Australia competed excellently in the tricky away leg of their World Cup qualifying playoff against Honduras, creating many good chances from which they could have won the match, albeit returning to Sydney with a respectable 0-0 draw.
A significant contributor to the confident Australian performance was their ability to overload Honduras in midfield areas.
While the philosophy of Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has been heavily debated, there has been less discussion about the key principles that have been ever-present throughout his regime.
Regardless of the formation, Postecoglou has stuck to the mentality and core beliefs he instilled from day one. These include being proactive, playing forward, penetrating in wide areas and creating midfield overloads.
These principles were fundamental to the controversial decision to switch to a back three. The 3-2-4-1 formation allows the team to play out from the back (with the back three usually ensuring comfortable numerical superiority against opposition pressure in deep positions), while the combination of two 6s (holding midfielders) and two 10s (attacking midfielders), in theory, overloads any opponent that plays with two or three players in the central zone.
This was evident in the home qualifier against the UAE. Tom Rogic was able to get free in pockets of space behind the opposition midfield line, because the opposition’s two central midfielders were drawn up the pitch towards Australia’s deeper midfielders, creating space between the lines.
Creating midfield overloads was also vital to against Honduras. However, building on from a tactical change he first made in the second leg against Syria, Postecoglou tilted his midfield square to become a diamond. In this diamond, each player had clear tasks in possession that created opportunities to play through the midfield zone and get key players on the ball in dangerous positions that suited their individual attributes.
The player at the base of the diamond was Mile Jedinak, returning from a long injury lay-off.
Jedinak’s primary role was without the ball, where he screened the back four, cut off direct passing lanes to Honduras’ front two (the South Americans played a 4-2-3-1 that became 4-4-2 out of possession), and helped win second balls against long passes from the back.
With the ball, Jedinak had a starting position behind Honduras’ first pressing line (a front two). In doing so, he occupied the first pressing line so that either they would block passes into him – thus allowing one of the Australian back three time and space to play forward – or, if the Honduras front two pressed, Jedinak could move off the shoulder and get free to receive a forward pass between the lines.
Sometimes, Jedinak would also drop into the back three, so one of the centre-backs could drive forward.
(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill, FILE)
In all these examples, Jedinak’s role is to facilitate the build up – help Australia move the ball from the back into the middle or front third, preferably via controlled, forward passes. The aim of this was to get one of the attacking midfielders – Aaron Mooy, Massimo Luongo or Jackson Irvine – on the ball in time and space, to be effective going forward.
Postecoglou gave slightly different roles to each of these three to maximise their individual traits.
Luongo, for example, as the right-sided 8, positioned himself between defenders, level and outside of his nearest opponent. This meant when he received forward passes, he could try and ‘break’ the defenders by turning quickly and darting forward into space. Luongo’s physicality means he is able to hold off defenders while turning in tight areas, and he was able to do so effectively from that right-sided position to motor forward into the final third.
Mooy, as the left-sided 8, provides penetration with a creative range of passing, but needs to receive in space away from defenders to be effective. Therefore, his starting position was higher than Luongo’s, in the pockets of space behind his nearest defender. That meant he was receiving passes that broke the line, rather than receiving the pass, then breaking the line, as Luongo was doing. That, in turn, meant Mooy was getting the ball in space to turn and face forward, where he could then look for forward runs from Tomi Juric, Aziz Behich or Josh Risdon.
Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
The player at the top of the diamond, Jackson Irvine, was crucial in creating space for Mooy and Luongo. Irvine’s starting position was highest, getting in between Honduras’ midfield and defence (close to Juric). That had two effects. Firstly, it meant the two opposing central midfielders had to screen passes into Irvine, while also preventing Mooy and Luongo getting free in front of them. Secondly, it meant Australia’s back three could play longer passes towards Juric, who could then try and lay the ball off to Irvine between the lines.
