Australian Midfielder Does Not Justify Almirón's Historic Sending Off

Australia national team midfielder Jackson Irvine does not justify the controversial sending off of Paraguay's Miguel Almirón during their World Cup match against Turkey, which marked the first application of the brand-new "Vinicius Rule."

Irvine's squad is set to face the South Americans on Thursday in a crucial battle for second place in Group D. Almirón will be absent from the fixture due to his direct red card. The Paraguayan forward was dismissed before halftime after covering his mouth during a confrontation with an opponent, leaving his team a man down. Despite the numerical disadvantage, his side secured a 1-0 victory thanks to Matías Galarza's early goal.

"I know it's going to be a controversial decision, but when you look at what's happened in the past, especially with Vinicius Junior, I think it's beyond comment. If you're saying something to someone and you don't want it to be seen, then it's fair to say that if they can't see you saying it, it shouldn't be said. For me, it's a clear rule, and we were all warned, so that's the situation," stated Irvine, a member of the FIFPRO global board, as quoted by The Guardian.

Australia has never defeated a South American opponent at a World Cup, and Irvine anticipates Paraguay's team will be physically strong and unpredictable. He believes it will be a "totally different game" compared to their previous matches against Turkey and the USA, adding that the Paraguayan players possess "incredible individual quality."

"Watching Paraguay against Turkey last night, there was a moment towards the end of the game that clearly shows their style of play. With about five minutes remaining, they won the ball high up the pitch and had a chance to hold it in the corner. The player simply crossed it to the back post with three attackers in the box, and they tried to score with 10 men while leading 1-0. Expect the unexpected. I suppose that's the best way to describe it," explained the St. Pauli captain.

According to Irvine, Australia will need to play with more intensity against Paraguay than they did against the USA if they want a chance at victory. "The main thing we need to do better from the first half is to be able to win the duels – the physical aspect of the game – a little better and deal with those tough moments. We're playing against top teams at the highest level, and they will have moments where we have to defend, and we'll have to suffer and find ways to cope with that," the 33-year-old midfielder added.