At the midway point, the score was level as Australia held their ground against Colombia. Despite Australia’s efforts, Colombia controlled much of the possession, with Bayern Munich’s Díaz posing a relentless threat.

The manager admitted that the team’s showing against Venezuela was “disjointed,” noting that for a significant portion of the match, their performance with and without the ball was lacking. He mentioned that the World Cup would be the stage where defeating a South American team would be most satisfying.

“We kept that under wraps because the players wanted it that way. They deserve credit for that,” he remarked.

“Honestly, I’m surprised at how well they performed, given that physically, they were clearly not at their peak,” he added.

“I’m actually surprised at how well they did, because physically, they were clearly nowhere near it.”