Where Irvine was most effective, however, was when the ball entered the final third. When this happened, Irvine would move into the box alongside Juric, becoming a target for deliveries from Risdon or Behich – the latter created a chance for Irvine who volleyed high over the bar.
Specific examples of the different player tasks within Australia’s diamond midfield are shown in the video below.
Evidently, there is a lot of detail that goes into Australia’s preparation for matches such as this – especially when considering this is only the organisation of the midfield when in possession.
These tactical plans come from extensive opposition scouting and careful analysis of each squad member’s strengths and weaknesses, drawn up by Postecoglou and his technical staff. This match was a good example of how clear planning and player tasks can maximise each player’s abilities while still bringing the key principles to life – all the way up until the finishing, at least.
We can expect a similarly detailed plan in the second leg, where the coaching staff will have analysed this match, assessed what worked and what did not.
With fresh faces like Tom Rogic, Matthew Leckie and Mark Milligan to introduce into the fold, Postecoglou has plenty of options. Regardless of his selection, however, and whether he sticks or twists with this unique 3-4-3 diamond formation, overloading that midfield zone, and getting the likes of Rogic, Mooy and Luongo driving at the defence will be critical to an Australian victory.
Caltex Ten & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Waz - we are playing in the AFC not in Europe and our players are as every bit as good as those who play in the AFC. So why would need to take a pragmatic football philosophy playing in AFC---we had that philosophy under Pim Verbeek.
bobbym
Guest
Tinkerman drops luongo the form player with a bit of steel we need to ensure they don’t get an away goal – WTF!
Nemesis
Guest
BREAKING NEWS Starting XI for AUSTRALIA -------------------------Ryan--------------- ---Jurman--------Sainsbury---------Wright ----------Milligan-----------Jedinak------ Behich--------Mooy---Rogic-----Leckie -------------------Cahill--------------
Gavin R
Guest
1-0 with an 85th minute winner from Cahill. Would we do it any other way?
Gavin R
Guest
I'm so glad we are starting to see some more positive, thought provoking and tactical articles on the football tab again. For me, the issues are the cheap turnovers in the middle third which we cannot afford. If we can minimise these errors, it'll be more attacking, and less defensive scrambling, particularly from the wing backs who need to work hard enough as it is. And we have been up against counter attacking teams waiting for this and exposing it. We are ready to defend when its cleared from the box as we can drop as they turn, but when players are moving into attacking positions and we lose it, we are caught out. I've backed ange from day one and i still believe he's not only the best option available but the right man and truly hope (and believe) he sticks around for the big dance should we get past honduras. We cannot progress without challenging and developing our players which ange certainly has done. He seems to have the full support and respect from all players.
Waz
Guest
3-1 Australia. 0-0 at half time. 2-0 with ten minutes to go. 2-1 when they pull a goal back to send us all in a frenzy. 3-1 with a Mooy free kick deep in 5 minutes of injury time we all can’t work out where it came from. Usual stuff ?
Waz
Guest
Punter If Ange was staying in beyond the WC then this move would have made more sense. As it is he’s not, and there’s no guarantee a successor will stick with a back three either. Had we have done better in qualifying I would agree it was a risk worth taking. But we limped through qualifying. Had we not been a goalpost away from getting knocked out by Syria last time out I’d be happier too. But we struggled badly in the Con Feds cup and we will struggle in the World Cup unless he can fix it before then - but there are no signs we are any closer to making it work.
Waz
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So Australia has the same quality players and coaches as Chelsea, Man City and Germany do they? And how do Australia’s performances compare to those three then?? And how many other teams in the world follow this set up? Very few - ever wondered why? The evidence is not here in these discussions it’s in the haphazard performances the Roos have been delivering ever since they moved to a back 3. But hey, shoot me down. All I said was the emperor has no clothes lol.
matth
Guest
What a good article and well informed comments to match. Thanks everyone.
