SEATTLE — For the second-straight game, Socceroos boss Tony Popovic has pulled a major surprise at the selection table, dropping Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe — the goal scorers from the side’s win over Türkiye — and replacing them with Mathew Leckie and Nishan Velupillay to face the United States.
Scoring the 27th-minute goal that put his side in the ascendancy in what became a 2-0 win over the Turks, speedster Irankunda had been mooted as one of the Socceroos’ key weapons in transition against the USMNT but has made way for Melbourne City veteran Leckie.
Leckie, 35, will become the Socceroos’ all-time leading appearance maker at the men’s World Cup when he takes the field, playing his 11th game at the global showpiece in his Australian-record equalling fourth tournament.
The attacker scored one of the most famous goals in his nation’s history when he netted in a 1-0 win over Denmark that secured their progression to the knockouts four years ago, but has spent much of the past two years battling a series of soft tissue injuries — ailments which led him to pursue arthroscopic hip surgery last December.
However, a machine-like work ethic saw him return and log a strong end to the A-League Men season that, combined with an impressive performance in the near-month-long training camp in Florida the side staged in ahead of the World Cup, saw Popovic name him in his squad.
One of Australia‘s most dependable performers, Leckie’s presence in the lineup over Irankunda suggests that the Socceroos are expecting a physical encounter against the Americans, and are eying injecting the Watford youngster against tiring legs off the bench.
Netting the 75th-minute goal that sealed the result for Australia against Türkiye, Metcalfe, meanwhile, has made way for Velupillay, who made his Socceroo debut under Popovic after previously playing for the coach at Melbourne Victory.
Battling a series of fitness issues throughout the campaign, the 25-year-old didn’t have the strongest of A-League Men campaigns, but was one of the earliest arrivals into Australia’s pre-camp and, intimately familiar with Popovic’s system and demands the coach has for his attackers, has consistently performed internationally.
He netted three goals in just five appearances during qualification, averaging one every 68 minutes of time spent on the field.
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The two wingers, who will invert inside to serve as dual tens, enter into what is an otherwise unchanged side from the team that defeated Türkiye, with Patrick Beach retaining his place in goal over Mathew Ryan and Paul Okon Jr starting over Jackson Irvine.
The Socceroos received a major boost ahead of kick off with the confirmation that American superstar Christian Pulisic would not feature for the United States due to a calf injury aggravated in their win over Paraguay last week.
He is replaced in the starting lineup by PSV striker Ricardo Pepi, who will partner Folarin Balogun up top in what appears to be a formational shift from United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
