$35m star's horror year before winning play

1 year ago 72

Socceroos prima Harry Souttar has received piles of praise for a tackle connected a runaway striker successful Australia's FIFA World Cup triumph implicit Tunisia successful Qatar.

After the Socceroos sent their adoring fans immoderate 12,000km distant into raptures with a extremity successful the 23rd minute, it was the Scotland-born footballer who did it each again conscionable shy of full-time.

A clearing footwear by Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi bounced awkwardly disconnected Australian centre defender Kye Rowles and landed backmost astatine the feet of Tunisia.

Yassine Khenissi sprinted distant with the shot and had lone goalkeeper Mat Ryan successful beforehand of him, earlier a sliding Souttar came from side-on and executed an tremendous situation earlier a changeable astatine extremity could beryllium made.

"What a tackle! Harry Souttar, instrumentality a bow. That was exceptional defending," said SBS commentator David Basheer.

"You cannot underestimate that interception from Harry Souttar aft a mistake astatine midfield by Kye Rowles.

Socceroos large Harry Kewell added, "Look astatine the crushed that Souttar makes. He's lone got 1 happening successful his mind. He is not going to fto this striker spell past him.

"What a fantastic challenge. Got his assemblage across. Solid, strong, cleanable challenge."

It's been a hellish 12 months for Souttar, who suffered a torn ACL successful November past twelvemonth that ruled him retired of the season.

Earlier this year, his older member died astatine 42 years aged aft suffering from centrifugal neuron disease.

Souttar came to the FIFA World Cup sporting a caller tattoo of his member Aaron, who was an avid golfer.

Souttar came into the tourney with conscionable 1 crippled for Stoke City earlier his archetypal quality with the Socceroos for the year.

The tackle has reignited speech of Souttar's wage for Stoke City, who reportedly enactment a $35 cardinal terms tag connected him anterior to his ACL injury.

The standout tackle wasn't the lone item for the 198cm defender who statistically won each of his tackles, won each crushed duels, made 50 touches with six clearances and 3 blocks.

Souttar drew the praise of his Socceroos teammates Riley McGree and Jackson Irvine.

"He's massive, isn't he? Literally massive," said McGree.

"But helium tin determination and helium tin play. He's a precise important subordinate for us. So large respect to him and each the defenders."

Irvine added, "It's close up determination with the precise champion – midfielder, defender, oregon guardant – it's 1 of the champion idiosyncratic displays [for Australia] I've ever seen.

"He doesn't request to beryllium told that, and he's 1 of the archetypal ones backmost successful the dressing country saying we spell again.

"That's conscionable the benignant of person, and subordinate that helium is. He wants to ever propulsion america and propulsion everybody further. He's a person astatine his property already.

"That moment, that tackle, we celebrated it astir much than the extremity successful definite ways. I deliberation that volition beryllium played successful years to come."

Australia volition look Denmark connected Thursday astatine 2am successful their adjacent Group D match.

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