The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Jordan's attack leaves Socceroos stunned in Amman

Massimo Luongo helped QPR to a controversial win. (AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK)
Roar Guru
9th October, 2015
2

Call it a hoodoo, call them their bogey team, whatever. Jordan has repeated its feat of three years ago and upset the Socceroos again in a World Cup qualifier.

In mild, cool conditions in Amman two second half goals was enough for the Jordanians to take three points against Australia.

In 2012 the Aussie players spoke of the impact of the crowd and the intimidating atmopshere which helped the Middle Eastern nation record a 2-1 victory. This time round the crowd were again nosiy and boisterous, but Postecoglou and his men declined to blame the crowd factor.

Postecoglou said poignantly after the game: “People talk about the crowd, but what do we want to do, play in empty stadiums?”

“That’s part of football. If our players don’t want to be out there on a day like this, they’re in the wrong business.”

How true. The crowd can’t be blamed for this loss. Nor the referee for the penalty, nor the obvious time-wasting of the Jordan team. The Jordanians were simply more clincial and effective on the night.

The Aussies were flat and lacking an edge up front. The first half was very even and could have been 1-1 after a post saved Adam Federici and Jordan’s goalkeeper stopped Matt Leckie in a double save.

But in the second half the Socceroos were caught napping by some hit and hope long ball attacks. The green and gold couldn’t deal with them and paid the ultimate price.

Advertisement

Matt Spiranovic did not have one of his better games for Australia and neither did Jason Davidson. Aaron Mooy was decent in the first half but quiet in the second, while Tom Rogic struggled to make an impact apart from a first minute shot on goal.

Puzzingly, Postecoglou again went with Massimo Luongo in a strange right winger role. It’s a position he’s not familiar with and one where he doesn’t play his best football, and it shows.

Here was the player of the 2015 Asian Cup, a central midfielder and box-to-box player, wasted on the right. Why?

The Socceroos lacked width in their attack and surely would have been better served with either Tomi Jurci or Tim Cahill up front, with Leckie on the right. Leckie is not a natural striker and his goal return ratio shows that.

Let’s not get hysterical though – this was a slip up, an off day for the Socceroos and no time for panic. After four games they are just one point behind Jordan and crucially they have three of the next four matches at home.

They have Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Jordan, who they beat 4-0 in Australia previously, all to come on home soil. The Socceroos World Cup qualifying path is still in their own hands.

Rightly, Postecoglou remains confident that there is improvement to come. In Amman they showed again they can be vulnerable to quick counter attacks and teams with pacey wide players.

Advertisement

The Socceroos still have Mat Ryan and Ivan Franjic to come back, as well as Trent Sainbsury, to strengthen the defence. A win in Canberra against Kyrgyzstan will have their qualifying back on track.

But by winning the Asian Cup in Sydney eight months ago Postecogou’s Roos have set very high standards. Their 2-2 draw with world champions Germany in Germany has kept them raised.

Meeting those high standards in every game, as the head coach wants, is not going to easy, regardless of the opponent.

Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson

close