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Job done, if not done quite to plan. The Socceroos received the fright of their lives last night at the Suncorp Stadium against a wonderfully organised, motivated and unfortunate Thailand, ultimately winning 2-1 thanks to a very late winner from substitute Alex Brosque.
In terms of kicking-off their qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup, the Socceroos got what they were after, the three points giving them a head-start in the race to finish among the top two in a group also containing Saudi Arabia and Oman.
But that’s about the extent of the positives for Holger Osieck and his players.
Refreshingly, the manager and two of his most senior players, Lucas Neill and Mark Schwarzer, gave honest appraisals in the immediate aftermath, not looking to paint a positive spin.
Not good enough was how Neill described it. Schwarzer likened it to the feeling of a loss.
The Socceroos had every right to be disappointed, but perhaps there wasn’t enough respect paid to the quality of the opposition.
Thailand were heroic.
Their German manager, Winfred Schafer, came with a plan, to sit back, with a 4-5-1, defend in numbers, and then counter-attack through the cultured distribution of skipper Datsakorn Thonglao and the pace and danger of Teerasil Dangda.
The Socceroos fell right into the trap. Confronted with a deep-sitting defence and two lines of blue, the Socceroos reverted to playing the ball square rather than forward.
Too often, the ball movement was slow, even ponderous, and with little forward penetration about, the tactics became predictable.
Most often, the ball was pushed out, either left or right, where a wide player would invariable deliver a cross aimed at either John Kennedy or Tim Cahill, both static.
Two of the better headers around they might be, but the Thai defence, marshalled superbly by the experienced central defender Niweat Siriwong and goalkeeper Kosin, surrounded them, picking up most of the loose balls.
When a wide avenue was blocked, Lucas Neill would resort to aiming a long ball into the head or chest of Kennedy.
It was ponderous, predictable and plain, a contrast to some of the fluid football witnessed under Osieck, most recently in Cardiff. In many ways, it reminded me of some of the one-dimensional football played at this year’s Asian Cup, where Cahill was also in the front line.
Underlying this strategy is the question of whether Australia remains too firm in the belief that all Asian sides remain vulnerable in the air, or whether starting Cahill and Kennedy, together, up front, encourages this aerial assault as a default option?
The evidence appears to support both arguments.
While the Socceroos struggled in attack in the opening period, their work in defending the Thai counter was also an issue. Not squeezing up, defending individually and allowing too much space, the Thais grew with confidence.
When Neil Kilkenny dished up a ball in midfield, Sompong Soleb carried it forward swiftly, eventually teeing up the impressive over-lapping right back, Jakkraphan Kaewprom.
His first-time ball to the back post, for Dangda to side-foot home, was a peach, but the run from the striker to find space on Neill was another piece of quality.
Starting a run to the near post, Dangda halted it, peeling away to the back post and finding his space. By the time Neill realised, the ball was heading into the net.
Early on, the Socceroos were being exposed down the left. Osieck had gone for Matt McKay at left back ahead of Michael Zullo, reasoning that he needed some experience to cover Brett Holman, who had license to drift as he wished.
It was a logical argument.
In the end, Osieck was somewhat vindicated, with McKay playing such a crucial role in the second half, setting up both goals.
After the manager fired a rocket at the break, it was a far better performance, and with the defensive structure more cohesive, it allowed the Roos to win the ball back earlier. The Socceroos were in defensive control.
This allowed for quicker movement of the ball and a little more penetration in the wide areas.
When McKay drove in behind the defence to get on the end of a Kilkenny one-two and set up Kennedy’s equaliser, it was one of the first times Australia was in behind.
Osieck, sensing the momentum shift, further adjusted in the wide areas, bringing in more mobility in Robbie Kruse and Alex Brosque.
Kruse, getting the ball down and having a run, had an impact down the right, while Brosque was soon doing what he does best, defending from the front, winning the ball back high.
His hard work was soon rewarded, on the spot to profit from a second ball which bounced off Kennedy, partly via the arm. The man who began his A-League career at Suncorp Stadium was soon celebrating his maiden national team goal at the same venue, becoming a hero of the Socceroos-faithful.
Australia had done well to up the tempo and find an escape route. If anything, it was a performance that should provide a wake-up call, especially with a tricky away trip to come on Wednesday morning (AEST), in the heat of Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Things can and should improve from here.
Three and a half years ago, the Socceroos kicked off their 2010 qualifying campaign with a comprehensive and comfortable 3-0 win against Qatar in Melbourne, and struggled to reach those same heights thereafter.
This time the start was less impressive, but equally as productive, and that may yet prove crucial in the final wash-up in this group.
Player Ratings
Mark Schwarzer (6); Very little to do, can’t be blamed for the goal. Might be in for more work on Wednesday in Dammam.
Luke Wilkshire (6); Quiet by his usual lofty standards, with some average delivery from the right side
Lucas Neill (5.5); Caught out for the first goal and generally looked off the pace in the first half, where his distribution was slow and often miss-hit. Moved the ball quicker in the second.
Matthew Spiranovic (6.5); More aggressive defensively in the second period, winning the ball earlier and higher up the pitch
Matt McKay (7); Exposed defensively in the first half on a couple of occasions, but much better in the second, driving forward, staying composed and always looking to link up. Exposed Schafer’s second half tactical change on the right side on the right side of Thailand’s defence.
Brett Emerton (5); Largely forgettable game from one of the Socceroos’ most consistent performers, with poor deliver from wide and very little of his usual forward penetration. For once Australia’s right side was rather anonymous, until Kruse came on.
Carl Valeri (6.5); Mistimed a number of challenges in the first period as the Socceroos sought individual solutions, but really lifted after the break, often setting the tempo with some controlled aggression.
Neil Kilkenny (6); Missed a few passes early, one leading to the Thai goal, and struggled with defensive positioning, but like many of his team-mates, looked better after the break as the Socceroos played more compact. Played the key ball to create Australia’s first.
Brett Holman (6.5); Struggled to get on the ball in the first half as Australia hit the air, but once the ball was on the deck in the second half, looked far more comfortable, linking better with his midfielders and McKay.
Tim Cahill (6); Ball wouldn’t quite fall for him, for once, but he kept presenting and drove his team-mates on at the start of the second half.
Josh Kennedy (6); Grabbed the crucial equaliser, and played his part in the second, but was a little too static in the first period, waiting for delivery in a congested box. Moved about more at the start of the second period, with Australia’s attack looking better for it.
Substitutes
Robbie Kruse (6.5); Plenty of good movement when he came on and kept the left side of Thailand’s defence busy by getting the ball down and taking men on.
Alex Brosque (6); A brief but very good cameo, working very hard defensively to put pressure on the Thai defenders, something that was lacking for much of the match. Rewarded with his first goal.
James Troisi; Another cap, but come on in stoppage time, giving him little time to make an impact.
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