Australia drew 0–0 with Paraguay in their final group-stage match of 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 prefer to be celebrating with my teammates in the dressing room now, but let me give you two minutes first.

You finished second in the group. After such a difficult match and ups and downs, what does securing second place mean to you? Especially after that tough game against the USA—can this be considered a staged achievement of your objective?

Absolutely. Finishing second in the group, you should be proud of your performance. I think we played well overall across all three matches. Perhaps only the first half against the USA wasn't good enough and needs improvement, which we will definitely work on—we have the capability. Apart from that, I think we were very solid overall and created threats in the attacking third.

Today's lineup on the right wing was slightly different from the coach's usual approach. What do you think of its effectiveness? Of course, you also played on that side in the second half.

I enjoyed playing with him. Boš is a very good player; he's very impactful, as you saw. He played well and filled the usual role that Italiano plays very well. Now it depends on where he'll be positioned in the next match.

You also played in the match against Denmark four years ago. Compared to that time, this one was less dramatic. What's the difference in feeling between the two qualifications?

Whenever you qualify, it's always a special moment, right? Whether the process is easy or difficult, qualification itself is something special. It's not a given. We worked hard for this moment, so I think the most important thing is to enjoy it.

What are your emotions right now?

Honestly, a bit of relief. To breathe a sigh of relief, relax, and really enjoy this moment.

Did your heart skip a beat when Bičanović made that save in the final moments?

No, I trust Bičanović completely.

Theoretically, this seems a relatively easier path to qualification. What do you think will happen next?

There are no easy paths in the FIFA World Cup. You have to stay focused and give 100%. We saw against the USA that if you're not focused for 20 minutes, you can concede two goals and essentially hand the game to your opponent.

The team made six changes today and performed well. What kind of confidence does that give you? After entering the knockout stage, the team will need more rotation and to handle different situations.

Our coach knows exactly what he's doing, and we all trust him. Honestly, I don't think he's fielded the same starting lineup in two or three consecutive matches. He's doing a great 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 everything worked out. So we trust him.

Can you talk about Boš playing on the right wing? Did he practice that position in training? Or were you also surprised to see this lineup?

Actually, as you know, we don't have much time to train. But he's very focused. We had two training sessions with some tactical content, and he seemed to adapt well. I even asked him if he used to play as a right winger or right-sided player, so I started calling him "Dani Alves."

Now you have about eight days of rest, and you at least know the venue, even if you don't yet know your opponent. How much of an advantage does that represent?

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

What do you want to do on your day off?

That's for me to know—you can figure it out for yourselves.

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

No. Whatever happens, happens—you can't change it.

Many people didn't have high hopes for this team before the matches began. How does it feel to prove them wrong?

They can keep writing then. What else can I say? We did our job and made the country proud. Now we'll enjoy this moment and try to go as far as possible.

What does it mean to qualify for the knockout stage in two consecutive FIFA World Cups? This is the first time the Australian national team has done this.

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

Is it even more special that you qualified as group runners-up? It's not related to the expanded tournament format; even if it were still 32 teams, you would have qualified.

Yes.

Traduzido por IA.

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