Australia drew 1-1 against South African in Durban this morning in one of those matches national coach Frank Farina likes to use as preparation is an away leg in a the World Cup qualifier against South America's fifth best team in November. Even without key players like Kewell, Viduka, Skoko, Cahill and Lazaridis, if this is preparation, signs are not good. Australia was run off the park for the first half an hour, and had only three or four good chances on goal, with the goal coming late in in the second half from a spectacular, though, somewhat fluky, 20 metre shot from a rebounded free-kick clearance by Scot Chipperfield.
While the result is nice, there's no way such matches like these can ever hope to replicate the cut-throat nature of a World Cup playoff. The match lacked intensity right from the kick off, and only deteriorated when both teams made copious substitutions during the second half. Chipperfield was one of those substitutions, and if anything of value could be replicate a World Cup playoff, it was his goal. For it simply showed that for all the preparation, for all the matches, for all the coaching, for even all the players at your dispersal, one simple piece of magic (or luck) can be the difference between a World Cup spot or not. Had we seen such a strike in Montevideo, Australia would have qualified and not Uruguay.
Of course these matches have plenty of value for team coordination, training and awareness. As well as assessing players. Jason Culina made his debut and failed to impress. The midfield overall had a very quiet night, giving away possession too easily and making poor passing decisions. However, the biggest disappointment must be Danny Tiatto. Since returning to the squad, he's had a horror run. Costing a goal against Turkey and colliding with Schwarzer for another, which also injured both players - including a broken jaw for Tiatto. His passing has been an abomination. If they didn't miss targets or lost possession altogether, then he's losing possession directly himself. He seems a fish out of water in this current team - maybe not having as much space as he's used to. Chipperfield is certainly a more sturdy option on the left.
Next matches are against Iraq and Indonesia in late March, a match in London against Croatia before the Confederations Cup, then New Zealand on August 16 again in London. No doubt much need preparation before taking on the Solomon Islands for a place in the World Cup playoff against the fifth best South American team in November. The final hit-out will be an international in October in London against a team yet to be announced.
This match was due to be played in Australia, but Football Australia has succumbed to players' demands that travelling to Australia three times in three months is too arduous. Fair enough, but why are these games on at 4am Australian time? The whole London experiment was also to beam the matches into Australia late evening. Only one (against Jamaica) has been shown accordingly.
One thing's certain with all these matches. The team should have a well-drilled cohesion. But what price for some plain old luck?
The much hyped friendly against Iraq in Sydney last night proved a lacklustre affair with a listless Australia winning 2-1after conceding a goal early from an Iraqi long-ball. Australia totally dominated early and seemed set to score several times, but the Iraqi goal - their first attack of the game and coming from no where - quelled Australia's enterprise.
Pace caught Australia out quite often too, with Iraq content to continue playing the counter-attacking game, whilst Australia proved the exact opposite - until the substitutions at 70 minutes bringing on Culina and Elrich finally providing some spark. With his first kick of the game, Elrich slotted the ball across the face of the goal into the corner net after he received a lovely lob over the top from the opposite wing from Skoko. He had the presence of mind to play the ball quickly after receiving it just after a throw in.
It's the sort of swift breaking play that Australia needs to do more. Typically, the rest of the game saw play going through the middle, often to players heavily marked, which proved very frustrating and gave opportunities for Iraq to break.
The other disconcerting factor was Australia getting caught totally square trying to play offside and allowing Iraq a huge one-on-one chance against the goal-keeper - reminiscent of Iran's Azizi in that 1997 World Cup qualifier. This time, thankfully, the shot went just wide. Most galling this time was that the striker Nasir was being tracked back by Craig Moore before he inexplicably decided to stop running and attempt catching him offside. Seems the defence needs some work, or at least a brain to marshal in it.
The most interesting part of this match was the abrupt interview offered by a clearly annoyed coach Frank Farina to SBS reporter Andrew Orsatti. Apparently Farina was approached on the way to a press conference by Orsatti "carrying on like a pork chop". Both parties have lodged official complaints to Football Australia.
It's just another episode in the long running feud SBS and Farina seem to have with Farina feeling SBS has been trying to undermine his position as coach for the past few years. There might also be the general self-indulgent attitude SBS has with football in general in this country, who seem to think they are running the game themselves.
In Farina's defence, he did explain his attitude at just being upset with the performance of the team and did not want to say anything he might regret later. Fair enough.
Australia 2 (Bresciano 22, Elrich 72) - Iraq 1 (Nasir 11)
Australia: Mark Schwarzer (gk), Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Tony Popovic, Brett Emerton (Jason Culina 71’), Josip Skoko, John Aloisi, Tim Cahill (Ahmad Elrich 71’), Stan Lazaridis (Tony Vidmar 45’), Scott Chipperfield (Jon McKain 63’), Marco Bresciano (Mile Sterjovski 63’)
Fielding a team with eight changes from the match against Iraq, Australia dropped the complacency and played with respect of the opposition, which showed with a more disciplined display in their 3-0 win over Indonesia last night. However, it was the older guard that set up the first goal with Lazaridis skipping ahead on the wing and delivering a delicious cross for Milicic to head into the far corner. The second goal was credited to a flick-on by Milicic off a header towards goal by Popovic, but replays showed an Indonesian foot actually got in first in trying to prevent Milicic's flick. Sterjovski had a great chance with fifteen minutes remaining when he chested down in the box from a long ball forward but slammed the ball too close to the goalie. The final goal came with 5 minutes left when Elrich picked up a wayward ball, sped down the wing and delivered a low cross for Zdrillic. After the ball bobbled in the air trying to control the fierce pace on it, he slammed it home on the way down.
