Tony Popovic says players need to be elite to beat Japan

Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has issued an “elite” warning to his squad before facing Japan away in another crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday having notched a significant win in his first match in charge.

Popovic said the best football nation in Asia would test Australia after the Socceroos recovered from conceding a goal inside the first 20 minutes before beating a ragged China 3-1 at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

The victory was capped off by a man-of-the-match performance from South Australia’s Craig Goodwin.

“Some of the players don’t quite have the level yet to play the level we require to play twice in four days,’’ Popovic said after a winning debut on the bench at Adelaide Oval.

“Once we get that right, I think you’ll see the players and how they performed (on Friday night), they can back that up.

“So, if they find this environment difficult, that’s how it should be.

“It shouldn’t be as easy as club level, that’s the environment we’re trying to create.

“Coming here, it will be hard and if you want to come back you need to be at an elite level away from here.”

The former Socceroo said he had ridden waves of emotions since he was named as former coach Graham Arnold’s replacement, 17 days before facing China when Australia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes were dimming fast after earning just a point in the open two matches of the final phase of qualifying.

“So much has happened in two weeks, it’s been a bit of a blur,” Popovic said.

“Once I came (into the job) there was so much to do in two weeks.

“In particular when you want to change an entire way of playing with a different system, so we’ve put in a lot of work, the focus has been on that.

“Before the game when the players were warming up, I had a chat with my wife and the kids and you think this is something quite special, so (there was) a lot of pride and the family is extremely proud of me as you’d expect.

“When the game started everything felt right, and I felt at ease with the group, with the staff.

“Even at 1-0 down I thought we were in total control of the game, we weren’t doing enough in the front third, they had one shot and scored.”

Goodwin was credited with an assist for Lewis Miller’s headed equaliser before scoring a world-class goal eight minutes after the break.

The 2023 Johnny Warren medal winner handed the Socceroos a deserved lead at arguably his favourite Oval where he has been at his absolute best and scored crucial goals for club and country.

“Special memories at this venue and I’m really happy to add to that,’’ Goodwin said.

“This is something, I have to enjoy now and tomorrow and then we have to move on to the next as is everything in football.

It happens so quickly, and we have to focus on Japan.

“If we go to Japan and don’t put in a good performance this is all for nothing.”