Socceroos should make 'harsh' call for final group game, Schwarzer says

Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has called for Tony Popovic to make a "harsh" call and replace Patrick Beach with Mat Ryan for their final group game against Paraguay. World Cup rookie Beach has played the Socceroos' first two games ahead of captain and 104-game veteran Ryan. What's next? ABC Sport will be live blogging the Socceroos' third game against Paraguay, which kicks off at 12pm (AEST) on Friday. The Patrick Beach experience was fun, but it is time to return to the norm and start Mat Ryan in goal for the Socceroos' final FIFA World Cup group game against Paraguay, according to legendary keeper Mark Schwarzer. "This is really a dilemma for me because Patrick Beach has done really well," Schwarzer told the ABC Sport Daily podcast. "Certainly in the first game he was absolutely outstanding and the second game against the US, I thought it was just one of those games where not a lot could've been done necessarily. "Maybe the first goal he could've been a little bit more confident in his decision-making." Schwarzer said any criticism of Beach's performance would be picking out "minor details" but at this point of a tournament of this size, that could be the difference. He said Friday afternoon's game against Paraguay was the perfect time to inject the experience of captain Ryan. "We're talking about a World Cup, we're talking about international level and experience and so forth, so that's why I think it's harsh on Patrick Beach but I would go for the experience," he said. "I would put Matty Ryan back in goal; leader, captain, incredible amount of experience and I think he'll be completely up for the game and ready to perform at the level. And I think the level you need right now is about the cool head, the experience in like a final. "It's a final within the World Cup finals for us." In his fourth World Cup, Ryan is yet to add to his 104 Socceroos caps, with Beach playing his third and fourth international games to kick off the tournament. "You need to try and find any little area where you may be able to get a little bit of a slight advantage and the slight advantage is that Matty Ryan has got the experience," he said. "That's no fault of Patrick Beach whatsoever. I think he's been excellent in the tournament. He's been a revelation; he's been sensational." Twenty-year-old Irankunda only played the second half of the 2-0 loss to the Americans, saying after the game he would have "preferred to start". "It was the biggest game. It was the game that I was most looking forward to. I would have loved to play from the start and create some things and score some goals," he said. "But obviously the coach decided different. He wanted to approach the game differently, which is fine with me. I play for the team, not for myself." The ABC of SPORT Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.