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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSelection gambles don\u2019t come any bigger for the opening game of the World Cup, but Popovic has nothing if not belief in his young charges, and will now be hailed a tactical genius with Beach producing a near man-of-the-match performance, making nine saves throughout the night to keep Turkiye at bay, while Okon provided the assist for Australia\u2019s opener and was a workhorse in midfield before being replaced by Irvine with just over five minutes of regulation time remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not to say Popovic isn\u2019t, he has always been one of Australia\u2019s more astute football minds, even as a player. But they were hero or zero type selection gambles, and because it worked out as intended, the term genius will be thrown around with regular abandon in coffee shop conversations over the coming day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That Okon provided the assist for Irankunda, another bold selection call from Popovic, was vindication for Popovic and a glimpse into Australia\u2019s future for the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was quite special seeing the young boys combining to score a goal,\u201d a beaming Popovic told Australian broadcaster SBS after the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t underestimate what this will do for their confidence and belief. Emotionally it will take a lot out of the players this game, so we\u2019ve got to get back and recover well and focus on the US.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was not just a result won on matchday, however. It was the result of five weeks of meticulous planning by Australia\u2019s coaching staff, who enjoyed one of the longest preparation camps of any nation at this World Cup, firstly in the fierce Florida sun and then at their team base camp in Oakland, and that time spent in camp was evident in their performance in Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This team, as is almost a stereotype for any Australian side, was fit. They worked tirelessly right across the pitch, from Mo Toure at the point of the attack, to the defence that were resolute across the entire 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The coaching staff demand a lot from the players, and they in turn demand a lot from each other. It is, to quote former coach Graham Arnold, that \u2018Aussie DNA\u2019 that is just intrinsic in every Australian footballer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But to win a game of football you need more than fitness. This was a team that was also meticulously prepared tactically. Australia knew Turkiye were likely to enjoy more possession of the ball given the quality of players in their line-up, such as Real Madrid\u2019s Arda Guler and Juventus\u2019 Kenan Yildiz, who surprisingly started on the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Australia found a way to work around that. They compressed space, they cut off passing lanes and they used speed on the counter as their most offensive weapon, and it worked to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Australia_Win.jpeg?resize=1024%2C689&ssl=1\")
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