Celtic’s Tom Rogic was majestic and two Socceroos grabbed their first goals for Australia as the home team swept to a 4-0 win over Vietnam in Melbourne.
After three straight winless games plunged the final stage of World Cup qualifying into rough waters, this was a much-needed and expected victory over Vietnam, without a point from their seven matches.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold was forced to watch the game from his hotel room – ‘he’ll be bouncing on the bed’ said 10 pundit Archie Thompson at halftime – because of a positive COVID test.
He’ll sleep soundly having banked the three points that keeps Australia third in the group (14 points from seven games) behind Saudi Arabia (16 points from six) and Japan (15 from seven), who beat China 2-0 in a later kickoff.
The top two advance to the World Cup but the third team faces two stages of playoffs to get to Qatar later this year.
Australia travel to the middle east now to face Oman, another crucial three points needed in that match at 2am AEDT on Wednesday.
Australia started in stunning fashion as Rogic had the ball in the Vietnam net within 22 seconds of kickoff only to have the strike ruled out for an offside decision.
Tom Rogic of Australia celebrates with Martin Boyle after scoring his goal.(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Australia kept probing and were unlucky not to crack the defence until the 30th minute.
Rogic, drifting to the left had all the time he needed to float a ball to the back post where Jamie Maclaren rose unmarked to head home.
Australia went to the break with a 2-0 lead again thanks to Rogic. He took a quick free kick in the centre of the field, as a Vietnam opponent lay on the ground, and he sprinted forward to pick up a return pass from excellent Mat Leckie, dinking it over the onrushing keeper.
It looked like a rout was on the cards but Vietnam made three changes at the break and charged back into the contest. A big save from Mat Ryan kept the clean sheet intact but the warming signs were flashing.
“4-0 is a fair reflection on it but the first 20 minutes of the second half, you have to give credit to the Vietnamese, they came at us,” said former Socceroo Luke Wilkshire on the 10 postgame coverage. If it wasn’t for a great save from Maty Ryan it could have been a different story.”
Arnold, relaying instructions to Dutch assistant Rene Meulensteen on the bench, removed Leckie and Maclaren. Within minutes Goodwin raced through and finished with a delicious dink.
Goodwin pointed at the sky and burst into tears, revealing it was a tribute to his deceased grandmother, and other people close to him.
Riley McGree became the second player to score his first Socceroos goal within minutes, the new Middlesbrough striker driving home from the edge of the box.
“All the boys that came on made a big difference – that 25 minute period Vietnam were looking very dangerous,” said former Socceroo Mark Milligan.
The Socceroos also gave debuts to Joel King, who was steady in place of missing Aziz Behich, and Marco Tilio off the bench.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge because that’s what international football is about,” said Meulensteen.
“It’s a shame the goal didn’t stand in the first 30 seconds but the players showed good concentration, good quality and took their chances.
“Two new goal scorers is fantastic, two debutants but most importantly it’s the three points, we knew how important it was.”
But it was veteran Rogic who was the outstanding force.
“We saw today so many outstanding performances but it’s that difference of experience and really world class moments,” said Meulensteen.
“What Tommy did there, he set up his own goal. That is the quality you need. Having those players in the middle of the park makes a big difference.”
Milligan added: “Tommy was fantastic. He’s been excellent at Celtic over the last few months since he came back from injury.
“I think the key from the midfield tonight is that everyone has been playing in those positions. Aaron Mooy has been sitting in in China playing that No.6 role, Rogic has been a little higher in the pocket and same with Jackson [Irvine at St Pauli] – we know how much Jackson likes to get forward and make those forward runs.
“That was the key to the first half and why we were so dominant.”
Wilkshire praised Rogic’s “football smarts”.
“He’s been in that form at Celtic, creating aasists and scoring goals and picking up that freekick, playing it early, recognising they had a player down and the run into the box and finish sublime – he’s just quality.”
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Colsey
Roar Rookie
agreed. we were comfortable the majority of the game, got the goals, couple impressive individual performances and got a few players their debuts. also welcomed back the x factor duo rogic and mooy which is only good for the team. Now need to get the job done in Oman were their will be undouabtly difficult conditions. Need to take maximum points to give us the best chance against japan and saudi arabia.
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
So the bloke got sold a raw prawn by Lennon. He’s match minutes were up until 2 years ago, then got signed, he then fell out of favour. To add celtic stood by him through a f@$k load of injuries, that would count for something in his decision noting it was a 5 year contract.
stu
Guest
Hudddo.....he re-signed for Celtic under Lennon. His decision.
Brian
Guest
I agree the stocks were better when we had higher Balkan immigration. Zelic, Ivanovic, Viduka etc but what they had quite frankly is commitment and desperation bought from poverty and patriotism. It can't be replicated in Oz where every kid has an ipad and ps5.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
So if their football programs aren’t that great but they are still producing players with exceptional talent, then what is it that Croatia and Serbia have? Is it cultural, something that we can’t replicate here in Australia?
