'We can go further than any Socceroos team ever before': Irvine

[p]The Socceroos have made a habit of qualifying for the global soccer showpiece, making it to ‌the last six tournaments and reaching the last 16 for a second ‌time in Qatar four years ago.[/p][p]Despite a dearth of world-class players, they broke new ground ‌in Qatar under former coach Graham Arnold, winning multiple matches for the ‌first time after scraping through qualifying via an intercontinental playoff.[/p][p]With the benefit of an expanded 48-team tournament, qualifying for North America was a relative breeze under coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popovic-tony/ttgVDVCA/"]Tony Popovic[/a] and left ‌staff with plenty of time to plan.[/p][embed guid="16d68585-1a51-428c-9d2d-1541bb45a5e9" url="https://x.com/Socceroos/status/2061183458882490827" social-type="twitter" /][p]Home fans are ⁠expectant but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a] find themselves in a ‌tricky group with co-hosts the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a], a resurgent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/turkey/QeijuHo5/"]Turkey[/a] and 2010 quarter-finalists [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a].[/p][p]Popovic's ​squad is no more blessed with elite-level players than Arnold's was, but it carries a similar swagger.[/p][p]"[b]We're not hoping, we are really believing that ​we can go further than any Socceroos team ever before,[/b]" veteran midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/irvine-jackson/SvwMecZH/"]Jackson Irvine[/a] told Reuters.[/p][embed guid="3cf329df-1f89-4c63-8b04-aedd8dff57aa" url="https://x.com/football360au/status/2061195943668846934" social-type="twitter" /][p]Since replacing Arnold midway through the World Cup cycle, Popovic has ⁠cast the net wide in ​search of talent.[/p][p]While relying on old hands such as goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ryan-mathew/YBLvziIh/"]Mat Ryan[/a], his roster is laden with World Cup debutants and rising talents such as full back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bos-jordan/fZFBMyjl/"]Jordan Bos[/a] and winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/irankunda-nestor/OdWRR5EU/"]Nestory Irankunda[/a].[/p][p]A late entrant to the squad was former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] under-20 ‌international [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/volpato-cristian/2B5YqXFG/"]Cristian Volpato[/a], who plays for Serie A side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sassuolo/QDdvI0zl/"]Sassuolo[/a] and, as a dual citizen, switched allegiance to Australia last week.[/p][p]The Socceroos retain the same physicality and doggedness they had under Arnold but are even more wedded to structure and defensive organisation under Popovic.[/p][p]That may serve them well as they negotiate the group stage but could prove less effective in the knockout rounds when goals tend to be harder to come by.[/p][embed guid="dbc2708f-1689-4ad7-b230-c859929a663b" url="https://x.com/Sachk0/status/2061238359733985452" social-type="twitter" /][p]Australia have made do without a notable target man since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cahill-tim/WzcKlauG/"]Tim Cahill[/a] was in his pomp and lack top-shelf midfielders to ‌serve their limited forwards.[/p][p]There is plenty of excitement around 20-year-old Irankunda and 22-year-old striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-mohamed/SfbYnjVB/"]​Mohamed Toure[/a], who have impressed for their clubs in England's second tier.[/p][p]Expecting ‌them to fire Australia into the last 16 with a flurry of goals may be a bit much but former Socceroos striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thompson-archie/WEJkBTdT/"]Archie Thompson[/a] reckons the African-born duo can make a name for themselves.[/p][p]"[b]These young players are an X-factor,[/b]" Thompson, who scored 28 goals in 54 internationals, told Reuters.[/p][p]"[b]They ⁠could come on to the world stage ⁠and dominate. Or it may ‌take another World Cup when they're more hardened.[/b]"[/p]