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FULLTIME: Australia 4-1 Kuwait
It was not always comfortable, but the scoreline has an appearance of dominance, which may prove crucial if goal difference is a factor later on.
After Hussain Fadhel scored the opener to send Melbourne quiet, Australia fought back through the usual suspect Tim Cahill, and then the fantastic header of Massimo Luongo, who had a fine match.
The second half was again an open contest, with Kuwait doing their part. But a penalty securely taken by Mile Jedinak sealed the points, with the icing delivered in the dying moments by James Troisi. Great start for Australia.
FULLTIME: Australia 4-1 Kuwait
The time has come for Australian football to measure its contention as Asia’s finest side, as the Socceroos host Kuwait in Melbourne for the opening clash of the 2015 Asian Cup. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 8:00pm (AEDT).
It is difficult to draw parallels between this Australian team opening its continental tournament and the Brazilian side that fell in its home World Cup last year. One is a decorated and storied titan of world football, the other is Australia.
But one similarity that does run true – apart from a mutual love for gold shirts – is the upbeat rhetoric both have adopted in their bid for glory in front of an adoring home fan-base.
While Brazil’s party came crashing down in apocalyptic proportions at the hands of Germany last July, they could at least claim a steady lead-up before that fateful night in Belo Horizonte.
No such form line exists for Australia, who despite an awful last 12 months, still are talking up their chances for continental success.
The mantra of ‘no excuses’ is high on Ange Postecoglou’s agenda ahead of their opening game against Kuwait. But on inspection of the results, the excuses run aplenty. Since Postecoglou’s ascension to the manager’s job last March, he has only managed one win, that being a last-gasp survival against Saudi Arabia in London.
Results otherwise make for grim reading, including drawing with the UAE, as well as losing to Qatar and Japan in their last two starts.
Make no mistake, regardless of the words uttered before the game, the excuses will run thick and fast should the Socceroos fail to pick up three points in Melbourne.
Aside from the peerless Tim Cahill, captain Mile Jedinak and goalkeeper Mat Ryan, Postecoglou will have a battle on who to select in the remaining spots in his team. It is likely that Postecoglou will select his back four from the World Cup, namely Ivan Franjic, Matt Spiranovic, Alex Wilkinson and Jason Davidson, with Mark Milligan employed as a holding midfielder.
Further forward, Postecoglou may be tempted to start Tommy Oar and Robbie Kruse as wingers to exploit Cahill’s aerial threat. Therefore, it is likely that Jedinak will start as his team’s sole central midfielder, with Matthew Leckie or the in-form Nathan Burns to play off or alongside Cahill up front. The evergreen Marco Bresciano would serve as a handy substitute should the need arise.
Kuwait know that the hometown pressure on their opponents may yet be their biggest aid, even if the odds stack heavily against them. Apart from boasting a superior win record against Australia, Al-Azraq will take heart that points from this fixture may be crucial to their chances of progression to the next round. For a team that has failed to reach this stage since 2000, that will be their main priority.
While the team is largely Kuwaiti-based, the experience in the squad suggests they will not be fazed at Australia’s challenge. Aside from captain Nawaf al Khaldi and striker Bader el Mutawa, who both boast 100-plus caps, the danger man for the Kuwaitis is fellow forward Yousef Nasser, who has amassed 32 goals from his 55 caps. Against a defensively suspect Socceroos outfit, the visitors will have chances to spoil the home side’s party.
Victory may do little to justify the pre-tournament hype, yet anything but will surely demonstrate the innate flaws of a team looking to win their first piece of silverware since joining the confederation in 2006.
Victory against the Kuwaitis should be expected, and much will be at stake should the pressure prove too much.
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