It was not a display of adroitness. It was not, really, a compelling argument that we should persist with the 3-4-3 formation.
What it did do was stir the blood, and watching as we all did a Socceroos performance of obscene athleticism and vigour, it was hard not to enjoy it. Losing Aaron Mooy and Mass Luongo – two of the more cerebral Roos – allowed Ange Postecoglu, perhaps begrudgingly, to unleash a complete stamina-and-sinew line-up, best exemplified by Matthew Leckie, Jackson Irvine and Brad Smith.
Leckie and Smith, who started on the wings – Smith replacing Kruse, at long last – are two of the most impressive athletes Australian football has ever produced. They are two twitching, rippled, snorting bundles of explosive acceleration.
Leckie leaps like a gazelle, to telling effect, as he scored a carbon-copy headed goal from a corner to seal the 2-0 win. Smith, at one point in the first half, simply prodded the ball past a would-be tackler, and raced around him with ease to collect it.
They were seen, one moment, deep in the final third, and then back tackling or fouling in their own half the next. Both lasted the full 90 minutes, with Leckie in particular seen haring about with as much energy in the dying minutes as he had in the opening throes, apparently unperturbed by what must have been an ocean of lactic acid flooding his many impressive muscles.
But their muscles, sculpted and rippling, didn’t stop either Smith or Leckie from displaying moments innumerable of shoddy technique. Within five minutes, Leckie was seen accidentally back-heeling a ball that had been previously under his control out over the sideline. Brad Smith – starved of playing time at his club, a rusty as a result – bettered him on the other flank misplacing a number of extremely simple passes, and twice allowing the ball to roll clean under his studs when attempting to trap it.
Both players crossed with only occasional accuracy, with heavy first touches further adding to the hand-wringing. They might be the most athletically impressive, technically incompetent players in Socceroos history.
But it mattered little, in the context of the match, because it appeared as though the team Ange Postecoglu had arranged trotted out under the banner “run first, ask questions later’.
His timing was appropriate, unlike in Tehran; the atmosphere was thrumming, and the pitch was a little lumpy. Leckie and Smith, for all their shortcomings, chased back with relish.
Jackson Irvine and James Troisi played as two all-action central attackers – the pair attempted twice as many tackles as the centre midfield pairing of Mile Jedinak and Mark Milligan. Irvine scored the opening goal, powering a header in from yet another corner, a majestic image of the springiness of youth.
Milligan and Bailey Wright fouled often – Milligan too much so, he will miss the next match through suspension – keenly aware that the official was, for some reason, allowing an unusually high level of physicality.
There were raids forward, from Troisi and Irvine, full-chested, concussive barrelling from the flanking centre backs, and Tomi Juric was seen more often on the ground clutching a limb than he was upright and running; this was a war of gristle and tenacity, one Australia had prepared for and were always going to win.
It would be relatively easy to argue that the most refined ball-player on the night was goalkeeper Mat Ryan, whose distribution remains excellent.
Australia committed 26 fouls, for only two yellow cards. Omar Abdulrahman won 11 fouls on his own, a quite astonishing feat. This was the Socceroos-as-cliche; Australia’s reputation as a hard-tacking, gritty outfit has softened over the last few years under Postecoglu, but this match brought it all roaring back. And, in all honestly, it felt good.
We’ve always produced fine athletes. The Golden Generation was dotted with them, from the indefatigability of Brett Emerton, to the the trampoline leap of Tim Cahill, to the agility of Harry Kewell, to the stern physique of Lucas Neill.
These players, though, were more specialised jocks; Troisi, Smith, Leckie and Irvine are much more versatile. To over-embrace these more rudimentary virtues would represent a regression of ideas and ambition, and would be to the detriment of players like Mooy, Luongo and Rogic, and the countless more technically proficient players to come. But it is worth remembering that, when push comes to shove, we can push and shove with the best of them.
Jedinak said this after the match: “I think, to be honest, they [the Emiratis] ran out of legs. They didn’t want to go for it. And we stuck at it…”
Certainly, the manner in which we aggressively fouled and tackled Omar Abdulrahman out of the game was superb. Milligan, restored to midfield, was fabulous, passing with tact when he needed to, and covering diligently for his wing-backs.
Milligan uses his body so expertly, levering people off the ball, a manoeuvre that exists in the very valuable margins of legality. The break-neck marauding of Troisi fashioned more than enough chances to win, but his shooting – typically, for this match, the part requiring the most poise – let him down.
Trent Sainsbury stood apart somewhat, striding as he elegantly does into midfield to pass, and tackling in his own lithe way, the kind of tackle that almost makes the robbed opponent want to applaud the defender, sprawled on the turf.
Sainsbury is, as was feared, yet to play a minute for Inter Milan since moving there in January, and what a waste it is too because he is a sensational defender.
Although the Emirati centre backs were hacking him relentlessly, Juric again couldn’t offer up a convincing case for his candidacy as the first-choice striker. He failed, in fact, to register a shot all evening.
