Australia needs goals in these upcoming matches. The team has long copped criticism for its inability to score from open play, and its recent scoreless efforts against Bahrain and Indonesia showed a need to break through low blocks with more effective attacking play. With Popovic now in charge though, who will lead the Socceroos up top and how will they set up?
Wingers
A quick analysis of the the squad selection is heavy on wingers so there would be an expectation that Popovic sets up with three up front with a focus on a single target man. Out wide, Goodwin is likely the only locked choice with Arzani or Silvera potentially nabbing the second starting spot on the other wing. Arazni in particular may be favoured for having worked with Popovic in the past, as well as having the ability dribble and play through defenders, which will be needed especially against China who are likely to set up defensively.
Irankunda is obviously a class above in terms of potential impact and explosiveness. He will certainly be a a good addition off the bench to break through defences, especially against China, however depending how tight the match against Japan is, he may not feature against the table toppers especially if the energies of the team need to be focused on a structured 11 man defensive effort.
Target Man
Mitch Duke looks like the key target man, having demonstrated a good ability to score against defensive teams both with his head and feet, which will be useful should Australia opt to play the ball wide and cross into the box via the two wingers, however he has been less effective against more difficult teams and it is hard to see him getting the better of the Japanese defence.
Stamatelopoulos may offer a wild card option in this regard. The in-form striker recently scored his first goal with his new club Motherwell, and at 25 years old still demonstrates a lot of potential upside should he be embedded into the Socceroos line-up while in form.
The set up against Japan will be interesting, with the Samarai Blue boasting one of the best defences in Asia. Their recent scoring record of 12 goals in two games may force Popovic to set up more defensively so the chance of only one or two attackers may be likely.
The Beautiful Game 