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Josh Risdon was on the centre of consideration throughout Australia’s 2018 World Cup marketing campaign, having to nullify a number of the finest gamers on the planet because the Socceroos aimed to upset the percentages from a tricky group.
Risdon was tasked with defending Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappe towards France, two of the quickest and most skilful gamers on the planet for a lot of the match, however it was a deal with on Antoine Griezmann that made its means into the historical past books.
A through-ball lower Australia’s defence in half and Risdon needed to slide to try to direct the ball away from Griezmann bearing down on objective. He flicked the ball, inflicting Griezman to lose management, but additionally caught the Frenchman’s leg. Whereas play was initially waved on, VAR was used for the primary time in World Cup soccer to return and award the penalty.
“Yeah, look, it’s in all probability not the a part of historical past that I’d need to be concerned in,” stated Risdon speaking to SBS Sport’s David Basheer. “When the incident occurred, I knew I’d received the ball, clearly I’ve received it into Griezmann’s leg and it’s carried ahead the place he can’t get it. Afterwards, I’ve adopted via and my trailing leg’s clipped him.
“Clearly, there’s contact, however I felt I’ve received the ball cleanly first and the ref didn’t give it, so I assumed I used to be within the clear. Then VAR stepped in, and I nonetheless thought I’d be within the clear as VAR is there to overturn apparent errors and the ref’s clearly seen it and hasn’t given it.
“When the ref came visiting and pointed to the spot, it’s a second I’d prefer to overlook, notably in a recreation the place we had been holding our personal towards them. It’s disappointing, however we grabbed one again, I feel a couple of minutes after that. It’s a little bit of historical past I can say I’m part of, the primary use of VAR at a World Cup, one to inform the grandchildren.”
Australia in the end went down 2-1 after a Mile Jedinak penalty and an unfortunate deflection from Aziz Behich that noticed the ball loop over Mat Ryan in objective. Nonetheless, the vast majority of followers and pundits had been inspired by the efficiency that noticed the underdog Australians push the eventual World Cup champions all the way in which, notably with their arduous press in defence.
“Bert van Marwijk actually drilled that into us,” stated Risdon. “We knew that France had world-class gamers that may destroy groups actually, on their day they’re the most effective on the planet.
“Clearly, on the perimeters there with gamers like Dembele and Mbappe, the tempo and the talent that they’ve was one thing for us fullbacks to be fearful about. However we stored them fairly quiet, we knew that they had been annoyed.
“As a primary recreation, and towards the workforce that ended up being champions, we positively held our personal. It was disappointing that we didn’t get some extent out of that recreation, which I assumed we deserved.”
Risdon at present performs for A-league champions Western United, coming back from an ankle harm mid-season to play of their profitable finals run. For a participant who has performed his total profession within the A-league, the World Cup was a wholly completely different degree of play and expectation.
“I keep in mind lining up within the tunnel and searching throughout to see who we had been arising towards,” stated Risdon. “The names we talked about earlier than, Mbappe, Griezman, Pogba… particularly Pogba, he’s enormous in stature. Not solely are they high quality, they’re fairly massive gamers.
“I’m simply taking part in within the A-League, and searching throughout at these guys taking part in within the French Ligue, the Premier League and the most important leagues on the planet. My motivation was that ‘I’m the underdog right here, I’m a boy from nation Western Australia and I’m arising towards the most effective gamers on the planet’. That underdog standing is what actually will get me up for a battle.”
Risdon gave his opinion on how the Australian workforce ought to strategy the match towards the defending champions of their opening fixture towards the defending champions.
“There’s acquired to be a little bit of a steadiness,” stated Risdon. “It’s a must to pay respect to the gamers that you simply’re arising towards, they’re the most effective on the planet.
“With somebody like Mbappe, it’s about getting there on his contact and never permitting him to run at you with the ball, as a result of that’s when he’s harmful.”
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