Socceroos secure last-32 spot with Paraguay draw
Australia didn’t light up Santa Clara. They didn’t need to.
On a cool Thursday night in northern California, the Socceroos played out a cagey 0-0 draw with Paraguay that was short on chances but rich in consequence, a result that quietly pushed them into the last 32 as runners-up in Group D.
This was about survival, not spectacle.
Job done in Santa Clara
Australia arrived at Levi’s Stadium with the hard work half-done. They had stunned Turkey in their opener, then been brought back to earth by co-hosts the United States. One more point would be enough.
They managed exactly that, with a young side that traded ambition for control, shutting down Paraguay in a match that rarely threatened to break open. The contest suited both teams; neither was willing to overreach and risk everything.
Yet for Tony Popovic, the manner of the performance mattered. The Socceroos head coach cut a satisfied figure afterward, stressing how his inexperienced group had handled the pressure of a decisive World Cup qualifier with everything on the line.
He spoke of composure. Of patience. Of quality and resilience. On a night where the scoreboard barely flickered, those were the metrics that counted.
Herrington steps into the spotlight
If the game itself will fade quickly from the wider tournament memory, one Australian name should not: Lucas Herrington.
Popovic took a calculated gamble, naming a youthful lineup in a match that could have gone badly wrong with one mistake. At the heart of it stood Herrington, just 18, the youngest player ever to start for Australia at a men’s World Cup.
The central defender, already linked with a move to Barcelona and cutting his teeth in Major League Soccer, did not shrink from the occasion. Popovic had more than a squad number in mind when he brought the teenager to this tournament, and he made that clear.
Herrington had been frustrated to miss out on minutes against the United States. The response was emphatic. Trusted in the most important game of the group, he delivered the kind of assured, mature display that coaches remember and opponents dislike.
On a night of few clear chances, Australia’s back line barely flinched. Herrington anchored it, reading danger early, stepping in with conviction, and helping ensure Paraguay rarely found a route through.
A path cleared, a week to breathe
The stalemate locked in second place in Group D for Australia and, with it, a ticket to the last 32. The reward is significant: a knockout tie on July 3 at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys, against the side that finishes second in Group G.
That group remains in flux, with Egypt, Iran, Belgium and regional rivals New Zealand still jostling for position. Whoever emerges in that runner-up spot will find an Australian side that has time on its side for once.
A full week now stretches ahead of the Socceroos. Not dead time. Valuable time.
Popovic welcomed the pause, pointing to a detailed plan to get every fit player ready to “produce a big performance” in Texas. The message is clear: qualification is not the ceiling. It is the platform.
Australia have already watched several heavyweight nations fall by the wayside. They are still standing, with a young core growing in confidence and a coach convinced this group can “do something special” on North American soil.
The next step comes in Dallas, under a closed roof and a bigger spotlight. The question now is simple: can this emerging Socceroos side turn quiet progress into something far louder?
