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Any loss in extra time of a major final is a bitter pill to swallow, particularly when the defeated had more opportunities than the victor to seal the match in regular time. But the Socceroos’ loss to Japan in the 2011 Asian Cup final resulted in an extra degree of hurt.
Here’s why:
– Victory in the Asian Cup would have been a fitting reward and possible farewell for the Socceroos’ golden generation, namely Mark Schwarzer (38 yeas old), Harry Kewell (32), Lucas Neill (32), Brett Emerton (31) and Tim Cahill (31) – key players in the Socceroos’ return to the World Cup stage with consecutive qualifications, the brilliant 2006 campaign in Germany, and the assimilation and rise in Asian football.
After years of great service and as they approach the end of their international careers, they deserve a major trophy to mark their time in the green and gold. As age catches up with them, the 2011 Asian Cup could have been their last crack at silverware with the Socceroos. They deserved a title.
– Victory could also have prompted some of the golden generation to consider retirement from the national team; going out in style having taken Australia to the top of Asian football.
Neill, Cahill and Schwarzer all said in the immediate aftermath of the defeat that they will continue their international careers, while Kewell has previously said he is eyeing the World Cup in 2014. But age will weary the thirty-something group.
Carl Valeri and Mile Jedinak (both 26) emerged as key cogs in the Socceroos midfield, while Matt McKay, Robbie Kruse and Neill Kilkenny made big impressions in their ability to adapt and, in McKay’s case, thrive at the international level.
If victory had swayed Kewell and co into retirement, there would be more opportunities for younger players, namely Tommy Oar, Mathew Leckie, Nathan Burns and Matthew Špiranović, to feature for the Socceroos. This would speed up the rebuilding progress beyond the golden generation as Australia looks to the 2012 London Olympics, 2014 World Cup qualification and the 2015 Asian Cup on Australian soil.
It would have been a fitting end for the golden generation while ushering in a new chapter for the national team.
– Mark Schwarzer became the most-capped Socceroo in the Asian Cup final, surpassing Alex Tobin’s mark of 87 appearances. Schwarzer has been to vital to the Socceroos over the years; the saviour on so many occasions, the hero of the penalty shootout against Uruguay in 2005, and such a fine ambassador off the field. Following such a brilliant tournament, he deserved to mark his significant personal milestone with a cleansheet and the Asian Cup.
– With Australia losing the Ashes over summer and the locals making little headway in the Australian Open tennis, there was a chance for the Socceroos to do what Lleyton, Ricky and co couldn’t – win. Victory would have generated some much-needed positive headlines for the game at a time when Australia was yearning for some sporting success.
They may have gone some way to make amends for the disappointment of the 2007 Asian Cup and 2010 World Cup. The manner in which Holger Osieck’s Socceroos play compared to his predecessor Pim Verbeek is so much more appealing and we now know that the next generation of Socceroos are more than capable of stepping up and performing. But considering the recent disappointments, victory in 2011 would have been so sweet and lifted the Socceroos back to their 2006 World Cup-level recognition within Australia.
Also, a win involving Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse would have acted as even more of a boost to the A-League heading into its finals series, with the pair key figures for their finals-bound clubs.
– Australia hosts the next Asian Cup in 2015, and it’s vitally important that in the build-up to the tournament wider Australia develops a greater appreciation for Asian football and Australia’s place in it. After all, selling Jordan versus Syria at Skilled Park to mainstream Australia will be difficult – and it wouldn’t surprise if there were as many empty seats in Australia as there were in Qatar.
As some fans have noted, the response from certain sections of the media to the Socceroos’ progression to the final in Qatar was disappointing relative to World Cup coverage, which says a lot about the Australian media’s failure to grasp the significance of the Asian Cup. Winning in 2011 would have accelerated the perception of the tournament in preparation for 2015.
Also, playing in the 2013 Confederations Cup would have given the Socceroos another major tournament to participate in, helping with preparations and squad development for the 2014 World Cup (assuming we qualify) in Brazil.
– Finally, I, like so many I spoke to, had a real sense that the Socceroos were destined to win, given all of the above, the way they improved throughout the tournament and how many chances they created in the final, making the defeat even more difficult to accept. The game can be cruel but it’s the rollercoaster ride of emotions that has us coming back for more.
A gallant defeat it may have been, with many positive signs for the future, but on so many levels the Socceroos’ Asian Cup defeat really did hurt.
Follow Adrian on twitter @AdrianMusolino