Unreal goalkeeping, promotion winning goals and an AFC Cup win: Australians around the globe team of the week
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
Skipper Lucas Neill says the Socceroos must ensure psychological scars from their annihilation in Brazil don’t hamper preparation for next year’s World Cup.
Australia suffered one of the heaviest defeats in the country’s football history when dismantled 6-0 by Brazil at the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia.
The world No.46 Socceroos were shown up for pace, technique, composure and vision.
And Neill frankly admits they were also overawed, playing the five-time world champions on their home turf.
“We need to express ourselves better, not make early mistakes, to no be afraid, to show more bravery and courage, which was something we didn’t do,” said Neill.
Rather than dwell on the loss, Neill said Australia must use the next nine months to right the many problems, beginning when they reassemble to meet France in another friendly in Paris on October 11.
A match against Canada in London five days later is also in the pipeline.
“It was a bad day, but a lot of it was unforced errors and mistakes that we made to allow Brazil to play such free-flowing, attacking and fast-paced football,” Neill said.
“But we need to move on from this now.
“Of course it was a valuable lesson and we’d rather learn it now than in nine months time.
“But we have to look ahead, not let it get us down and make sure the next nine months we do everything we can to work on the mistakes.
“We have time now to look at the video and work on the mistakes on the training ground.
“This is why you play the best teams so they can challenge you and we’ll learn from it.”
From a logistical standpoint, Neill said it had been valuable experience to play at the 70,000-seater Mane Garrincha stadium, on of the World Cup venues.
“We’ve had a taste of Brazil as well,” he said.
“We know it’s going to be big pitches, big crowds and everybody loves their football but we’ll be back here to do a job and we know at this level if you don’t play at your best or near your best then you will get beat and you will get beat well.”
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