www.silverguide.site –

The memory flashed back instantly for Socceroos midfielder Connor Metcalfe, when asked about the last time he played against Egypt.

“It actually feels like a blur to be honest,” he said, recalling the Olyroos’ match five years ago at the Tokyo Olympics.

“They were quite a big physical team, I just remember it being really humid and hot, we didn’t play our best game. Yeah, they ruined our dream.”

The medal hopes of Metcalfe, Harry Souttar and Cammy Devlin – the only current Socceroos who played that night – ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat when even a draw would have seen the team progress from their group.

While at senior level Australia and Egypt rarely play – including most recently a 3-0 win for the Pharaohs in Cairo in 2010 – Metcalfe’s Olyroos experience has provided additional motivation. “I guess you could say it’s a bit of revenge,” he said.

The speculation ahead of the match has been dominated by the fitness of Egypt forward Mo Salah, who came off against Iran with more than half an hour to play and was icing his left hamstring.

The Socceroos are yet to focus their plans on Salah, however, or indeed any of the Egypt squad which also includes Manchester City player Omar Marmoush and 18-year-old forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who is signed to Barcelona B.

“At the moment, we haven’t really discussed Egypt that much, we just try to refresh the body, refresh the mind, and then tomorrow onwards we’ll start to really get ready for it,” Metcalfe said.

Defender Lucas Herrington said he anticipates there will be threats throughout a team that only lost narrowly to Senegal in January’s African Cup of Nations semi-final.

“[Salah and Marmoush] are the two names that most people remember and most people mention, but I think we’ve just got to be ready for everyone,” he said. “They’re a top team and we’re all looking forward to the occasion and it’s another chance to make history.”

The Socceroos have not won a World Cup knockout match, and both occasions they have played in the last 16 delivered painful, narrow defeats. In 2006, Italy scored a late penalty to win 1-0, and Argentina held on for a 2-1 victory in 2022.

Metcalfe said they have a “really good shot” for breaking through in Dallas. “We’ve come so far, I don’t think anyone expected us to even get out of the group, so we’re all buzzing just to have this amazing achievement and be able to be in this knockout stage,” he said.

Metcalfe has been instrumental for the Socceroos during this World Cup after a season where he struggled for minutes in the Bundesliga with St Pauli. He said the recent weeks have been a “release” after a frustrating period.

“Just being able to let it out on the pitch and enjoy the moment and not really being nervous and just get on with it … I think it’s really helped me to be honest because there’s a lot of inner anger from the season.”

The seven-day break between the Socceroos’ final group stage match and the last 32 fixture has afforded the players more time with their family in the San Francisco Bay Area, before they ramp up preparations. The squad is due to fly to Dallas on Wednesday.

“It’s nice to know that we get to stay here longer,” Metcalfe said. “We also know that it could end very quickly, but we’re just trying to enjoy every day together.”