The Socceroos did it to us again; they made us believe. We dared to believe at 0-0 and were scared to believe at 2-1. Ultimately, our glee was futile and premature, but indicative of the generation-defining squad that has thus far exceeded the stingy expectations set ahead of the trip to Brazil.
Pim Verbeek said we wouldn’t score one. We did. And another. Tim Cahill, the footballing marvel his is, made us believe. Captain Mile made us believe.
We went down, but boy did we go down swinging. Both Chile and Netherlands have the scars to prove that this crop of Socceroos packs a punch.
There were plenty of highs, the fair share of lows and a number of questions raised from a pulsating match in Porto Alegre. Australia 2-3 Netherlands.
The good
It will go down as arguably Australia’s greatest ever goal and its architect will be inked as this country’s greatest ever on the international stage.
Tim Cahill has already proved there is no challenge he can’t irk and the big moment player stepped up to the plate once more, raising hopes yet again with his sublime strike.
It all happened with a matter of seconds but Cahill remained composed and took his opportunity with aplomb. It’s what separates him from many others – the ability to turn a match on its head with just one chance. He very rarely wilts under pressure and what an asset to have.
Of course, it was the Socceroos’ cavalier attack that made all that possible. Ange Postecoglou’s greatest regret from the opening fixture against Chile was that his side made it far too blatant they were the new kids on the block in many respects.
This time around, if they didn’t truly believe they deserved to be on the same pitch as the Dutch, they did a sterling job of faking it.
Tommy Oar and Mathew Leckie went rove from the outset and were an attacking menace that we haven’t seen from a football team in green and gold for eight years.
The Netherlands weren’t daunting, at least that’s the image that was portrayed. Arjen Robben’s opener came very much against the run of play after the Aussies spent much of the first half relentlessly peppering Jasper Cillessen in the Oranje goal.
Postecoglou’s charges dominated the possession stats for the first 20 minutes, but more tellingly they took advantage of their presence in the final third with a series of attempts that would have had Netherlands reaching for a new pair of pants at half-time.
We weren’t afraid of Netherlands and we won’t be afraid of Spain.
Matt Spiranovic was also impressive for the most part. He regularly picked the pocket of Robin van Persie and even baited the striker into a yellow card that will see him miss the final group stage match.
Although the Netherlands’ big three came out on top where it mattered, it was far from smooth sailing.
You can throw Postecoglou’s tactics into the mix for good measure as well. The gaffer has delivered a product that we haven’t seen from an Australian side in recent memory and one that bodes well for the 2015 Asian Cup.
His substitutions were spot on. Oliver Bozanic for Marco Bresciano in the 51st minute provided a solid platform for the second half, with Bresh still not looking capable of playing the full 90 and having left it all out on the pitch.
The bad
You’d hope two goals against this Netherlands outfit would be enough. Against many teams it would. Again, Australia’s defensive frailties were exposed. The issues weren’t as gaping as the calamitous efforts that saw Chile surge to a 2-0 lead on Saturday, but they proved to be the downfall.
Alex Wilkinson would have been forgiven for tugging the shirt of Arjen Robben as the winger streaked away to open the scoring, and Spiranovic might’ve done better to block the resulting shot.
Then there was the matter of Jason Davidson not being informed of the offside trap plan and Memphis Depay having a field to gallivant through on route to securing all three points.
It was disappointing that three isolated errors came with such a high price tag, but it will be part of the learning curve. The Netherlands had the class and form to punish Australia.
It’s been widely acknowledged that the Socceroos had the upper hand over Chile between the hour in the middle of that match and it’s an observation that also rang true in the Netherlands defeat.
There seemed to be a great deal of fatigue in the final 15 minutes, at a time where the Socceroos could have pushed for a deserved equaliser. It’s to be expected, given the high pressing game employed for the entirety of the match prior, but both Group B clashes may have had a different result if there wasn’t the downhill lapse.
The challenge ahead – the dead rubber
Postecoglou has already had his fair share of tests in Brazil – injuries to Tom Rogic and Josh Kennedy pre-tournament, Ivan Franjic being rubbed out against Chile and Mark Milligan remaining under an injury cloud.
Chile’s victory over Spain eliminates Australia, but Postecoglou will still have his hands full replacing Tim Cahill against Spain in the battle to avoid last position.
It was a cynical challenge that led to the attacker picking up a one-game suspension and we had a glimpse of life without him when he was brought off for Ben Halloran 22 minutes out from the final whistle.
It wasn’t an alluring prospect, there seemed to be a distinct lack of energy, and confidence of stealing a point followed him onto the bench.
Adam Taggart, who was used as a substitute, looms as the only out-and-out striker if Ange opts for a straight swap, although it would be tempting to try and fit Halloran into a front three with Leckie and Oar. What we would give to have Kennedy as an option up front.
Regardless of who comes in, Ange will be forced to make adjustments to his formation and style of play as the task of replacing the irreplaceable begins. It won’t matter in the end, but we will get a look at life without Cahill.
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