Caltex Ten & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
@ Waz - "Man Utd even tried and failed a few years back." Man C are doing it and they are the league leaders, Chelsea won a title with the back 3 system. Real Madrid are doing it and are league leaders. Germany are doing it and they are World Champions. The system is proven to be every bit as good as a back 4 and even better.
Waz
Guest
Caltex, disagree all you like the problem with 3 at the back are numerous and well documented; it’s tried often but stopped almost as often. The theory is simple but the execution complex. Consider these: - the back three are all playing in unfamiliar positions. - the two DMs are playing in unfamiliar positions. - the two AMs are playing in unfamiliar positions. In a nutshell, 70% of your outfield players are playing out of position unless they play it at their club. A sole DM is different to a dual DM role. The back three creates more problems than advantages, which is why it’s so rare. Most of the problems you see in the Roo’s play can be traced back to problems with the set up and the subsequent game plan - it is supposed to create an attacking advantage while retaining depth in defence, but invariably the players spend most of their time bring dragged left to right to cover gaps. City tried and failed two years ago, Roar tried and failed this year, Man Utd even tried and failed a few years back. And since the Roos have started playing this way we’ve had very few good performances. I get the theory, I like the theory, but my experience watching the execution of it is more often than not its poor. A more experienced coach than me once said it’s the football equivalent of patting your head while rubbing your tummy; it can be done but it’s not natural, you have to think about it, and every now and again it stuffs up.
Caltex Ten & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Rendondo - even if we had four at the back that goal scored by Syria was going to occur, as it was straight through the middle where the mistake occurred---not out wide on the flank. Milligan chose the wrong option not because we were pressed that heavily, he lost concentration and chose the wrong option playing it back into the centre. And speaking of Sainsbury, he made the mistake of back peddling too quickly, which kept the eventual goal scorer on side. If he had jockied the player who won possession the eventual pass to that player outside of him would have been in an offside position when he received the ball. Also Sainsbury, was caught by the opposition breaking the offside trap, which happens in a back 4 as well. (Although I thought it was clearly offside)
Rudi
Guest
Going 3-4-3 (Diamond) 3-1-3-3 has been a brilliant tactical move by Ange, I called it that he should have done in the Confed Cup as the box MF shaped structure did not help us play through the 2nd and 3rd line with effeciency so I’m glad he’s able to shift his midfield like that. Was it part of his plan all along? He did say there was one more tactical shift he would make before the World Cup so it was this one then well thought Ange!
Fadida
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Agree Ben, the balance is so much better with fullbacks as wing backs
Redondo
Guest
Like some genius did with Gareth Bale.
Redondo
Guest
Caltex - I hope your comment sparks Tim to do a retrospective forensic on the goals scored against us. My recollection is of a few cases where we had plenty back when the ball went in the net but they were late arriving and disorganised in the lead up. Also, singling out Milligan for 'that' pass ignores the fact that a simple opposition press exposed the frailty of the Aus formation when it's combined with obsessive playing out from the back. Even great players make mistakes but the current approach is not even remotely fault tolerant. Even against a poor Honduras we relied on individual heroics - like Sainsbury's sliding tackle in the box - to rescue us.
Waz
Guest
yup, and scrap the FFA/FA Cup while were at it. Football matches always go the way they’re expected too - just ask the USA ?
Caltex Ten & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Agree Punter, on the subject playing out from the back, you need options and yes 3 at the back is a bit more difficult---unless you have the 2 DM coming back in the channels to create 5 options for Ryan to deliver to. I reckon we are on the right track after our last game against H. We are now getting the job done.
punter
Guest
Lucas Neill, Yes, yes & yes.
Lionheart
Guest
Thanks Tim. Great article which I'll come back and read over again before tonight's game. This is the sort of article we should be reading more of in the MSM, to generate an informed discussion and grow a knowledgeable fan base. Our 'experts' need to get away from the asymmetrical stuff, like the coach's employment plans and fabrications of dressing shed morale, and get onto the game and how it's played. Go Socceroos!