Following the Australia vs. Brazil match in the International friendlies on 25th September at Townsville, one moment in particular caught everyone’s attention.
The duel for the ball in the 55th minute between the Brazilian centre-forward Endrick and the Aussie centre-back Harry Souttar blew up. The video went viral for featuring the height difference between Endrick and Souttar.
In the clip, Endrick (No. 9) is seen dribbling and moving fast forward from Souttar (No.19) into the penalty area. He looks up for a cutback but is tackled by Souttar, who throws out a long leg, taking advantage of his height.
The moment between this event, where Souttar’s large frame is basically towering over the 20-year-old Endrick’s figure, caught widespread attention and is now a matter of discussion all over X and Instagram.
Harry Souttar, at a height of 2.00 metres (6 ft 7 in), is the tallest outfield player to have represented the senior Australian national team and the second tallest player ever after goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac at 2.02 metres (6 ft 8 in). Some other sources also cite his height as 6 ft 6 in.
Souttar was also the tallest outfield player in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. During that period, Souttar became popular because of his height and size compared to other players.
Fans all over social media have jokingly reacted to the incident involving Souttar and Endrick. Comparisons have been made to David and Goliath, Odysseus and the Laestrygonians, and even to the Titans in Attack on Titan.
Fans have also raised questions about whether Endrick is actually 5’8 (173cm), because, in contrast to Souttar, he looks like a 5’6 at maximum. Whereas Souttar appears to be at least 2 metres.
Widespread discussion on both the player’s tactics while taking advantage of their height is now the new talk among football fans on X.
Endrick used his low center of gravity due to his shorter height, making him easier to change direction rapidly and shield the ball at waist level from tall defenders like Souttar. His agility and rapid changes of direction with quick, short dribbling bursts were praised by some fans.
Meanwhile, Harry Souttar took advantage of his height and upper body strength to assert dominance in aerial duels and sliding tackles. Against the Real Madrid forward, he used his physical strength to corner him to the side and executed a sliding tackle, leveraging his long legs.
Before the event in the 55th minute, in the 19th minute, Endrick and Souttar were locked in a tussle that caused Souttar to land on top of Endrick. This resulted in a free kick for Brazil.
Even though Endrick’s attempt failed, his height game was on point, as per fans on X. Comments say both the players took leverage of their physique as well as skills.
The match resulted in a 1-1 tie, with Rayan scoring for Brazil in the 95th minute and Nestory Irankunda netting the ball for the Socceroos in the 68th minute. Both teams will face each other again on 29th September in Brisbane.
Football enthusiasts on X and other platforms have been talking about the height difference as well as how they used their physique to take advantage of the situation. This is going hand in hand with the David and Goliath memes and other pop culture references comparing the two players’ heights.