NSWelshman
Roar Rookie
The teams I mentioned earlier in another post would put 10 past Vietnam 100%….stop trying to make excuses mate. Asia is not in the same league of talent or teams as Europe & South America. There’s a reason the latter two dominate world football & Asia never has or will. I love Australia but if they were to try & qualify from Europe or South America they’d be nowhere to be seen. It’s fact unfortunately. One or two decent players don’t make them world class!
Tezza
Guest
Huddo,go back and watch the game over again, whilst Rogic was good in patches he coughed up a lot of ball, didn’t distribute half as much as he could have and defensively was a little bit off the mark imo. I just don’t think that both him and Mooy can play together and it impacts both their games
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The worst players to go to the Middle East like Leijer get mid six figures with no tax. Goodwin is still on loan to Al Wehda and he would be earning a lot more money there, though I dont know what happens to tax in such a situation. but why would you accept high six. A player goes to the Middle East and becomes lazy, only one player has survived playing in the Middle East unscathed and thats Brosque. Look at Petratos looks like he spent the time over there eating fried chicken. What would be his loyalty to Adelaide United they were the club that passed him over and he got a go at Heart. He started off great at Newcastle but he just continually lazed off at various points in his career. He made the Socceroos early enough in the East Asia cup and his performances were woeful, looked very tired. We have had a lot of talented young players a lot more than in the NSL, the difference seems to be they get their first good pay cheque here instead of next to nothing in the NSL and that seems to ruin their careers with who knows what off the field. Tilio seems to be going the same way. A lot of players in the old era spent 4-5 years in Europe till they got a good pay cheque.
Grem
Roar Rookie
The last World Cup against France and Denmark.
Marcel
Guest
Mid.... Honest question here. Mariners certainly have given many young players an opportunity....but can you genuinely say they developed them?.. It seems that many of the players mentioned are from Western Sydney.....and that Mariners fortunes have gone downhill in parallel with the Wanderers arrival in that region...
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Sometimes it can be hard to find the motivation coming up against weak teams. And that's what Vietnam is, a very, very weak team. We got the sort of result we would have expected, and that should be celebrated. Goals were well taken, and it's 3 points banked with a decent addition to the goal difference. Think about the next game.
chris
Guest
Exactly. And whilst Vietnam were down a few players, they defended quite well and still conceded more goals than at any other stage in the current campaign.
chris
Guest
Grem what you say is true. Probably the same people who scoff at our footballers, laud the league and AFL players. Put Rogic in any Serie A or La Liga or Bundes team and he would shine. And that goes for EPL as well.
Aussie D
Guest
last I heard he was moving down to Canberra, possibly AIS. Not sure if he is still there though.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
granted last night wasnt a good example of that, lol but consistently over the years for club and country, he has shown that he has that quality
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
funny you mention baker, he is actually in my database. lots of clubs were interested in him and i think he chose well in not going for a massive european club, where you can get lost in the shuffle - villereal have a good history with developing players. that an australia coaching flaw you mention, im not a coach but am around them enough to tell you its 100% a coaching issue in every state in australia in 8-14 year old age bracket certain positions on the pitch need leeway when it comes to flair/creativity/dribbling - i would not expect a 13 year old attacking midfielder to run back 50 yards to chase a ball he lost - id rather him conserve his energy, so he can beat 2 players the next attack the team has.
Marcel
Guest
Passing range?.....by that do you mean the 3 ponderous touches before passing it straight back to where it came from?
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
thats a name i havent heard in a while, is he still based out of sydney? futsal, beach football, street football - all 3 forms of the game, should have a role in the curriculum. besides all being incredibly fun to play, they teach fundamental skills which can be utilized in the XI a side game
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
i understand what you're saying about european nations with similar population size, but you need to remember the curriculum was last ripped up and modelled after another small nation that punches above its weight - the dutch training/coaching was introduced to mimic the dutch and look at the high level positions held within the game that were given to dutch people during that time period in australi - would you say it was succesful? i wouldn't belgium and denmark (denmark in particular is of interest from my point of view) but i am not sure they would be the way to go. I hear everyone clamouring for the 'spanish' youth development and style to become the new curriculum and there was a chance for that to happen (especially when gombeau and amor were done with the league) but the FA was too wishy washy with what they wanted to do. i would go a different route altogeher though and id base that on australian players that are naturally very good technically from a certain part of the world - the balkans. for the better part of 70 years australian players with heritage from the balkans (inparticular serbia and croatia) have technically been excellent, both those countries are tiny in size and there football programs are not well off compared to other massive european nations, but they are constantly producing talent - serbia in particular is now starting to catch up to croatia (i would even put them ahead in youth developement) after several lean years thats the route i would go, however what chance does it have when even my own son would rather jump on social media then practice an extra hour a night? lol there lies the issue.....
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
Just watch his game, Vs Germany in the 2017 Confed Cup, when Germany were WC champions, we went down 3-2, he is the only one pushing forward, he scored one, and drew the foul that led to the other. On that day showed he was World-class