Subway Socceroos centre-back Cameron Burgess said that he was taking every game as it comes as the team prepares to take on China PR in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Third Round Qualifiers on Tuesday evening.
Burgess has become a key part of the Subway Socceroos defence since debuting in 2023 and will look to reprise his role as a leader on the pitch against China PR.
He spoke to the media on Monday about stepping up as a leader in defence, the challenges and fun of playing overseas, and his expectations for the all-important World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Leading the defence with Harry Souttar injured
I put that sort of leadership pressure on myself a little bit anyway, I've been doing that for a number of years. It comes with age and experience and things like that anyway. Nothing really changes from my point of view. I was doing that in terms of where I'd like to be anyway, in a leadership role, no matter what team I'm in, how many caps I've made and who I'm playing with. Nothing really changes from my front.
I haven't had a chance to speak to him [Harry Souttar] since the game on Thursday. There's been a lot of travel and things like that, but I know he watched the game. He's been in contact with a few of the staff members to make sure they get eyes on the game. Apart from that, I speak to H all the time. He's a good friend of mine. We speak about things all the time, and regularly catch up.
Playing under a manager who was a defender
It's always quite handy for my position, that the manager played there as well. We've also got Foxy [Assistant Coach Hayden Foxe], who plays a big part in the defensive side of things. They're great coaches to have, and have great principles and are always looking to improve and do things right on the pitch. So it's a great combination. We're grateful for that. Hopefully, we can continue to improve.
The challenges of playing away from home
When you're here and you're in the moment, it's kind of hard to think about that stuff [the experience]. It's eyes on the prize. For the time being, you just got to muck in and get the job done. Make sure we're prepared as best we can be. Make sure the travel is out of your system, and we have some great people in place to help us with that and prepare us the best we possibly can be. Then it comes down to game day and doing it right on game day.
It's not that it's difficult, compared to any other team... it's just the fact that maybe there are things that are difficult for fans or people who aren't here to see. There are a lot of elements. There is the travel - it's a long way. It's different time zones, it's pitch conditions, it's weather conditions, it's a new hotel. There are a lot of elements. I'm not making any excuses whatsoever. It's the world that we live in. It's a world that we accept. It's part of the fun, really, and part of the challenges and another thing to overcome. It's a case of taking it head-on and preparing the best we possibly can, and being ready for the game.
Expectations of the opposition
They're a pretty direct team and look to do things quickly. In the game in Adelaide [in October], it was a case of sticking to our principles and how we do things and what we could do on the ball to hurt them, and the game swung in our favour. It was a good win in the end. We're expecting a fast start, the same as the other night. So we have improvements to make on that, and hopefully we can start the game better than we did the other night. We're ready for what they're going to bring.
The broader context of the game
We don't want to go away from what we're trying to improve on, what we're trying to be better at, the process, and the improvements we're making as a team. But equally, every game is just as important. It doesn't matter who we're playing against at what stage, any point. We are where we are. This game was not even my mind, not even thought about until we'd finished the last game. The last game was the most important game I'd ever played in. It is a little bit one game at a time, but they are so, so important, and we're treating it as such. There are times to be relaxed and calm and clear in what we're doing, in the moment, on the pitch, but at the same time recognising the importance of the game itself.
NEXT GAME
China PR v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday 25 March 2025
Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 10.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+