Tim Cahill was the first man off the bench, replacing Juric, and although he was up against a defence that had gone through 70 minutes of combat, he did look a little more dangerous, in particular when played in Irvine, whose bad touch set up Troisi to shoot.
A member of the Emirati backroom staff was seen weeping on the bench after the final whistle, like some poor lad who’d just been rumbled by the school bully; and that’s sort of what it felt like, as both Abdulrahman brothers were sent tumbling, and the Socceroos flexed.
Football, for all of our indulgence in systems, and concepts, and Xs and Os, is at its core an athletic pursuit, a battle of the strong against the stronger, the fast against the faster.
We’re still yet to score from open play in what feels like an age, and the blushes over that are justified. But when the men in green and gold exert like they did here, leap and charge and barge like they did, it can feel, in the heated ecstasy of victory, as good a representation of Australian football as any.
j binnie
Guest
Waz I thought Smith and Wright handled the "new" system reasonably well despite some "unforced errors" by both players,but on the right side the "system" was non existent mainly due to the fact that Leckie is not, and never will be a right sided defender.. The whole idea of this system working well has it's roots in the fact that when in possession the team can take up a 3- 5-2 formation with twin strikers to the fore and the midfield "swamped".. However when possession is lost it is comparatively easy ,only calling on 3 players, to revert to the much more difficult to breach, 5-4-1 formation , Therefore ,when on attack ,your "lone striker" should never be just that ,a "lone striker" By the time possession is gained and some forward progress made,at least one of those 5 midfielders should have moved forward to aid and abet the "target man' . The Dutch called it "Total Football" Cheers jb.
Ruudolfson
Guest
One day australia can aspire to have their own version of its own superstar again. When day can come again nobody knows.
K
Guest
Physicality and technical ability are always a balance. Personally that's why I think it sets a player like Mooy apart - the bloke can run all day, has pace, is not afraid to stick a boot in and then has the poise and creativity to dictate a game.
whiskeymac
Guest
better than Freddy Adu even?
Midfielder
Guest
unbelievable for his age https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK_7tT08oag
Fadida
Guest
Some good points there Griffo. Rather than change the system at the crunch time, as you say, I'm really surprised he hasn't tried to "fix" the weak points of the previous system (which suited our mentality perfectly). For instance, in the Japan game he chose a very narrow formation, essentially a 442 diamond from memory. Key to a narrow formation is with and overloads from the fullbacks. On the right he had a fairly immobile McGowan. He also set is up with a narrow midfield with Rogic and Mooy from memory essentially playing the same role. Was it then Juric and Giannou up front? 2 similar players, neither quick. The net result wa a lack of pace, and a lack of with. Japan sat back and waited from the pass to and from Jedinak, and jumped in to pinch the ball before it would get to the strikers. These are structural and personnel errors, easy to fix, particularly with the form of Grant and Troisi. Ange has got a little lost at the moment, rather than tweak a formation that suited us he abandoned it for one that simply doesn't. We don't have 3 quality backs who can cover laterally for a start
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Griffo - well that's a surprise, GVE, (season 2) was the first to employ the "play out from the back" tactic. I should have known, Foz, was in on it as well. Good stuff.
aladdin sane
Guest
He's a ripper, mid. One of the top few u19s in the world atm. Probably already USA's best player.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yeah, they all go to the same media training - memo to PFA: get a new company to deliver the training... Also it might be incumbent on media organisations to stop asking the 'Yes, no, cliche response' type questions ;-) And there is also what Kaks said, although I suspect that wouldn't be as a big a problem at the moment since they are all buying what Ange is doing. Case in point was the Asian Cup 2007 with Lucas Neill almost saying after the last group game 'We'll go away as a playing group and discuss what needs to change for the next game' immediately after Arnold said what he was going to do for the next game...
Griffo
Roar Guru
This is more my thought Fadida as well - he wants a more literate footballing public, but where Ange feels said public doesn't give the NT or Australian football enough credit, I don't think he is doing the same when that footballing public (or the literate sections of it, anyway) pull his tactics and the game apart and discuss it. I believe he is doing a good thing for the game overall, and want to qualify well, not as Pim or even Holger did. Unfortunate for him if all his improvements mean missing Wold Cup qualification, he will actually do damage to the very part of the game he is trying to progress. He's spent a good portion of his three or so years building up the team, getting options for positions, familiarising with styles of play, and identifying anyone new that is rising here and abroad. I just think when coming to the pointy end of qualification or certain key tournaments a good system is employed and perfected, not changed. Very very risky and it could have so easily gone the other way... Maybe he just needs to chose better personnel for key positions, but that is doubtful. And he is getting more stubborn than at any time with this system. I sure hope a 0-6 loss to Brazil in a friendly doesn't become a catalyst...
Griffo
Roar Guru
I would add that post-game with Iraq we were commenting at how much more physical Iraq was, how we got pushed off the ball a bit, and lost the second ball a lot more than normal. If anything the UAE game was more instructed to not let that happen, hence on one hand a more telling, physical presence, the other the opponent was less so (but not without their own moments, as some of our guys would attest to).
