A 20-year-old rising star put his name up in lights with a standout performance against Argentina, despite the Socceroos falling to a 2-0 defeat to the reigning World Cup champions.
Meanwhile, a 26-year-old defender impressed despite playing just 17 minutes off the bench in his second international game – and after missing out on the 2022 World Cup squad, he could be in line for more minutes in the future.
Here’s how every Australian performed in the huge international friendly in Beijing.
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Mat Ryan: 5
There was nothing he could to stop Messi’s second-minute goal except pick the ball out the back of his net, while it would have taken something special to deny the second goal.
But Ryan raced off his line well in the 36th minute to intercept a pinpoint Messi through ball just before an on-rushing attacker, and made a number of strong saves to keep the scoreline more than respectable.
There were some minor concerns, however, with some wayward passing and once or twice struggling to judge or clear crosses.
In previous years, reports from England claimed that Premier League teams viewed Ryan as having a weakness against crosses.
But it has not been a typical issue in international matches for the green and gold gloveman (though he was decked out in lavender in Beijing).
And he was certainly not at fault for the two goals, while he saved what could easily have been a third goal with a sublime stop from Julian Alvarez.
Jordan Bos: 7.5
It was a standout performance from the 20-year-old in just his second cap, with his first half effort particularly impressive.
If Aziz
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