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When Josh Kennedy bagged the equaliser on Friday night, the irony wasn’t lost on fans that the build-up occurred on the ground. Yet, time and again, Australia knocked in long balls against Thailand, so is route one football here to stay under coach Holger Osieck?
The tactics were clear against the diminutive Thais: knock in high balls towards the head of Kennedy and hope that so-called ‘second striker’ Tim Cahill could pick up the scraps.
Unfortunately for Osieck and a subdued Suncorp Stadium crowd, the Thai defence put up a fierce rearguard action, swarming over every loose ball and looking to hit Australia on the counter-attack.
It paid dividends barely a quarter of an hour in, when striker Teerasil Dangda tucked home a neat volley to stun the 24,000-strong crowd into silence.
From there on in, a barrage of long balls rained down on the Thai defence, yet the visitors simply stacked their penalty area and dealt with the aerial bombardment through sheer weight of numbers.
Part of the problem was the fact the long balls rarely came in from the byline, although one such Lucas Neill-chip towards the penalty area almost resulted in Tim Cahill scoring from Kennedy’s deft knock down.
However, it wasn’t until the industrious Matt McKay got in behind the Thai defence that Australia finally registered a goal, and even then, they needed a helping hand from unlucky Thai goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattankool to get it.
So the question is: will Osieck travel to Dammam on Wednesday with the same tactics in mind?
It was clear he was frustrated with his team’s performance in Brisbane. After the game he expressed frustration that crosses into the danger area weren’t of the quality he expected.
Yet, if the Socceroos do persist with playing Kennedy as a target man against Saudi Arabia, they may receive short shrift from veteran duo of Osama Hawsawi and Hamad Al-Montashari – both highly-rated defenders on the international stage.
Perhaps the stifling heat of Dammam (40°C yesterday) will make long ball football expedient, but it’s clear from the growing chorus of disquiet that the ugly style isn’t appreciated in many quarters.
It’s a brand of football Osieck has increasingly employed during his tenure – most notably against Bahrain in the Asian Cup in January – however there’s no denying it’s helped get results.
Friday night’s performance may not have been as impressive as the friendly win over Wales in Cardiff last month, but there were still some positives to take out of the game.
Matt McKay once again showed why he is transforming into an increasingly vital player in the national team, even if he was somewhat caught out for the opening goal.
The composed Matt Spiranovic was another who impressed and his inclusion alongside Lucas Neill in central defence was a nod for youth over the experience of Sasa Ognenovski.
Alex Brosque’s brief but highly effective cameo was also notable for a trait he has clearly worked on at Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse; with Brosque chasing down every loose ball and apparent lost cause that came his way in a spirited display off the bench.
Indeed, far from the heroes of 2006, it was a new breed of talent who proved most effective in Brisbane; however Osieck’s side still needs experienced heads to help claim a result in Dammam.
Whether that includes Josh Kennedy up front is likely to be the tactical question on everyone’s lips, although it would be harsh on the Nagoya striker to drop him after a goal and assist against the Thais.
The tactics Osieck employs in Saudi Arabia look set to strike at the heart of a discussion about what kind of football Australians want their national team to play.
And if Friday night’s performance is anything to go by, the long ball tactics could be here to stay.