly amazed we managed 4 goals. We carried next to no attacking threat in any of the games. Apart from Behich's wonder run and Kuol's last ditch shot, we never even looked like scoring here. It was gonna catch up to us eventually. Ultimately, we probably didn't deserve to go through and it wasn't because of Ryan. I'm just glad we came so close and worried them in the end. 

How many times did we threaten Italy in 2006 even when they were down to 10 men for most of the game? How many shots on target vs Brazil in 2006? On paper, yes we posed a greater threat. In reality not so much.

Can't fault the effort of the players, all tournament.  Left it all out there in every game.

Arnold got his tactics right too- Cede possession (because the players can't keep it even if they tried), and play on the counter. 

Craig Foster praised everyone and said we would learn from this.  Judging by the comments here we've reset our football development expectations, away from possession football and  playing out from the back to absorbing pressure and counter-attacking. Not sure what else we learned that we didn't already know.

Excellent results though.

I'm not so sure about this. I think many on here want Australia to aspire to dominate games with the ball. 

For the first time in a while, I have seen us play to our strengths. We played with a sense of realism. 

Hopefully our strengths in the future will be a squad full of technical players coupled with the mentality we've showed this WC.

We compensated for the 2 GK howlers though. We hammered Japan despite Schwarzer somehow failing to catch an aimless slow lofted cross, and survived the Kalac horror show against Croatia. If we had the same calibre of attacking talent today, we probably come back from Ryan's error. Argentina was ragged at the end there. 

By "reality" you mean "in your opinion".

In the Italy game we had 10 shots on goal with 4 on target and 58% possession.Yes they played with ten men for 40 minutes but no-one in the wold does that better. Italy won the tournament.

Against Brazil 14 shots with 4 on target and 47% possession.

In this game we had one shot on target- Kuol.

This^

We were more threatening here than against Italy that’s for sure. 

Gee, that amazes me. My memory has certainly faded … 

Those stats are misleading for the Italy game. 

Well if that's true, they're not saying so.

Yes Arnold did play to our strength, our mentality.  He did what he had to with the cattle he had.  Always said he is a better fit as a NT coach than Postecoglou who forces players into a game style rather than the fitting the game to the players.

I'm less hopeful of having a squad full of technical players- 15 years of being promised it and ending up with  possession in the 20's and long balls in the box in 2022.

100%. But is THIS how we want the team to play because we've had it as far as I can remember, since the 1980's

Wanting us to when we have developed the talent underneath is not the same as expecting these particular guys to do it vs Argentina I’m a knock out game.  

Fucking hell I've just seen something at the second goal. Ryan gathered a loose ball and threw it across the Behich from far right. Degenek was already moving alone on the right only metres nearby with the Argentina players retreating. All hindsight and butterfly effect but both goals also were moments of switching sides of play when the easy option was under their noses. Less is more! 

Have to agree with that you play to your strengths in any sport and not try to be something your not.

Yep, I know mate. It's been a hell of a slog following the National Team and hoping/waiting for the transition in our player development to kick into full gear. 

I think many have noted on here the deficiencies we have with development pathways. 

However, the blueprint in this world cup has been set. 

We HAVE to demand to always play to our strengths. I never want to see an Australian team forced into playing a particular way that doesn't fit with the squad we have at hand. 

There are so so many lessons to learn from this World Cup. I don't even know where to start.