Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan has lauded the scrambling defence of a side that has gone from leaky to stingy.
Australia conceded three goals in each of their three World Cup games last year and two in both of their first two matches after the tournament, as coach Ange Postecoglou bedded down a new group of relatively inexperienced international defenders.
But the Socceroos have given up just two goals in five Asian Cup games and held the opposition goalless in both their quarter and semi-final matches.
“The statistics speak for themselves, we’ve been very organised,” Ryan said.
“Three clean sheets in five (Asian Cup) games is a very pleasing statistic and when we’ve needed to scramble well, we’ve scrambled well.
From Timmy (Cahill) at the front to me at the back, everyone has just been doing a fantastic job and we’ve bought into the game plan both going forward and in defence and it’s gone very well for us this tournament.”
Australia had problems scoring leading up to the Asian Cup, netting just seven times in their last nine games before the tournament.
However, Postecoglou’s commitment to new blood and a positive playing style has paid off handsomely on home soil.
His side has scored 13 times in five games, with ten different players getting on the scoresheet and shattering the notion that they relied too heavily on Cahill for their goals.
“It’s good for the confidence of the whole squad, for not only Timmy to be banging them in, but for everyone,” Ryan said on Thursday.
“All the pieces of the puzzle seem to be coming together at the right time for us.”
Cahill loves to compete off the field as well, but doesn’t have quite the same success rate, according to Ryan.
“He’s just like a big kid, he’s like one of us young guys,” Ryan said.
“He’s always on the Nintendo DS or playing FIFA with the boys screaming the hotel walls down if he’s losing, and more often than not, he is,
“He doesn’t win too many I hear, and from what I’ve witnessed.
“He’s a great role model to have around. There’s no need for me to speak about what he’s done on the pitch and off it.
`He’s an incredibly down to earth guy and big family man.”
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