Jordy Bos Shines in Australia’s Draw with Paraguay

Australia’s goalless draw with Paraguay will not linger long in the highlight reels. The performance of Jordy Bos might.

On a night when the Socceroos did just enough to lock in their place in the round of 32, the Feyenoord fullback played as if the shackles — and the touchline — belonged to him.

Bos bends the game from the “wrong” side

Shifted from his natural left to right wing-back, Bos treated the switch as an invitation rather than an inconvenience. He created more chances than anyone else, took the most shots, and completed the most dribbles on the pitch, repeatedly tearing down the flank in tandem with Cristian Volpato.

Paraguay never quite worked him out. He would start deep, receive under pressure, then glide past the first challenge and suddenly Australia were 40 metres further forward. From there, cut-backs, whipped crosses, low drives across goal — the full attacking catalogue.

His teammates saw it up close and didn’t bother hiding their admiration.

“He’s the best player in the world, Jordy Bos,” Nestory Irankunda said afterwards, the hyperbole delivered with the conviction of someone who has watched the same training sessions as the coaches. “Best wing back in the world, and he’s so talented, but what a guy.

“He done so well at right back today, but he got so high up the pitch today, and he showed glimpses of what he can do with the ball.

“We’ve always known Jordy for doing great things, and today he was incredible.”

The comparisons came quickly. Some around the squad likened the display to a young Gareth Bale, the Welshman who began as a flying fullback before becoming a superstar at Real Madrid. Bos, though, traces his footballing imagination back to another left-footed menace.

He grew up watching Arjen Robben, that signature move etched into his memory: start wide, cut inside, find the far corner. Against Paraguay, the finish was the only thing missing.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t score like him, but I tried, tried my hardest,” Bos said. “I think I could have scored a couple, but I think from now on if everyone puts their best foot forward and we get chances, we just have to finish it.

“The sky’s the limit.”

The scoreline stayed stubbornly at 0-0, yet Bos’s performance carried the feel of a player stepping into a bigger role at a major tournament, comfortable with the stage and the responsibility.

Herrington steps out of the shadows

While Bos dominated the right, another story quietly unfolded on the left of Australia’s back three.

Lucas Herrington, just 18, became the youngest Australian ever to start a World Cup match, nudging Irankunda’s short-lived record aside. There was no fuss, no visible nerves, only a composed debut stitched together with simple, smart decisions.

His rise has been rapid. Big European clubs have already circled, with Barcelona among those tracking his progress. The noise around him has grown loud, but Herrington’s focus, at least publicly, remains narrow.

“I’m here at the World Cup, so that’s my main focus. I just want to help the team as much as possible, and we can deal with that after,” he said.

Irankunda, who knows what it is to be a teenage target for Europe’s elite after signing with Bayern Munich at 17, recognises both the temptation and the danger.

“He’s so talented and I feel like this is just a glimpse of what he can do, a small glimpse of what he can do, and I feel like he can just get better from here and I feel like we’ll see a better side to him,” Irankunda said.

“I’ve just told him to try to stay away from it [the speculation around his future].”

Herrington had to wait for this. Two matches on the bench, watching, listening, learning. For some, that kind of delay can eat away at confidence. For him, it felt like part of the education.

“It’s my first World Cup at 18. It’s in probably everyone’s best interest for a young player just to watch and observe the first couple of games,” he said after the Paraguay match.

“I’m just grateful my opportunity came out and I really enjoyed it. I loved it every minute.”

A new edge to an old identity

Australia’s progression from the group came via resilience and structure, the traditional hallmarks of the Socceroos on the world stage. Against Paraguay, though, the most striking elements were the bold, modern fullback and the teenage centre-back playing with the calm of a veteran.

The result was a stalemate. The implications run deeper.

If Bos keeps marauding like this and Herrington grows into the shirt as quickly as the scouts expect, this World Cup might not just be about how far Australia go. It might be remembered for the night two young defenders began to drag the national team into a new era.