100%

To provide some context.

Every Argentinian, or Brazilian, is possibly better on the ball than every player in any of the UEFA powerhouse international teams too. Maybe France and Spain are closer to them, but they are far better  with close ball control than their domestic playing counterparts in the English, Italian and German leagues.

Besides football being a religion in Argentina and Brazil , they also have a massive  street  football culture in these countries.

Another facet of play compared to what I've  recently  identified as a problem in most UEFA teams, is that they select far too many tall players in any  given team, apart from Portugal and Spain, and maybe  the Netherlands.

Argentina's shorter  players with a lower centre of gravity, are more nimble on their  feet, able to change direction more quickly, and can turn more quickly. Ditto Brazil.

Two  facets of   first touch are to stop it dead, and , to turn away from the opponent  as one simultaneously receives the ball.

At least we select shorter players like Behich, Kuol   and Maclaren. In a country like Australia where football  is at best the 5th most popular sport behind AFL, league, union and cricket, we lose a much larger percentage of talented sportspersons to theses codes than  nearly every other country in the World Cup.

Plus there is virtually no  money for youth development, because AFL takes most of the financial resources, trying to improve the standard for a sport nobody  else plays in the world. Governments also put  a lot money into Olympic sports too.

Apologies to residents of NSW and the ACT. You probably have no idea how AFL enjoys its hegemony in the  southern states that it does.  Queensland is   becoming an AFL state.

Hrustic has played and is playing at a higher level than any of his team mates.  Maybe that's his expectation of his team mates, to be at a similar, or at least better level, than they are.

Is that a fact?  He's played 53 times for the Socceroos. even if him playing for the Socceroos has negatively affected his club performances.

At least we select shorter players like Behich, Kuol   and Maclaren. In a country like Australia where football is at best the 5th most popular sport behind AFL, league, union and cricket, we lose a much larger percentage of talented sportspersons to theses codes than nearly every other country in the World Cup.

Saw the Maclaren one watching the replay. A world class striker would've dislocated their ankle to get laces on it and score. Maclaren definitely took it wrongly. He was afforded a bit of space too. Wish he'd tried it first time. You never know. 

At least we select shorter players like Behich, Kuol   and Maclaren. In a country like Australia where football is at best the 5th most popular sport behind AFL, league, union and cricket, we lose a much larger percentage of talented sportspersons to theses codes than nearly every other country in the World Cup.

I've just paused and rewound the post match footage numerous times. As soon as the whistle went, Hrustic went nuts at someone on the bench and walked past Arnold. Arnold was a bit preoccupied anyway. Post game on the field he wasn't to be seen. I counted 25 players.

I get his injuries have been frustrating but this boilover and berating team mates needs to be clairifed very quickly. Kuol couldn't see him, Karacic was right to call for the pass. 

I've just paused and rewound the post match footage numerous times. As soon as the whistle went, Hrustic went nuts at someone on the bench and walked past Arnold. Arnold was a bit preoccupied anyway. Post game on the field he wasn't to be seen. I counted 25 players.

I get his injuries have been frustrating but this boilover and berating team mates needs to be clairifed very quickly. Kuol couldn't see him, Karacic was right to call for the pass. 

Besides a silly foul he was great. 

Yeah like we say Messi's NT appearances have affected his club performances? not sure I get you there but sounds like typical excuse making.
We could write a book on all the excuse making in the Socceroos, why this and that. 

I've followed his career on and off at Celtic.  His form repeatedly declined on return from Socceroo duties and often cost him his place in the starting team.

Ive just read 6-7 pages post match of football specific techno babble statistical garbage.....  no comment.
So proud of the lads, they did their best and despite our limitations earned the respect of the majority of the football world. 
Yes Goodwins goal was a 90 degree deflection, yes Mooy looked absolutely cooked, yes Messi is un-playable at times but also we scared the fucken shit out of them in the last 10 mins......  
Hrustic was right to be furious, Ryan had a great 3.5 games and the poor bloke shouldnt blame himself for a one off howler, it happens. 
Kuol's take down of the ball, turn away from his man and shot at the very end is THE MOMENT of the WC for me..... Nothing any of the Roos did before that was as "jogo bonito"... People bagging him out for missing should re-evaluate their lives.
Well done Graham Arnold. Well done JJ and FA for having faith in GA. Well done to the 26 HEROES who represented ALL OF US, with pride and determination.....

This is also wrong. Football is more popular than all of those sports at youth level. Union is largely only played by private school lads, local comps are almost non-existent and largely confined to the old boys network and the leafier suburbs of Sydney.

The population argument doesn't hold water. Even if you said we have 4 major codes if you split the population by 4 you'd have 6 million people to draw on. Well Croatia, Costa Rica, Wales and Uruguay and other countries, like Iceland, have populations less than that and pump out players way better than us.

@Davide 82. Holy smokes mate, I hope you've calmed down by the time you wake up tomorrow morning.

I agree with everything you say. But seriously, how do you explain every other country (pretty much) having better skills than us. It’s no coincidence that possibly our most skilful player of the past 15 years had a background in Futsal. 

Ive just read 6-7 pages post match of football specific techno babble statistical garbage.....  no comment.
So proud of the lads, they did their best and despite our limitations earned the respect of the majority of the football world. 
Yes Goodwins goal was a 90 degree deflection, yes Mooy looked absolutely cooked, yes Messi is un-playable at times but also we scared the fucken shit out of them in the last 10 mins......  
Hrustic was right to be furious, Ryan had a great 3.5 games and the poor bloke shouldnt blame himself for a one off howler, it happens. 
Kuol's take down of the ball, turn away from his man and shot at the very end is THE MOMENT of the WC for me..... Nothing any of the Roos did before that was as "jogo bonito"... People bagging him out for missing should re-evaluate their lives.
Well done Graham Arnold. Well done JJ and FA for having faith in GA. Well done to the 26 HEROES who represented ALL OF US, with pride and determination.....