Australia drew 0-0 with Paraguay in their final group stage match at the FIFA World Cup, and Hrustic was interviewed in the FIFA mixed zone after the match.

How are you feeling right now?

Good. Of course, I'd rather be in the changing room celebrating with my teammates right now, but I'll give you a couple of minutes first.

You've finished second in the group. What does securing second place mean to you after such a difficult and rollercoaster set of matches? Especially after that tough game against the US—can this be seen as a stepping stone towards your ultimate goal?

Absolutely. Finishing second in the group, you have to be proud of your performance. I think we played quite well overall across all three matches. Maybe just the first half against the US wasn't quite good enough and needs improvement, but we will improve—we have the quality to do that. Overall, I thought we were very solid defensively and also created threats in the final third.

Today's formation on the right wing was different from what the head coach usually does. How do you think it worked out? You also played on that flank in the second half.

I enjoyed playing with him. The boss is a fantastic player, very impactful, as you saw. He played well and executed the right-wing role very effectively. We'll see where he's positioned in the next match.

Four years ago you also played in a match against Denmark. Compared to that, this wasn't quite as dramatic. How does the feeling differ between the two qualifications?

As long as you qualify, it's always a special moment, isn't it? Regardless of whether the process was easy or difficult, qualifying itself is something special. It's not something to be taken lightly. We put in a lot of effort for this moment, so I think the most important thing is to truly enjoy it.

What's your mood like now?

Honestly, it's a relief. This is a time to breathe, relax, and truly savour this moment.

Was your heart racing when Beecroft made that save in the final minute?

No, I had complete confidence in Beecroft.

Theoretically, this looks like a relatively easier path to qualification. What do you think lies ahead?

There is no easy path at the FIFA World Cup. You have to stay focused and give 100 percent. We saw against the US that if you lose focus for 20 minutes, you can concede two goals and essentially hand the match to your opponent.

The team made six changes today and performed very well. What kind of confidence does this give you? In the knockout stage, the team will need more versatility and the ability to adapt to different situations.

Our head coach knows exactly what he's doing, and we all trust him. Honestly, I don't think he's fielded the exact same starting eleven twice in a row across two or three consecutive matches. He's doing a brilliant job, and I believe he's someone who makes decisions based on intuition. He did it in the first match, the second match, and the third match, and it worked every time. So we trust him.

Can you tell us about the boss playing on the right wing? Did he train in that position during practice sessions? Or were you also surprised when you saw this lineup?

Actually, as you know, we don't have much time to train. But he's very focused. We had two training sessions where we did some tactical work, and he adapted very well. I even asked him if he'd ever played as a right winger or right-back before, so I started calling him "Dani Alves".

Now you have around 8 days of rest, and you at least know your destination, even though you don't yet know your opponent. How big of an advantage is that?

Hopefully, we can have a day or two to rest, recover, and truly enjoy this qualifying moment. After that, we need to refocus and get straight back to preparation.

What do you want to do during your time off?

I'll keep that to myself—you'll have to figure that out.

Do you have a preference for your next opponent? Will you watch those matches tomorrow?

No. Whatever happens, let it happen; you can't change it.

Many people weren't optimistic about this team before the matches began. How does it feel to prove them wrong?

Well, they can keep writing. What else can I say? We did our job and made our country proud. Now we're going to enjoy this moment and try to go as far as possible.

What does qualifying for the knockout stage in two consecutive FIFA World Cups mean for this team? This is the first time Australia has done this.

It shows who we are as a nation, as players, and as people who want to succeed in life.

You qualified as group runners-up. Is that more special? Aside from the expanded tournament format, even with the traditional 32-team format, you would have qualified.

Yes.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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