The Asian Champions League (ACL) has kicked off this week, Melbourne Victory starting their group stage campaign last night while Sydney FC have a tasty fixture against Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama F Marinos.
Perth Glory, meanwhile, will be watching this match from home as their match against Chinese opponents Shanghai Shenhua was postponed due to coronavirus scares.
All teams will be claiming that they’re in this tournament to win it all, but can any of them realistically do so?
Although Western Sydney Wanderers were champions of Asia in 2014, Australian teams have traditionally struggled on the continental stage, especially in recent years. So, what should our local teams be doing to make the most of their grandest stage?
Having a tight and compact defence
As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
The Wanderers under Tony Popovic were undoubtedly a solid defensive team, only conceding five goals in the group stages, and keeping clean sheets in the two-legged semi-final and final against FC Seoul and Al-Hilal respectively.
It bodes well for Perth that they have Popovic, who has been transforming his side into one that prioritises clean sheets since he joined last season, with only 23 goals conceded in their premiership season.
Perth Glory coach Tony Popovic (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
When it comes to playing with a compact defence, it doesn’t mean to simply sit in your own box and hope for the best. Defending is a team effort, and the whole structure needs to move as one and ensure that there are no openings.
The forwards have to run for 90 minutes and not allow easy balls to go beyond them, while the backline must be switched on and aware.
Victory produced an outstanding display with exactly that type of mindset, as they stuck to their disciplined 5-4-1 formation against Kashima.
With a lot of the Asian sides having fearsome attacks filled with foreign strikers, teams need to make sure that there isn’t space available in behind for pacey forwards to make runs into.
Quick and efficient counter-attacks
It is expected that the technically superior Asian opponents will largely control possession and be playing in Australian teams’ halves for most of the matches.
Therefore, the best opportunities to attack will come from offensive transitions, where our representatives will have space to play forward and catch teams on the back foot.
The goal for these situations should be to get the ball into the opponent’s final third as quickly as possible to set up a shooting opportunity, so every player must know what their role is on the counter-attack.
To minimise hesitation, which gives defenders time to retreat into their preferred formation, there needs to be a clear plan of attack.
Which forward is attacking the channel? Who is the one occupying defenders and looking to hold up play for runs beyond them? Of course, this will depend on the situation when they initially win the ball, but Australian teams should have multiple options in their playbook to cover almost every type of game state.
Sydney have shown their clear quality when it comes to building play out from the back and using their wide number 10s to create chances, but will they adapt their play to a counter-attacking style in the ACL?
Melbourne and Perth like to attack on transition, so this tournament might suit their style better than the current league leaders.
Planning set pieces
Another opportunity to score will come from set pieces. A-League defenders are strong aerially, and it could become an important source of goals in the ACL.
Set pieces are one of the few times that a team is almost completely in control of what happens. While in open play there are too many moving parts for any training session to be exactly the same, it is far easier to replicate a set piece from practice on to the big stage.
Researching how the opposition usually marks their opponents and how to create numerical or physical advantages will give Aussie teams the edge. It shouldn’t be a case of just having one routine that they consistently turn towards since that will make them far too predictable. There should be several different options that the set-piece takers can look towards.
They shouldn’t limit themselves to free kicks and corners either. Western United have shown how you can turn a goal kick into a threatening attacking move, while Victory themselves earned their goal against Kashima by pinning the opposing defenders in their own third following a throw-in.
It’s never easy to take on the giants in Asia, who like to flex their financial muscle while boasting plenty of skilled, technical, local players. Still, there is an opportunity for an Australian team to, if not replicate the success of Western Sydney, at least prove themselves competitive.
What is required though is disciplined defending and a clear plan of attack from the whole team – whether that be on the counter or from a corner kick.
Destiny is in their own hands, now it’s time for the A-League teams to prove they can make the most of it.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Why?
Mitcher
Guest
You really should add fox sports to your moniker.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
You dont need a great first touch to make it, case in point Holman. McLaren and Taggart are poor for strikers. Cahill one of the best headers of all time, nowhere as good technically with his feet. Jedinak poor technically played and performed at the highest levels. 2007 they did not have Hiddink putting them in a month long hard training. They had Arnold training the B squad and letting the senior Socceroos dictate when they came which meant they didnt adapt to the heat. Carney technically better than most of the 2006 Golden generation was also young and fast and a decent option at left back improved the team in 2007 that helped them perform against Japan.
