Socceroo Jackson Irvine has expressed his support for Fifa’s decision to penalize players who cover their mouths while speaking, following the historic red card shown to Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón during the match against Turkey.
The upcoming clash between the Socceroos and Paraguay will determine second place in their group, taking place at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Thursday (Friday AEST). A loss for either team would leave them anxiously waiting to see if they can advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams from the twelve groups.
Almirón’s dismissal marks the first instance of a player being sent off under a new regulation aimed at curbing the tendency of players to obscure their mouths during confrontations. His suspension for the final Group D match is a significant advantage for the Socceroos.
Irvine, who serves on Fifpro’s global player council, stated that players had been adequately warned about the new rule, deeming it necessary. “I know it’s going to be controversial in some ways because we don’t know the nature of what [the comment] was, but when you look at what’s happened in the past, especially around what happened with Vinícius Júnior, I think it takes everything out of the equation.” he explained.
Earlier this year, Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica faced disciplinary action after making comments to Vinícius Júnior while covering his mouth. Although the referee did not issue a red card during the match, Prestianni was later suspended for six games due to homophobic remarks.
The International Football Association Board approved the introduction of red cards for this type of behavior in April. Irvine emphasized that Almirón should have no grievances regarding the decision. “If you’re saying something to someone that you don’t want to be seen, then I think it’s safe to say that if you can’t be seen saying it, then it shouldn’t be said,” he remarked. “For me, it’s a clear line on the rule, and we were all told about it, so it is what it is.”
Despite Almirón’s absence, Paraguay enters the match with confidence following their narrow 1-0 win over Turkey. To surpass the Socceroos in Group D standings, they will need to secure a victory. Third place might still lead to knockout rounds depending on results from other groups.
Historically, Australia has never triumphed over a South American team in World Cup play, and Irvine anticipates a challenging encounter. He noted that Paraguay’s style is physical, skilled, and unpredictable, stating it will be “just a totally different type of game” compared to their previous matches against Turkey and the USA. He highlighted the “incredible individual quality” of the Paraguayan players.
“Watching Paraguay against Turkey last night, there was a sequence towards the end of the game that sums up their style of football,” Irvine shared. “It was with about five minutes to go, and they had won the ball back high up the pitch, and they had a chance to go to the corner. The guy just whips the cross into the back stick with three guys, and they try and score again with 10 men and they’re 1-0 up. Expect the unexpected. I guess that’s probably the best way to put it.”
Irvine believes the Socceroos must improve their performance against Paraguay compared to their game against the USA. “The main thing that we have to get better from the first half is just being able to come into the duels and arrive – in the physical side of the game – a little bit better, and ride through those difficult moments,” he explained.
“We’re playing against top teams at the highest level, but they’re going to have moments where you’re going to have to defend and we’re going to have to suffer and you’ve got to find ways to get through that.”
