SYDNEY (AP) — Football Australia has appointed former Asian Champions League winning manager Tony Popovic as the new head coach of the Australian men's team until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Popovic, 51, replaces Graham Arnold, who stepped down last week after an indifferent start to the Socceroos' World Cup qualification in the Asia zone.
“I am extremely honoured to be given this opportunity to lead the Socceroos as head coach,” Popovic said in a statement on Monday. “It’s a role that comes with great responsibility, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity.
“To be entrusted with guiding our national team is a privilege that I do not take lightly.
Popovic is best known for guiding the Western Sydney Wanderers to the Asian Champions League title in 2014, and has also had successful stints with the Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League.
Earlier in his career, Popovic had stints as an assistant at Crystal Palace and coached at clubs in Turkey and Greece.
Popovic, who won 58 caps for Australia as a defender, decided not to renew his contract with the Victory for the upcoming A-League season making his immediate appointment to the Socceroos post possible and timely with vital home World Cup qualifiers against China on Oct. 10, followed by a trip to Japan five days later.
Australia are winless through their first two games of the third stage of qualifiers, after a shock loss to Bahrain at home and a dour 0-0 draw away to Indonesia.
“We have moved swiftly to secure the best possible candidate for this crucial role,” said FA chief executive James Johnson. “Our prompt action reflects our commitment to maintaining the momentum and success of the Socceroos program, especially as we are at the beginning of the critical third round of AFC Asian qualifiers.”
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FILE - Tony Popovic, a coach of Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers, watches his players before the Group H soccer match against South Korea's FC Seoul in the Asian Champions League at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on March 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
Edwin Díaz had longed for this, and so had the New York Mets.
Ever since he tore up a knee during a postgame celebration of a Puerto Rico win at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the New York Mets closer had been coddled. He missed an entire season and had to rebuild his skill and stamina.
With the Mets fighting for a playoff berth and the regular season about to start its final week, manager Carlos Mendoza brought in the 30-year-old right-hander to start the eighth inning against the top of the Philadelphia Phillies' batting order on Sunday night. And then he left in Díaz to pitch the ninth.
“We’ve been protecting him the whole year and now it’s big boys time,” Mendoza said.
Díaz stranded Trea Turner at third when Alec Bohm grounded out in the eighth and Bryson Stott at third when Kody Clemens struck out in the ninth, preserving a 2-1 win. Díaz's second career six-out save was his first since Aug. 4, 2022.
”What we’ve seen lately with him, he’s just 2022,” Mendoza said.
A Mets team six games back of a wild card on May 29 after a 22-33 start surged into the second NL wild card on a tiebreaker over Arizona. The Mets are two games ahead of the Braves heading into a three-game series at Atlanta starting Tuesday.
“I’ve been throwing the fastball the way I want to. My slider is coming on really good," Díaz said. “Early in the season, I wasn't playing the way that everyone was expecting. Now I'm coming out and closing games. When they give me the ball, I’m doing my job.”
A two-time All-Star, Díaz has 20 saves in 26 chances and six in a row since allowing Corbin Carroll's eighth-inning grand slam in an 8-5 loss at Arizona on Aug. 28. Díaz thew 17 pitches in a four-out save that finished Saturday's 6-3 win and 30 more on Sunday.
“You protect him the whole year. Early on you stay away from back-to-backs, three out of four, because of situations like this so when we do need them, they're going to be ready to go,” Mendoza said. “He’s coming off a major injury, missed a whole year, struggled at the beginning, had a rough and a tough month of May, but he’s an elite closer. He’s one of the best in the game.”
Díaz allowed a tying home run to Tampa Bay's Randy Arozarena on May 5, then wasted a two-run lead against Philadelphia on May 13 when Byson Stott homered leading off the ninth and Díaz forced in the tying run by hitting Alec Bohm with a pitch. Thee days later, Stott hit a tying single off Díaz, and on May 25 Díaz gave up a tying single to San Francisco's LaMonte Wade Jr.
Díaz was sidelined until June 13 with right shoulder impingement. He gave up a go-ahead, two-run single to Pittsburgh's Nick Gonzales on July 7 before starting to get into a rhythm.
“I’m so, so proud of him because it's taken a lot of mental toughness to do what he’s done," said Brandon Nimmo, whose tiebreaking, sixth-inning homer put the Mets ahead on Sunday.
Díaz threw a called third strike past Kyle Schwarber starting the eighth and gave up a lofted single to Trea Turner, who stole second. He struck out Bryce Harper on a high, inside fastball and, after Turner stole third, retired Bohm to finish a 12-pitch inning.
When Díaz reached the dugout, Mendoza told the pitcher he would go back out for the ninth. Díaz paced the clubhouse and drank water, trying to stay hot.
He retired Nick Castellanos on a flyout opening the ninth and walked Stott, who swiped second. Díaz struck out J.T. Realmuto on a fastball and two sliders, the last as Stott stole third. The Mets caught a break when catcher Francisco Alvarez's throw hit the base and dropped near third baseman Mark Vientos instead of skipping into left field.
After Brandon Marsh walked, Mendoza went to the mound, partly to remind Díaz that Marsh would steal second. But also to monitor the mindset.
“I just wanted to make sure that he was feeling good because I was pushing him,” Mendoza said.
Díaz struck out Clemens on a 98.3 mph pitch for his 20th save in 26 chances, screamed and pumped his arms. He was back in his element.
"I got to be ready every single day," he said.
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New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz reacts after getting Philadelphia Phillies' Alec Bohm to groundout to end the top of the eighth inning during a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz, left, catcher Francisco Alvarez, center, and second baseman Jose Iglesias celebrate after a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after striking out Kody Clemens for the final out of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz delivers to the plate in the night inning during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz reacts after striking out Kody Clemens for the final out during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
