By Ian Ransom
SANTA CLARA, California, June 26 (Reuters) - Pragmatic, ambitious and occasionally spectacular, Australia's youth-led push into the World Cup knockout phase owes much to the creativity of versatile wingback Jordie Bos.
The Netherlands-based 23-year-old delivered the standout performance in a tense 0-0 draw with Paraguay on Thursday which put the Socceroos into the last 32 with a second-placed finish in Group D.
Bos does most of his work on the left but shifted over to the right to cover
for injured Jacob Italiano and proved a menace for the South Americans' defence.
A goal would have been the icing on the cake when Bos split two defenders on the right of the box, dribbled in and unleashed from distance in the 89th minute but the angled shot fizzed just wide of the far post.
"It was one of the best individual performances I've seen from a Socceroo in a very long time, especially at this level," midfield teammate Jackson Irvine said.
"He plays with absolute fearlessness and just the athleticism is something to be amazed by. We are very lucky to have him."
Bos had the best season of his career at Feyenoord, helping the Dutch side secure a place in the Champions League with four goals and seven assists in the Eredivisie.
His idol is former Netherlands winger Arjen Robben but teammate Connor Metcalfe regards Bos as a "young (Gareth) Bale".
"I don't mind Bale, to be honest," Bos told reporters when asked about the comparison.
Bos has already made an impression at this World Cup as the "fastest" player in the first round of matches.
He was clocked running at a top speed of 36.7 km/hr in Australia's 2-0 win over Turkey, shading second-fastest Erling Haaland (36.5 km/hr), according to FIFA statistics.
Australia may lack the star power of their "golden generation" of 2006, when the likes of Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill drove them to the last 16 in Germany 2006.
But fans see flickers of a new one emerging in North America as young players like Bos and 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda seize their moments.
On Thursday, 18-year-old Lucas Herrington became Australia's youngest player to start a World Cup match when he slotted seamlessly into the back three. He barely put a foot wrong.
"He is a special talent and... it's why he was selected in the squad, not to just make up the numbers," said coach Tony Popovic.
Pundits see a bright future for a squad featuring 17 players at their first World Cup, and look forward to the next edition in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
"In four to eight years it should be a special group," agrees Popovic. "But I've always said, why can't it be a special group now?"
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
