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It might have been mission accomplished for the Socceroos and Ange Postecoglou, who conquered Asia at only the third attempt after the most tense, thrilling and fitting of finals at Homebush on Saturday night, but, like any good manager, he was already looking to build on it.
This was a classic final to conclude a classic tournament which has shined a bright light on Australia and Asian football.
As South Korea’s impressive German manager Uli Stielike said post match that this was a final that came at the right moment, in the right place, and there was no real loser.
It’s a pity there had to be a team that missed out on holding the trophy, for Korea were superb, not only last night but throughout a tournament. They hadn’t conceded a goal until tournament MVP Massimo Luongo found a glimmer between Korea’s midfield and defensive line and punched one past Kim Jin-hyeon just before the first break.
As Stielike said after the match, Korea were champions in his mind and had won many admirers for the manner of their play throughout the tournament.
But for Postecoglou, the FFA and Socceroos fans this was a sweet moment in that in that it was a vindication of the path that was set upon eight months out from the World Cup in Brazil.
Sensing the train-wreck that was waiting in Brazil and knowing there wouldn’t be much time to bring someone in between the World Cup and Asian Cup, the FFA responded to the clamour from Roos fans for change and appointed arguably the most successful Australia manager yet, the man with the Midas touch.
For Postecoglou, who was criticised in the period between the the World and the Asian Cups, as results went against him and the Roos ranking dropped while he chopped and changed his personnel in the search for solutions, it was vindication of his belief in his methods.
There will also be a sweet sense of satisfaction for those that stuck by and believed in Postecoglou, heeding his calls for patience and to be judged at the Asian Cup, knowing he would come good.
It was here he put it all together, building a combined purpose where the team was valued over the individual, instilling them with the condition and belief and to see out the tournament, and evolving the team’s offensive and defensive structures from what had preceded.
It was a tribute to these physical and mental factors that the Roos were able to rebound from conceding an equaliser in the final minute to dominate much of the first half of extra time, and find their winner.
With Korea proving such a formidable opponent and having the momentum, other teams may have melted, but this was a unit instilled with the best of the Socceroos attributes of the past: togetherness and a never say die attitude.
The fact that two substitutes in Tomi Juric and James Troisi were able to contribute for the winner spoke to the evenness of contributions throughout the tournament.
This was a tournament where Luongo, Trent Sainsbury and Mat Ryan emerged as genuine stars of the future, but there were strong contributions at key times from others like Matt Spiranovic, Tim Cahill, Mark Milligan, Mile Jedinak, Jason Davidson, Matt McKay, Robbie Kruse and Mat Leckie.
Luongo and Sainsbury didn’t feature in Brazil (Luongo was an unused squad member), while Ryan was roundly criticised for a few errors, but Postecoglou continued to look at the big picture and the evolution of his team and playing style.
Here, Luongo for Mark Bresciano and Sainsbury for Alex Wilkinson were just a couple of examples of his ongoing regenerative work.
Meanwhile, the evolution of his playing style saw a better defensive structure and goals from midfield, defence and players other than Tim Cahill.
The Roos boss was already thinking about the future in his post match press conference, re-confirming that this win was just the beginning of a journey in which he’d like to see the Socceroos and the Asian confederation challenging the more established powers from South America and Europe.
He cited the age of much of his squad, and their potential for improvement.
Indeed, when you think of the the future and the possibility of seeing Terry Antonis alongside Luongo, and the ongoing development of the Spiranovic, Sainsbury and Ryan rearguard, it gives you some confidence around what’s the come.
He’d spoken to Antonis, who was the only unused outfield squad player apart from the injured Chris Herd, and reminded him that he was in the same boat as Luongo at the World Cup. It’s a fair carrot.
This is a manager who is building for the future while looking after the present at the same time, everything we’ve ever sought from our national team manager.
Korea also appear to be in great hands in Stielike, a charming and charismatic character who can also produce some shrewd technical results.
We saw that in the way he managed this young Korean side through a tournament where they were missing several established stars, and had players like Koo Ja-cheol and Lee Chung-yong drop out early.
Even last night he sprung a tactical surprise by playing holding midfielder Park Joo-ho out left and bringing Jang Hyun-soo into midfield. It worked a treat, and had Korea converted their dominance of the opening half it might have been a different tale.
Stielike skillfully managed his men, and tactics, and is to be applauded.
The Taeguek Warriors improved with the tournament, unearthing their own stars in the likes Kim Jin-su, Nam Tae-hee, Lee Jeong-hyeop and Jang Hyun-soo, to go with established guns Ki Sung-yeung and Hueng-min.
This gives Korea a strong base to build through the World Cup qualifiers, although, as Stielike mentioned after, there is work to be done to find goal-scorers.
His work in bringing through Jeong-hyeop from being a reserve in the nation’s army side should give the nation some confidence he can find the answers.
Stielike had prepared a nice little message for the nation, in Korean, and he was spot on: “Korea, you can be proud of your boys”.
Like the Socceroos they are a team heading in the right direction.
If Javier Aguirre doesn’t survive the questions around match-fixing, then the hope is that Japan get their next appointment right and together with Australia and Korea they can push to propel the Asian region not only up the rankings, but to a more competitive state on the international stage.
This should be one of the legacies and ambitions post an outstanding Asian Cup where youth has flourished and performances and coaching appear on the rise.
Beyond the top tier of three or four nations in Australia, South Korea, Japan and Iran, there is continued improved from the next tier in the UAE, China, Uzbeskistan and Iraq, who have impressed with their better organisation.
While enjoying the win, Postecoglou will ensure there is little complacency from the Roos as they move into the World Cup qualifiers, keeping everyone on their toes.
Beyond that the hope is that the rest of the nation has a new found respect for Asian football, whether east or west, and that the unity on display in the stands and on the field throughout the tournament continues, and helps propel the Asian confederation forward.
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