Socceroos Ready to Prove Doubters Wrong Against Switzerland

Connor Metcalfe has had enough.

As the Socceroos go through their final drills in San Diego, the midfielder is staring down a familiar narrative from across the Pacific: Australia as the soft touch, the group’s easy beats, the team you circle for three points.

This time the spark came from former USA defender Alexi Lalas, who dismissed Australia as “an average team by any measure” in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off next week. It landed exactly as you’d expect in the Australian camp.

“I've seen all the US stuff and I'm just sick of it, to be honest,” Metcalfe said, the irritation barely concealed as he looked ahead to a friendly against Switzerland. “Let's just wait for the game. Whatever happens, happens.

“It's just so much rubbish, honestly. I'm just sick of it.”

Lalas is not alone. Ex-USA striker Landon Donovan has already taken aim at Australia coach Tony Popovic, calling him “smug” and tipping the Socceroos to finish last in their group. The tone from the American pundit class has been clear: Australia are there to make up the numbers.

A dress rehearsal in San Diego

Australia face Switzerland in a midday kick-off in San Diego, a match Popovic views less as a glamour friendly and more as a dry run for their 12pm showdown with the USA later in the tournament.

“It's actually a good dress rehearsal for us, with travelling, with food, with training, with our meetings,” Popovic said, outlining the detail behind the schedule. The timing, the logistics, even the pre-match routines are being treated as a trial run for the American test.

The result will matter. But the structure of the day might matter more.

Within that framework, Popovic has another priority: spreading minutes through the squad and finally unleashing one of the most talked-about names in Australian football.

Volpato set for first Socceroos minutes

Cristian Volpato, the Sassuolo winger whose decision to switch allegiance from Italy to Australia stunned many just days before the World Cup squad announcement, is set to make his first appearance in green and gold.

He sat out the Socceroos’ 1–0 loss to Mexico last week, working quietly in the background while his new teammates tried to sharpen their edge. Popovic made it clear the delay was about conditioning, not caution.

“He hasn't played a lot of football and he had eight to nine days off before he joined us,” the coach said. “Comparing [him] to the group, he's probably at the bottom in terms of his conditioning right now.

“He's working hard, he's trying to get up to speed and we've seen some good inroads in the last couple of days.”

Those “inroads” will now translate into game time. For a player whose every move has been dissected online, this will be the first real glimpse of how he fits into Popovic’s system under tournament pressure.

Outside the camp, Volpato’s selection has split opinion. Critics have pointed to a past social media post he made when Australia lost to Japan, questioning his commitment and timing. Inside the dressing room, Metcalfe insists the story is far less dramatic.

“It's been pretty smooth sailing. I mean, he's come in, he's a really nice, relaxed guy,” Metcalfe said. “We see it online and we know the past and what's been done, but we're not here to talk about that.

“Whatever's said is done, so it's fine.”

No rifts, no cold shoulders, just a new teammate trying to catch up physically and integrate tactically. For Popovic, Volpato is another attacking option. For the squad, he’s another body for a campaign that will demand depth.

Swiss disruption, American stage

On the opposite side of the pitch, Switzerland’s own build-up has been anything but smooth. Star striker Breel Embolo, a key figure in their attack, was blocked from travelling with the team due to a visa issue that flared just hours before departure.

US officials informed Embolo he could not board the flight with his teammates after his ESTA — the automated travel visa used for tourism — was rejected because of a criminal conviction. The timing threw a shadow over Switzerland’s final preparations.

The issue forced Embolo into a race against the clock, meeting with US officials during the week to try to clear his status. He eventually received approval to travel, a significant boost for a side that leans heavily on his presence up front. Embolo has 23 goals in 85 appearances for Switzerland, numbers that explain exactly why his availability matters.

So the stage in San Diego shifts again. A Socceroos side bristling at being branded “average.” A coach using every minute as a rehearsal for a showdown with the very country whose pundits have written them off. A new playmaker stepping into the shirt for the first time. And a Swiss striker finally cleared to join the party.

Soon enough, the noise from the studios and podcasts will give way to something far more definitive: the scoreboard.