""I'm certain it'll be a day he'll never forget," Popovic said of Balard. "[There were] a lot of young boys out there today who got their opportunity. It was nice to get the winner in that way. We got the win and a lot of boys got an experience of a lifetime. The first half, we found a little bit difficult, but we got there.""
""The best compliment I can give him is he looked like he belonged," he said of Izzo. "He certainly helped us against a top-class striker. Today, with all the changes and players finding their feet, it looked disjointed at times. That comes with giving all the players opportunities and trying them out for the first time. Let's hope we can do better in Auckland.""
Max Balard scored on his Socceroos debut in the 87th minute to secure a 1-0 win over New Zealand at GIO Stadium Canberra in the first Soccer Ashes friendly. The victory extended Australia's unbeaten run across all competitions to ten matches and marked a fifth consecutive win. Nicolas Milanovic and Paul Izzo also made their debuts, with Izzo producing four saves including two to deny Chris Wood. The team struggled early and looked disjointed at times amid multiple changes. Focus shifts to the return fixture in Auckland with hopes of improved cohesion.
Read at Soccer News
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