Social media went into overdrive after Australia lost to South Korea in a match that was always going to be more difficult than many seemed to believe.
Much of the criticism fell at the feet of Ange Postecoglou for picking what was dubbed as an understrength line-up.
It lacked the presence of Tim Cahill, Matthew Leckie and Robbie Kruse up front, but they were replaced by the A-League’s top scorer, Nathan Burns, Australia’s best up and coming number 9, Tomi Juric and one of Australia’s most creative number 10s, James Troisi.
The midfield and the defence was exactly the same as the ones that started against Oman, other than Aziz Behich coming in for Jason Davidson.
The Socceroos played well, far better than the South Koreans with all the stats – except the goals – leaning in the Australians’ favour. The Socceroos’ 63 per cent of the ball, five shots on target, 280 per cent more completed passes and 28 corners are all signs of Australian dominance.
Juric, Burns and Troisi aren’t the reason Australia lost this game – it was a lapse in concentration that saw Lee Jung-Hyub stud the ball into Mat Ryan’s net.
A lapse of concentration is the fault of the whole team and not just an individual.
Park Joo-Ho had been taken off the field and the South Koreans were down to ten men and they were switched on, the Socceroos were not.
It really was that simple.
Any manager worth his salt will know that you never start your best side, otherwise any alteration you make will make the side weaker. The starting eleven should not have been a concern because the Australian 23-man squad is a good one.
The only thing I can question Postecoglou on is how long it took him to make a change. It was an hour before he brought on Leckie and he only allowed Kruse and Cahill 20 minutes to make a difference.
A half-time sub could have been effective.
But to look at the positives, Australia are through to the knockout stage with two wins and eight goals.
Stop blaming the referee, stop blaming the pitch, stop blaming Postecoglou and most of all stop blaming the players. They lost but they are still in the cup and still have as big of a chance as any to win their first major trophy.
The Socceroos face China in Brisbane on Thursday, a win there would likely see them face Japan in Newcastle and from there, nothing is impossible.
Get behind our team and enjoy the journey that Ange Postecoglou is taking us on.
Follow me on Twitter @dylaneloiarvela
britesparke
Roar Rookie
I, for one, do not subscribe to the "attacking at all costs mantra". The Korea games has been analysed to death and the fact is Ange has a large part to play in the success of the team throughout this tournament -forget blaming everything from moths to the pitch! Even this article has concluded that substitutions were not made earlier. The fact remains that "we got it all wrong!" (the apt title of another article) and let us just move on and, hopefully, LEARN! We "undervalued" Korea by resting players and did not fully analyse their game plan -even during the match-which is very poor management indeed.This article conceeds as much. We should play to win, to adjust to opponents before and during a game and please SKIP all the hype and pre game rubbish! We had Ange saying that he was unconcerned about the "foxing" Koreans! Who now is facing up to all the flak post game !
Shaun Dyas
Roar Rookie
It seems that in Australian football at the moment we have this 'bake our cake and eat it' mentality. We want to see our team playing vibrant, attacking football on the front foot, taking the game to the opponent with a verve and fight that we see as being quintessentially Australian. But if the result goes against us we all want to blame the manager and say it was his fault we lost and that the tactical decisions he made throughout the game were poor. I for one support wholeheartedly the approach and tactics that were used in this match and would like to see them continue for as long as possible. It used to be Australia who would play the conservative, defensive style of game in the hope that we could nick three points and get the result, ultimately glossing over our footballing deficiencies in the process. The only way Australian football is going to learn is if we do take the fight up to better opposition. The more we do it, the better we will become at it and eventually the results will start to take care of themselves. Which 8 times out of 10 would have been the case on Saturday night. The result is not always going to go your way as at the end of the day that is football and that is what keeps us all coming back for more.
britesparke
Roar Rookie
"Postecoglou got everything right except the result" and then you concede mid-article that he should have made his substitutions earlier. Which is, in effect, saying that he got it wrong! (That part of the game strategy anyway!) Overall, there is improvement in the quality of play of the Socceroos - a few more adjustments with combinations in midfield, defence and attack and it will be a vast improvement on where we were twelve months ago. Go the Socceroos!
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Yes, perhaps it was a different World Cup that I watched! Actually you were right about Chile, I had forgotten that the wheels had fallen off by then. "It took us about 20-30 minutes to get started" -- I hope Fussball ist unser Leben doesn't read that, as he and many others thought Australia had brilliant first halves. In the Japan friendly, a good case in point. Too little, too late, and support completely knackered for Cahill. Better to have come on at the beginning, maybe bag a goal and hang onto the lead. The Japan friendly match also could have been worse if Yamada (from memory) had got a header in after receiving the ball via Bresciano. I have watched Bresciano since then, and a similar thing happened against Oman. He was dispossessed twice, and one of those led directly to the corner kick from Oman in extra time. The result was not in doubt, but Ryan's clean sheet was put in unnecessary danger. The first corner was negotiated for a second, but neither resulted in scoring for Oman. On the other hand, Bresciano did put in a couple of dangerous corners, but also fluffed a clean shot at the goal. May have got points in Rugby League, but not football.
Uncle Junior
Guest
I think you watched a different world cup. Australia started both matches against Chile and Holland very slowly. It took us about 20-30 minutes to get started. In the opening 20-30 minutes we were ripped apart by Chile and it was only after Robben's goal at 20 minutes that Australia woke up against Holland. In Australia's greatest ever world cup victory, against Japan in 2006, Tim Cahill started on the bench and came on in the 2nd half. Also against Japan in the recent friendly, Cahill started on the bench and came on with 20 minutes to play and scored.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
"Any manager worth his salt will know that you never start your best side" -- when Cahill has started, the team has won. When he hasn't (including leadup games to the Asia Cup), they have lost. At the World Cup, our best play was usually within the first 20-30 minutes, and that is when we were most likely to score. Cahill seems to inspire a sense of self-belief in the other forwards, and also puts question marks in the minds of the defence. It's no use bringing him on with 20 minutes to go, as his support is demoralised and exhausted. We can't expect him to pull back a couple of goals solo, in every match. Starting Cahill can create a platform that allows Australia to defend a lead.
Waz
Guest
Well said
Johnno
Guest
Aussies got an extra day off over China, no travel,plus an extra training day, the pitch is getting fixed this week, a sell out crowd in Brissy which is a happy hunting ground for aussy sports team overall, the loss was a bonus, no travel to face a tough Uzbek side already in Melbourne and settled. This loss was a blessing for logistical and rest reasons. Thank you whoever did the draw. And don't give me the avoid Japan nonsense, we have to face them at some stage, and who says there gonna beat all the teams but us lol, there not the Germany of World soccer or the AB'S of rugby, chill out about Japan. Were not here to be runners up or get pass marks were here to win the damn thing, and if it's Japan we have to beat at some stage so be it, Q/F,S/F or final we have to beat em.