The Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok is built on reclaimed swamp-land.
Last night, in a frenetic World Cup qualifier, the Socceroos looked like they were sinking in the swamp as Thailand held Australia to a 2-2 draw, thus securing their first point in the final qualifying phase for Russia 2018.
There has been early hand-wringing over the Australian display in the Bangkok humidity and to be sure it was not a good performance.
However, descriptions of “pathetic” (on this very site) and “worst performance in years” (Fox Sports analyst Mark Bosnich) pay little attention to prevailing factors, including a momentous effort in speed, skill and stamina from a Thai team who had incredible motivation to do well, given the death of their revered King since the last occasion they played.
What was also overlooked is that the Socceroos should have had the game wrapped up and bow-tied in the first ten minutes. From the moment Jamie McLaren got the ball stuck under his feet in the first 15 seconds with the goal yawning, the opening stanza of the match saw Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic pick the Thai back five apart.
There is a coaching saying that you can’t win a game in the first ten minutes but you can lose it. This almost ended up being the Socceroos fate. A 2-0 lead would have taken the fanatical crowd out of the game and the wind out of the Thai sails.
Despite all the penetrative from Australia’s twin central maestros, the final pass in the box was lacking, often going behind a number nine who did not appear to be in synch with his wide players.
McLaren struggled to make the right runs and find the right space to avail himself a proper strike on goal. Robbie Kruse and Matthew Leckie were often played in behind the Thai defence but were too slow in their delivery, resulting in crosses and passes that found defensive legs.
Having partially weathered the early Socceroo onslaught, Thailand then found their rhythm. Tanaboon Keserat started nominally as a holding midfielder but in essence dropped into a third centre back role which allowed wide fullbacks Tristan Do and captain Theerathon Bunamthan to get forward. And when they did, the game changed completely.
Kruse and Leckie allowed the fullbacks in behind, exposing defenders Milos Degenek and Brad Smith. With two central strikers, the Thais kept the Socceroos back four compacted and the home team found space on the edges, which led to the equalising goal from Thai striker Teerasil Dangda.
The goal rocked the stadium to its swampy foundations and a nation in mourning was transformed to one that sensed a national celebration in the making.
Leckie’s second half challenge that led to the Thai penalty, dispatched by Dangda, was his last contribution in the game, as he and the disappointing McLaren were replaced by Nathan Burns and Mark Milligan, to almost instant results.
They added spark and penetration to a Socceroos front five that had sunk into the soft Rajamangala turf after an enterprising first quarter hour.
A second penalty, dubiously awarded and barely tucked away by Jedinak, might have signalled a resurgence in the Socceroos and for the following ten minutes they forced Thai keeper Kawin Thamsatchanan into a few crucial saves, the first time he’d been called upon to do anything more than retrieve the ball from the back of the net.
The final stages exposed a worry that coach Ange Postecoglou has often touched upon this year – a lack of game time at club level for several senior players. Only Mooy, Rogic and Jedinak could be considered regular starters in European leagues. As Thailand began to overrun the Australians in the Bangkok humidity, the lack of miles in some legs became apparent.
The final outcome was unexpected, disappointing and came on the back of a disjointed performance.
Once again, Australia’s lack of a convincing number nine to assume the mantle of the peerless Tim Cahill came back to bite them, which may seem a little unfair on Jame McLaren whose time will come. But a sharp finisher inside the first quarter hour would have rendered the following laborious 75 minutes moot.
The Socceroos have now failed to score from open play in their last two games. I wonder whether a certain former Albanian, brought to Australia by the present Socceroos mentor and now naturalised, might be an option? (Of course, that’s lateral thinking on my part and I’m not sure FIFA rules allow it but I’d love to see Besart Berisha in a gold shirt).
Post-game analysis has paid little credit to the best Thai performance of the qualifiers, instead death-riding the Socceroos World Cup qualification chances.
One pundit even suggested that Australia were now mathematically out of the race for the top two spots because all Japan and Saudi Arabia need to do is “win all their remaining games.” Except they play each other and Australia.
Not a good performance. But not a disaster just yet.
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