Aussie legend’s prickly tweet for Olyroos coach

The Olyroos crashed out of the Olympics on Wednesday night and Mark Bosnich suggested coach Graham Arnold made the biggest mistake.

Australia's starting players gather on the pitch.

Australia’s rollercoaster campaign in the men’s football has ended with a sudden crash after they were ambushed by Egypt on Wednesday night.

Egypt left the Olyroos devastated in a 2-0 defeat.

Egypt scored just before halftime – the team’s first goal of the tournament – when Ramadan Sobhi outpaced Harry Souttar to the bouncing ball before nutmegging him and passing Ahmed Rayan to slot the easiest of goals and make it 1-0.

The Olyroos spent the second half putting all the pressure on the Pharaohs’ goal but could not crack them.

Needing just a draw to progress, the result has left Australian football commentators feeling flat — after such a promising start against Argentina.

The reaction to the loss to Egypt has been mixed, but, yet again, the result has put Australian coach Graham Arnold in the spotlight.

Aussie legend Mark Bosnich suggested the biggest mistake of the entire game may have been one Arnold made before kick-off.

Australia's defender Kye Rowles and Australia's goalkeeper Thomas Glover react after the end of their campaign.

“So in the end the opening game was wasted, congratulations Egypt,” he posted on Twitter.

“Just a small observation... setting up defensively against a team who hadn’t scored yet all tournament is a recipe for sowing seeds in your players minds that ‘we cannot be our true selves’. It leads to doubt.”

I’m not here to defend Graham Arnold. If he’s not your cup of tea as coach, so be it.

But I reckon he’s sitting even par now overall after the Asian Cup and Olympic qualification.

World Cup qualifying will have a huge baring on how his stint is viewed from now IMO.

— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) July 28, 2021

Not matter what sport you play you’ve got to put pressure on the opposition. 2nd half we played some football looked to move forward and we looked a 100x more dangerous.🤷‍♂️

— Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) July 28, 2021

Aussie football journalist Daniel Garb also wrote on Twitter: “I’m not here to defend Graham Arnold. If he’s not your cup of tea as coach, so be it.

“But I reckon he’s sitting even par now overall after the Asian Cup and Olympic qualification.

World Cup qualifying will have a huge baring on how his stint is viewed from now IMO.”

The Egyptians broke Australian hearts when substitute Ammar Hamdy scored the winner.

While there was still time on the clock, the Olyroos couldn’t get on the board.

After raising hopes with a shock win against Argentina to start the Games, Aussie football fans were devastated by the latest loss.

Arnold responds after half time

Coach Graham Arnold moved immediately after the late first half goal by bringing on Daniel Arzani, who had started in the first two matches of the tournament, and Keanu Baccus at the start of the second half.

Players of Team Egypt celebrate after victory in the Men's Group C match against Australia.

It was Arzani who came closest to scoring in the opening stages of the second stanza, unleashing a first time shot on the edge of the box after a neat pass from Marco Tilio – but was well saved by a diving Egypt keeper Mohamed Elshenawy.

With half an hour remaining, and needing to score to keep their Olympic dream alive, Olyroos coach Graham Arnold turned to a stunning ‘wildcard’.

Jay Rich-Baghuelou – a former striker who was converted to a central defender in recent seasons at the club level – was brought on in place of attacker Lachlan Wales, and quickly took up a position at the front of the Australian attack.

“A bit of a wildcard play from Graham Arnold,” Brenton Speed said in commentary for Channel 7.

It was Rich-Baghuelou’s first minutes of the tournament.

In the end it simply wasn’t Australia’s night.

— foxsports.com.au