- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Sitting at a glorious world ranking of 100, just one win in their past ten games and relying on Tim Cahill like an elderly man does on a walking stick, it’s hard to see the Socceroos as Asian Cup favourites.
Yet, despite these facts and figures my brain struggles to ignore, my heart says Australia can and will win the Asian Cup.
Is it Aussie pride that makes my heart beat so defiantly? Absolutely. A touch of undying optimism? Perhaps.
But above all there lies foundations of confidence and strategy bestowed on me by Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou that make me believe Australia will follow the lead of the Western Sydney Wanderers and conquer Asia.
There’s something about the Socceroos coach that instills an undying sense of self-belief. Prior to the World Cup he had me hoping and dreaming, and despite not quite fulfilling such fantasies, the Socceroos performance was spiriting.
On the eve of the Asian Cup, Socceroos form has been equally unconvincing as it was in the build-up to the World Cup. A narrow 3-2 win against Saudi Arabia was a rare and rather fortunate highlight.
So why is it I believe Australia can and will be claimed Asian Champions?
Coaching
With a win ratio of just 16.67 per cent it would be ludicrous to call Ange Postecoglou’s initial tenure as Socceroos coach successful. But much like a gardner faced with unseasonable conditions, Ange’s garden is on the verge of blossoming as a direct result of initially wintery conditions.
With a young garden bed full of thorny roses and fragile daisies, Ange seems to be nurturing them all.
Having exposed them to 6-0 shellackings at the hands of France and Brazil, the Socceroos team although lacking wins, now knows how to lose. An important trait for any footballer. Forced to endure countless balls hitting the back of their own net and the dissatisfied groans of their own supporters, the current Socceroos squad is now starved for a win.
With blood potentially being spilt early on in the Cup, expect the squad to tear into their opposition as ravenously as a rookie vegetarian when they glimpse some alluring meat.
The Australian squad are also so much more resilient due to the hard road Ange has decided to take them on. Now when they concede a goal, rather than slumping in defeat, they should rally and push for the equaliser and winner, a skill that has long been missing from their resume as an international side.
While people, myself included, may fear Ange has put too heavy a weight on the shoulders of his men to a point wear they can’t stand upright, I remind you and myself, of the experience Ange has as a coach.
With more than 250 games under his belt, it’s fair to say he knows what he’s doing.
In case you or I need more convincing here’s a quote from basketball coach Morgan Wootten, “You learn more from losing than winning. You learn how to keep going.”
A quote I feel suits the Socceroos quite nicely. Having stuck with relatively the same squad for over 18 months, Ange is ensuring the squad he has are able to pick themselves up after a defeat.
Long isolated in the pleasant waters of Oceania football, Ange has thrown his squad into the icy depths to ensure they are able to stay afloat in the rather tepid waters of Asian football. Let’s just hope our boys find the water just right.
Players
A lot has been said about the Socceroos ageing roster, so much so I won’t go into too much detail.
I feel Ange has found a perfect middle ground between desperately hanging on to old stars and attempting to forcefully forge new ones.
So just who can score the goals, make the pass, ensure the tackle and pull of the save?
Up front the Socceroos have plenty of options. Veteran Tim Cahill has an uncanny ability to score when needed. Nathan Burns is in the form of his life for the Wellington Phoenix. Tomi Juric arguably sealed Asian success for his club side.
Matthew Leckie and Tommy Oar are quality players with invaluable World Cup experience under their belt and are just waiting for their moment to shine.
In midfield we have Crystal Palace rock and captain Mile Jedinak, rated as the seventh best EPL player so far this season. To accompany him is the electric Tommy Oar along with young guns Terry Antonis and James Troisi.
If you prefer experience over youth, throw in old albeit misfiring guns Matt McKay, Mark Milligan and even the bolded beauty that is Mark Bresciano. Regardless of your preference, all are capable of making that cutting pass or cross that can ensure Socceroos success.
Defence is where things get a little bit shaky and have me just a touch worried. Aside from proven war-horse Matthew Spiranovic, the Socceroos back line is less than experienced.
Although Chris Herd and Jason Davidson have both attracted international interest, a lack of game time and inexperience aren’t the best combo leading up to such a competition. But perhaps the lesser known defenders can stake their claim with Ivan Franjic, Alex Wilkinson and Trent Sainsbury all capable of making a game saving tackle and boasting much more first team football in recent months than Herd and Davidson combined.
Between the posts, Matt Ryan has long been seen as the logical option but with Mitch Langerak and Eugene Galkovic getting plenty of game time and strutting their stuff with the gloves, no-one is quite sure who Ange is going to favour.
I would honestly take any of them and am simply relieved the days of relying on just one keeper are over.
Location, Location, Location
Although often proving false, (heck, just look at what happened to Brazil at the World Cup) the fact the Asian Cup is being played on our shores is an undeniable advantage. Played in our own summery backyard, the Socceroos are gifted stadiums full of Aussies and conditions their opponents will struggle to adapt to.
While not ensuring victory, home ground advantage should give the boys the cutting edge they often lack. All in all let’s just hope our hosting of the event doesn’t end as badly as it did for Brazil with the 2014 World Cup; a 701 semi-final defeat might not go down so kindly here in a country just starting to love their football.
The Opposition
Australia just seems to have a knack of drawing tough groups. And although lucky to avoid the Blue Samurais of Japan, the Socceroos do face the ever dangerous South Korea, unpredictable Kuwait and Middle-East battlers Oman in Group A.
According to FIFA Rankings our boys are outsiders for qualification into the knockout stage with South Korea well ahead of our boys, sitting at an all-time low of 69th and Oman a respectable 93.
The Socceroos are currently at 100 in the world, thankfully open their campaign against 123rd ranked Kuwait. Still a quality opponent however, Kuwait should provide a great test for our boys, either limbering them up for future matches or breaking their spirit before it had a chance to form.
Regardless of the potential threats the Socceroos face in their group, our boys in green and gold are in a much better situation than they were in the World Cup. I expect them to make light work of these early fixtures, willing they can emulate the same determination they showed in Brazil.
The real threat to Asian Cup success for Australia lies in it’s current holders, Japan. With sword firmly in hand, the Blue Samurai have an ability to skewer us unlike any other side.
Fresh off their 2-1 win over the Socceroos in November, Japan could, depending on results, meet our boys in either the semis or final. This, in my opinion, would be the biggest obstacle Australia has to clear in search of Asian Cup success. Once cleared though, I’m confident the Socceroos can leap their way to Asian triumph.
So while I could continue all day in defence of my unwavering Australian footballing optimism, I’ll leave it to the Socceroos to prove my case.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.