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Okay, the performance wasn’t great, but the Socceroos achieved the desired outcome with a 1-0 win over Bahrain on Tuesday to clinch top spot in Group C. And from the way several senior Socceroos have been speaking, you get the sense there’s a steely determination to achieve more outcomes and make history in Qatar.
But, of course, having learned from their 2007 failures, the Socceroos won’t be talking about winning the title just yet.
They’re remaining focussed on each game as it comes, and so they should. It is the best way to deal with the challenges which lay ahead and we know there will be tougher games as we enter the knockout stage of the tournament.
Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill said after the Bahrain win: “We’re not going to kid ourselves it wasn’t the best performance today and it won’t be acceptable in the next round. If we play like that then we’re going to make it very hard for ourselves.”
It’s a fair assessment. The performance was lacking fluency and Australia’s midfield broke down. Up front, we failed to be clinical again. But the positive was the defence held up, under some pressure and with a number of stand-ins.
It was a resilient and dogged performance from Australia to hold on and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was at his brilliant best helping out with several key saves.
Some might point to the pressure the Australian defence came under as a worry, but the concentration and focus the Socceroos showed to graft out the win was impressive. Especially considering the win wasn’t necessary to progress.
This appears a team determined to achieve its goals and take no shortcuts. Finishing top of Group C was the target and they achieved it. Okay it came with some luck but it’s good stuff.
As Neill pointed out before the tournament, the pain of 2007 remains for several of the Socceroos who’ve carried through to this Asian Cup, and they are desperate to put that right as they near the end of their careers.
“The previous tournament was disappointing for us. The negativity and experience from that, we’ve turned into a positive. Therefore our preparation has been extremely good and very thorough,” Neill said.
“Our mindset is to concentrate on game-by-game. The desire is no different, there’s still a dream and a want to win the tournament. In the back of our minds we’re in this tournament to try and win but we’re going to take it step-by-step.”
Neill has been saying all the right things. And the way senior players like Tim Cahill have been talking shows they are very much focussed on winning the Asian Cup.
From afar it appears several senior Socceroos have realised this could be their final chance to win some silverware in the green-and-gold, and with the added motivation of putting right 2007’s disappointment, they’ve got a steely focus about the job at hand.
In fact, the way Cahill was talking pre-tournament about keeping himself in good shape at club side Everton for the Asian Cup shows where his priorities lay.
Indeed, the Socceroos leaders such as Neill, Cahill and Schwarzer are saying all the right things. And while the performances haven’t convinced, they are still achieving the outcomes desired. That’s a positive.
The question is will that determination and graft be enough against tougher opponents in the knockout phase?
I don’t think it will be, so the performances do need to improve. But I believe this team has the quality to step it up a gear like they did against Korea Republic when it was required.
Along with that, though, having that steely determination is something we didn’t have four years ago and it could make a difference as this team searches for inspiration to go all the way in Qatar.
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