Nemesis
Guest
The 2 big competitions for every club are: domestic league & continental league. Which clubs in Europe playing Champions League rest players in the domestic League? Sure they rest players for FA Cup & League Cup. But, that's not the issue in Australia.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I don’t know it’s about youth being the excuse. More a case that a more extended squad allows the team to rest players a bit more to have them fresh when the big matches come along. Basically, they don’t have the sort of squad depth required to be able to rest a good chunk of the team in the weekend match before the mid-week ACL match.
Nemesis
Guest
I think 20 adult players is more than enough for a sport that requires 10 outfield players. Injury replacements are allowed in A-League & ACL. When MV has had big losses (4 goals is the biggest loss, never lost by 6) I don't think the XI on the park have been kids. Certainly playing youth is not the excuse of MVFC losses in Asia. 2014, 2016, 2018 MVFC didn't lose a single match at home in the ACL. 11 matches played 7 Wins, 4 Draws. Squad size is not the issue for MVFC.
Waz
Roar Rookie
The squad size is 23 but that only includes 20 adult players, of which two are often visa players that get excluded and a reserve keeper. We can’t expect to beat the best teams in Asia with adult squad sizes of only 17 players plus 12 kids. The regular 6-goal thumping should tell us that.
Nemesis
Guest
I don't think squad size is an issue. There are 23 players in A-League squads. You can have up to 30 players in ACL squads. Seems UCL allows 25 in the squad, with 8 of them having to be "locally trained players" - been at the club or a club in that country for 3 consecutive seasons between ages 15-21. And, how many players do you need? And what are they going to be doing all season?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Definitely, when you look at the big European clubs that do well in the UEFA CL, they have much bigger squads and can basically play a complete second team in some games if required without an issue. There just aren't enough players in the A-League squads for that sort of thing.
Punter
Roar Rookie
In a nutshell Kanggas, we struggle for that 1st touch, we have always had that problem. This was not shown better then our failure in the 2007 Asian cup, we had the nucleus of the 2006 Golden Generation, players playing the top leagues of Europe up against Asian teams, who at some stages were star struck with the likes of Kewell, Dukes & Cahill. Without being in the pure physical strength of the previous year under Hiddink, it been a long slog without much rest for our Socceroos, we had to rely on our skills, in this aspect we were shown up by players playing at a much lower level then our beloved Socceroos. It was only against our arch rivals that Socceroos were able to step it up. The younger players coming thru have a lot better 1st touch, but the A-league teams are still blessed with players like Clisby, Pepper, Corey Brown, Hoffman & many more & they showcase the poor level we accept as A-League players.
chris
Guest
Mark its his first full season so I think thats being a bit harsh to say he wont improve. Time will tell I guess.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Even if it is for a lowly team like Melbourne Victory.
Samuel Power
Roar Rookie
Perfect example last night. Elvis started off with a great touch, followed by a 1 on 1 win and made a terrific run that almost lead to a goal. Then, in the second half he should've finished easily but completely muffed it up. His finishing is poor and he cracks under pressure. But this can be fixed quite easily, he has great potential.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Couldn’t agree more. It is the controlled or “in control” style of play that I love and it all starts with those two words that players hear throughout their lives and show the real difference in class between the very top and the rest!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The biggest strength in east asian football is fitnesss and mobility not technique. Technique is good in terms of control and passing, but they lack particularly in heading, and they dont have ;ack fancier attacking skills. Tactically East Asia is weaker they just have enough mobility and fitness so that if they are out of position they will adjust and rush back in numbers. They dont really have any answers to teams parking the bus. Arnold implemented none of the suggestions and his team could not even beat a 10 man Newcastle during the ACL period.
Nemesis
Guest
Decision-making in any field of work is something that can only be learned with real-life experience. You can study all you want. You can train all you want. But doing in under pressure in real-time requires exposure to those situations again & again. It's why Aussie youth players struggle in competitions. They just don't get enough exposure to regular & complex situations that they have to work through. I'd rather have Kamsoba in my XI than most other wide attackers running around at other A-League clubs. Kamsoba can improve his decision-making. Adult players who can't dribble, have poor first touch & can't hold the ball under a challenge will never be able to do it.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Yes but that run and set up in the first half was magical. Real football people love to see that.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Any time Victory wants to send him home to Adelaide, he'd be welcome here. You guys don't know what you have there.
Mark
Guest
The fact he has played so much says a lot about the current state of the squad.
Mark
Guest
No problems whatsoever with how he takes on defenders, which he’s very good at. The problem is that his decision making near goal and his finishing and passing, which are basic fundamentals for his position, are absolutely woeful, and we’ve seen enough of him now to know they won’t get better.