Griffo
Roar Guru
Tezza - what I noticed was Jedinak not moving into space (or out from behind a UAE player) to give a better chance of receiving the ball; the 'press' was more effective as our own player was not making the passing channel as wide as it could be, meaning the defender was less confident in his DM being able to complete the pass. I think this was also the basis of Sainsbury making his runs out from defence - he bypassed the press and his own DM's to ensure a more accurate pass into the attacking third. Milligan was better at this (creating space) between the UAE lines of press. My only concern with Jedinak in defence is he may not be as good a passer of the ball as a Sainsbury. Lucas Neil was good at intercepting, but was also on occasion guilty of the lofted pass, and consquent turnover. -- Caltex - My memory of Season 2 A-League was a newly appointed Gary van Egmond at the Jets instructing the keeper and defence to play out from the back almost exclusively, rather than punt it long as was the norm iirc. You even had Foz up here with SBS cameras recording the evolution of the game for the historical archives... Ange did a lot of things in training regime and game play, but passing out the back wasn't a first for him :-P
Midfielder
Guest
Sorta off topic .... maybe not ... Christian Pulisic is a name I have only just read about and watched him on youtube .. He is 18 has sublime skills and plays for the US. He is being talked about as the next Tiger Woods, and Magic Johnson ... He could be that player the US has never had and drag lots of folk to the game... in many ways like Kwell & Dukes did in Australia. I understand its the US, and the MLS has been going a lot longer than the A-League but what a difference a truly world class player makes ....
Fadida
Guest
Agree Fuss, and once you break the initial press you can then break into the space behind. Against England we did this very successfully, which is why I am surprised we have altered our style
Realfootball
Guest
Lucas Neill was always interesting and never spoke in cliches.
j binnie
Guest
SN - Agree on all counts. The national coach is in an unenviable position for, by rights, he should design a system to fit the players he knows are available. It would be great if we had a conveyor belt of young players coming through the under 17 and under 23 levels with the exact requirements of the senior coach, but we are both long enough in the tooth to recognise that is just not going to happen. I honestly believe that's where AP is at today,he had his ideals from 5 years ago but is suddenly becoming aware those "ideals" are now "past history" and tactically the game has moved on. Can we catch up? There is now some evidence around that the defensive structures of yesteryear,have been recognised as legitimate,and this in turn brings fitness and physicality into a players make-up for the transition from defence into attack is an almost constant demand for today's players & teams. As I've said elsewhere today the"three at the back" tactic is only in existence when a team is on the attack ie in possession of the ball,it immediately should revert to a 5 at the back,4 in midfield,as soon as possession is lost. If AP can sort that out he could have the physical players to make it work,not by playing tic -a-tac,or pretty football but nevertheless very effective when it comes to winning games.Cheers jb.
j binnie
Guest
Tezza- The answer to your query is relatively simple and can be covered by one word "forward". "Playing out from the back" has now been tactically by- passed by something else you mention, "high pressing". If we accept that the shorter the pass the better the chance of it being an accurate pass, it follows that, knowing a short passing game is to be practiced by a team, their opposing team can immediately re-act by "close marking" (that is what high pressing used to be called) on every player in the opposition, thus putting pressure not only on the passer of the ball, but the potential "targets". And so .tactically the game moves on and new strategies have to be uncovered, but at this point in time the emphasis is more and more being brought to bear on "first touch", "control", "speed of movement - FORWARD- (that word gain) both with and without the ball". The contest then is reduced to who demonstrates the highest level of skills achieved by both teams for even high pressing cannot beat those "skills" as described, if they are used with a high percentage of success.. Hope this helps your comprehension. Cheers jb.
Lionheart
Guest
Well I'll give you an approval tick AGO74. I think some comments are overly harsh, on the coach and the formation. I saw a couple of shots from not far out by our forward players that looked rushed when there was little pressure on them, and the ball consequently went flying skyward or sideward, way off target, or alternately on a couple of occasions they fired the ball straight at the nearest defender or to the keeper. We can't blame the formation for that, yet these same players are listed by many commentators as being among our best. ??? Maybe they were better further back, but not in front of goal. We desperately need a decent striker and a couple of decent forwards.
marcel
Guest
Bring back Ljubo !
Nemesis
Guest
"when the players we have are clearly suited to the previous system?" Really? I thought we've been whining about our poor full back options for the past 8 years? It had never occurred to me until now, but maybe it is better to have wing backs who play higher up the park. Try to stop the ball getting into our defensive 1/3rd rather than defend ineptly in the defensive 1/3rd? I noticed Muscat did this on Saturday night against Brisbane. The whole dynamic of the match changed. Victory, and particularly, their full backs Georgievski & Geria were rubbish and Brisbane had Victory camped in their defensive 1/3rd for all the 1st half. Then Muscat brought on Donachie for Austin and went to a 3-2-3-2 and both the full backs suddenly provided great width in attack rather than poor width in defence.