Jackson Irvine seals Socceroos win over New Zealand to claim ‘Soccer Ashes’

A century on, it’s unlikely that Australian skipper Mat Ryan will mark his side’s 2-0 win over New Zealand to retain the “Soccer Ashes” by joining Kiwi counterpart Chris Wood for a celebratory cigar, just as Alex Gibb and George Campbell did back in 1923. Modern sports science has come a long way in a hundred years, and both captains have games for their club sides this weekend.

Involved in the game’s first goal, Harry Souttar also has a game on the weekend, his Leicester City travelling to Wales to take on Swansea City, and the towering defender will return to the King Power hoping that his form in green and gold across the past two games will be enough to induce Foxes’ boss Enzo Maresca into adding to his lone Championship start in 11 games thus far this season.

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The Scotland-born defender didn’t know much about his involvement in the 32nd-minute opener, as the ball glanced off his chest after Mitch Duke fired on goal from a header across the face of goal from debutant Alessandro Circati. Souttar also played a much more deliberate role in helping the Socceroos keep a first clean sheet since they downed Denmark in the group stages of the World Cup in Qatar, days after mostly blunting an understrength England in a 1-0 loss.

Circati, himself involved in a promotion push with Italian side Parma, also looked assured next to him in defence; it took until the 30th minute for the Kiwis to fashion any kind of meaningful threat on the Socceroos’ goal when Ryan saved an awkwardly bouncing headed effort from Wood. Even that effort did not go down as a shot on target.

Though not overrun in the middle of the park, Darren Bazeley’s New Zealand did not create a single shot on target throughout the evening. And by the time Jackson Irvine came off the bench and headed home a Martin Boyle corner in the 76th minute, they didn’t particularly look like they would, either. Ultimately they were lucky not to lose 3-0, with Brandon Borello somehow shooting wide from close range in the 85th.

After facing off against England, Mexico, Argentina and Ecuador, Australia’s opponents at the G-Tech Community Stadium represented the least credentialed of the teams Graham Arnold’s side has faced so far this year. A clean sheet, if Australia are genuine in their intentions to vault into a new level of footballing approbation, against a Kiwi side missing a few key contributors, was probably an expectation.

“The last six months, it’s been tough friendlies and playing against stronger opposition than I thought but tonight you could see how sharp the boys were with the ball,” Arnold said. “We’re playing some really good football and it’s just the final part, the penalty box, that we’ve got to fix. I’ve said publicly that I’m starting to get head aches now on who to pick and choose. The depth is building, you can see.”

Jordy Bos, deployed further up the pitch from his nominal left-back position as Aziz Behich replaced Kye Rowles in the back line, impressed on his return to the starting XI after having his appendix removed. The 20-year-old was purposeful and wide-ranging in his movement and assured in possession as he frequently darted inside. Hu stung the palms of Michael Woud in the 25th minute.

His former teammate at the Melbourne City academy, Connor Metcalfe likewise was positive in his efforts throughout the evening and combined with his impressive shift against England, continued to press his case to be a regular starter. He probably should have scored when he combined with the returning Massimo Luongo in the 53rd minute only to sky his effort over the bar.

Showing a level of comfort on the ball, even when under pressure, that separates him from many of his contemporaries in the Australian setup, Luongo’s work after he collected a Metcalfe cutback played a key role in working the ball to Lewis Miller for the cross that set up Australia’s opener. Playing his first international since 2019, it’s likely that he won’t need to go another four years between caps.