Australia head coach Popovic calls on new faces to seize opportunity ahead of World Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/australia-xSrf6qMM/curacao-bLLGpOkQ/?mid=xYZOaL8b"]Tuesday's friendly[/a] at Melbourne Rectangular ‌Stadium is the Socceroos' last warmup on home soil before the June 11-July 19 finals and ‌follows a laboured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/australia-xSrf6qMM/cameroon-zk1uVG2D/?mid=U7WG1svn"]1-0 win[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cameroon/zk1uVG2D/"]Cameroon[/a] in Sydney last Friday.[/p][p]While ‌the Cameroon win did little to ease concerns around [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a]'s attacking fluency, right ‌back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/italiano-jacob/x2rPoBfJ/"]Jacob Italiano[/a] and 18-year-old debutant centre back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herrington-lucas/4ApZ8wCi/"]Lucas Herrington[/a] impressed ‌with their poise in defence.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popovic-tony/ttgVDVCA/"]Popovic[/a] hoped others would add to his selection burden with a good showing against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a], the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup, which ‌is being co-hosted by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a] and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]⁠United States[/a].[/p][p][b]"Obviously (we're) having a look at ‌a few of the other boys that have been here in camp who have ​now settled and are more accustomed to the environment, and hopefully they can get some minutes tomorrow," [/b]Popovic told reporters on ​Monday.[/p][p]"It's a World Cup, and anyone that's here now feels they're so close, they're in the final camp before we go to the World ⁠Cup to prepare.[/p][p][b]"So you have ​to believe, as a player, you're in the mix. And then they have to obviously try and perform to their maximum and really show that they deserve to be on that plane."[/b][/p][embed guid="09106288-e8d6-4b04-9560-3f74f7dd5f2c" url="https://x.com/Sachk0/status/2034462575967277440" social-type="twitter" /][p]That may mean a chance for uncapped ‌Croatia-born striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suto-ante/MceLODUb/"]Ante Suto[/a], who plays for Scottish side Hibernian and had never set foot on Australian soil until this camp.[/p][p]Cardiff City midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robertson-alex/63grHnZb/"]Alex Robertson[/a], whose father and grandfather both represented Australia, may also hope to add to his two caps with a first appearance under Popovic, having last played under Graham Arnold in 2023.[/p][p]The Socceroos will face something a bit different in world number 82 Curacao, a Caribbean side with Dutch roots eager to hit back after their 2-0 defeat by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/china/f5AvIXD3/"]China[/a] in Sydney last ‌week and build momentum for their World Cup debut.[/p][p][b]"Such a small nation ... ​it’s an amazing achievement,"[/b] Popovic said of the country of 156,000.[/p][p]"Two ‌nations going to the World Cup up against each other - we're taking it very seriously."[/p][p]After Curacao, Australia head to a training camp in Florida before meeting Mexico in a May 30 friendly at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.[/p][p]Australia face the US, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a] and either ⁠Turkey or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kosovo/v1DTPQwI/"]Kosovo[/a], who meet in ⁠a qualifying playoff on Tuesday, ‌in Group D at the World Cup.[/p]