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Socceroos’ desert adventure makes for more head scratching

14th October, 2014
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Robbie Kruse. (Photo: AFP)
Expert
14th October, 2014
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In what was billed as the last chance for pre-Asian Cup experimentation, the Socceroos’ excursion to the Gulf has reiterated a batch of not-so-fresh concerns.

Ange Postecoglou has been defiant in his focus on the long-term, but a pair of cumbersome and stuttering performances against the UAE and Qatar will have brows creasing.

Friendly results are by no means the most tell-tale measure of success, but what is worrying is the way in which the Socceroos laboured to a scoreless draw against the UAE and a 1-0 loss to Qatar.

Against the UAE, the Socceroos were wasteful, toothless and largely uninspiring. While there was a certain defensive solidarity, it was washed away by a failure to create any real menace in the final third.

This morning in Doha, that performance was repeated and amplified. Ball retention was poor, decision-making left much to be desired and any attacking impetus was blunted before it even began.

What was heralded pre-game as Australia’s 500th international fixture, the loss against Qatar is now the fourth time in the last five matches that the Socceroos have failed to find the back of the net.

Against Qatar, there were eight changes to the XI who took the field on the weekend. Postecoglou tweaked things slightly to a 4-3-3, featuring Troisi and Mark Bresciano ahead of a holding Mile Jedinak in midfield and an attacking trio of Tommy Oar, Tim Cahill and Robbie Kruse.

Yet the inclusion of more tried and tested heads failed to spark any real imagination. The lack of chances created, particularly in the first half, was rather alarming.

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The Socceroos rarely threatened a team ranked 96th in the world, with perhaps our best goal-scoring opportunity arising only from a second-rate defensive clearance.

Qatar were worth their win in the end, with former Asian Player of the Year Khalfan Ibrahim doing what the Socceroos couldn’t, capitalising on a failure to clear, sneaking beyond the backline and poking the ball past an exposed Federici.

Defensively, Australia lacked cohesion and confidence. Alex Wilkinson continued his steady pattern of form, but the re-called Nikolai Topor-Stanley and fullbacks Chris Herd and Aziz Behich did little to press their claims for regular spots.

Yet still, it is the final third that will have Postecoglou losing the most sleep.

This morning, the Socceroos’ attack was black-marked by a disproportionate reliance on crossing.

Having Tim Cahill as your target certainly gives you licence to bombard the box, but there’s an issue when those crosses are aimless, fail to clear the first man or float carelessly into the arms of the keeper.

If the Socceroos are to have a conscious focus on crossing the ball, it needs to be quite simply done better.

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Last month, Tony Tannous stressed the need for the Socceroos to develop more dimensions in attack. But on recent showings, there seems to be little evidence of variation or innovation.

There were times when Kruse, Bresciano and Oar attempted to carry the ball with purpose or ignite an attack with some quick-fire passing, but the final option was almost always the wrong one.

The fact remains that Cahill has scored seven of the eleven goals of the Postecoglou era. Mile Jedinak has scored three of the remaining four.

And as much as we talk about the way Australia is becoming increasingly accustomed to playing in the Asian confederation, so too are our opposition beginning to understand the Socceroos’ limitations.

Qatar were well aware that Cahill would not be peeling off shoulders and making darting runs in behind and so were able to shift their defensive focus to cutting off the supply from wide.

There was a small, insignificant moment late in the second half that almost encapsulated this particular international break to a tee.

Mathew Leckie had the ball high and wide, bearing down on his marker. A second defender soon came across in cover.

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Leckie slowed his run, put his foot on the ball and literally paused to turn his head in search of an off-the-ball option. This prompted Ivan Franjic to finally make an overlapping run, but by then the movement had died out and possession was spurned.

It was a minuscule moment that typifies the lack of fluidity the Socceroos are experiencing the moment. And with only one final tune-up game before the Asian Cup, against Japan in Osaka next month, there’s not a lot of time for improvement.

Of course, it should be noted that playing in the Middle East’s zapping conditions is no easy task – any evening game that requires drink breaks is hardly conducive to good football.

The game against Qatar also marked the Socceroos’ eighth consecutive match on foreign soil.

Though if the Socceroos are to move forward, to progress to that next tier of international football, they need to be handling these types of matches more efficiently.

I’m a big advocate of what Postecoglou is attempting to do with the national team and I’m more than prepared for the longueurs ahead.

Here’s hoping the wider Australian footballing public shares the same level of patience.

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