For Indonesia, their best chance came just two minutes into the game when McKain's lazy pass in midfield was intercepted and immediately played through to a speedy Ilham. Fortunately for Australia, the shot was easily saved by Kalac. Indonesia had a half chance in the second half when a player got free down the wing, but the potentially dangerous cross was slightly deflected by an Australian boot - enough to be easily caught by Kalac.
While hard to gauge anything of substance from the match, it was a nice well-rounded performance. Probably only the crowd figure of only 13,700 could be classed as disappointing, especially it being the first international match in Perth for 10 years. It didn't help that the game was held mid-week, though. Nor the quality of opposition. Nor the well publicised many changes to team selection. Nor also the touted "exhibition" status of the match with it being used as part of the Tsunami appeal. It would have confused many as to the match's merit. Already Australian football fans are becoming bored with these friendly internationals that prove nothing. As the move into Asia completes, the only friendlies worth playing will be those against major non-Asian teams like Brazil and England. Good riddance.
Australia 3 (Milicic 25 & 57, Zdrillic 85) - Indonesia 0
Australia: Zeljko Kalac; Tony Vidmar, Craig Moore (Tony Popovic h/t), Ljubo Milicevic, Stan Lazaridis (Lucas Neill 60'), Jon McKain, Luke Wilkshire (Simon Colosimo 60'), Jason Culina (Jade North 75'), Mile Sterjovski, Brett Emerton (Ahmad Elrich h/t), Ante Milicic (David Zdrilic 75').
Last night, an under-strength Australian team played an under-strength New Zealand team in a gritty encounter in London. After proving the superior team most of the night, they managed to score the only goal of the match in the 85th minute courtesy of a Simon Colosimo drive after some build-up did the right wing and some scrambled goal-mouth action. This match was a tune-up for the Confederations Cup next week, but all it managed to serve was mostly as a tune-out for most Australian soccer fans.
Again, isn't the purpose of these "home" London matches to also be beamed into Australia late evening so fans can watch? So far there's just be one of these matches scheduled at an appropriated time - the match against Jamaica almost 2 years ago. Instead we get these ridiculous 5am kick-offs. Not good enough.
In Australia's last hit-out before the World Cup playoff against the fifth best South American team, Australia overwhelmed a weak Jamaican team in London last Sunday, Oct 5. It was a pleasing, cohesive display, with very quick interchanges of play and a propensity to attack after immediately re-gaining possession being a feature of the game. Bresciano scored after just two minutes, before Archie Thompson polished off a sweeping move from such a quick re-possession with a lovely pass made from the wing by Jason Culina. From there, the second half saw simple goals to Viduka, Aloisi and Joel Griffiths, with the latter just managing to reach it before Aloisi's lunge at his rebounded shot that hit the near post.
It was an encouraging display that gives the some hope that Hiddink's late appointment can see the team can prevail against Uruguay. In saying that, it's difficult to gauge against such a weak opposition, and also without the key personal missing. The defence was totally re-jigged and feature debutant Michael Thwaite, who actually did quite well.
Australia have secured a confidence-boosting 5-0 victory over Jamaica in their final outing prior to their FIFA World Cup play-off matches against South American opposition next month.
First half goals from Marco Bresciano and Archie Thompson had Australia firmly in the box seat and they added a further three goals from captain Mark Viduka and substitutes John Aloisi and Joel Griffiths.
Hiddink gave an international debut to Romanian-based Michael Thwaite and in a revised back three formation, while Luke Wilkshire was a surprise inclusion to the midfield.
While Jamaica were a shadow of the team that lost to Australia 2-1 two years in Reading, it was the manner of the win that caught the eye, especially in attack, with Jason Culina, Viduka and Thompson linking well and supported admirably by the midfield.
With thousands of fans still streaming into the ground at kick-off, the match got off to the perfect start for Australia - a goal after two minutes.
Bresciano, in for Tim Cahill, started and finished and incisive move with Viduka, his finish with a curling effort from 20 metres, sailing over a stunned Jamaican goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers.
With Jamaica content to sit and play on the counter, Australia’s creative players were looking to get into the game as much as possible, with Hiddink surprisingly give Brett Emerton a run in the centre of midfield.
Australia continued to create the better opportunities with their direct and incisive play in the last third, with Emerton and Scott Chipperfield both having efforts from either side of the penalty box, going across the face of goal.
A second goal appeared inevitable, but it came via a quick counter-attack after a strong tackle by Wilkshire advanced the ball forward 30 metres down the right sideline. The alert Culina picked up the loose ball and saw Thompson steaming forward and his cross-field pass was inch perfect for the Melbourne Victory striker, whose first touch took him back inside his marker and gave him time to pick and direct his shot home.
Culina should have made it 3-0 shortly afterwards, when excellent ball movement, plus a well-timed run saw Culina break the offside trap and race into the box, but his shot was saved by Sawyers down low.
If the first half didn’t whet the appetite of the Australian fans, it would have been shortly after the start of the second half, with the third goal.
Again some superb one-touch passing on the left, saw Emerton release Thompson on the left edge of the penalty box. With Viduka free in the box, Thompson knocked in a superb cross, which the Middlesbrough striker appeared to lose at first, but as he appealed for a handball, the ball fell at his feet and he duly slammed it into the roof of the net. It was the perfect present on his 30th birthday and shortly afterwards, Hiddink gave him a deserved rest.
His replacement Aloisi, didn’t take long to get into the action, when he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the six yard box, to clip home the fourth goal.
With the game well and truly in the bag, Hiddink gave Joel Griffiths an international debut and it became one to remember for the Swiss-based midfielder, who poked home from close range, after Aloisi had struck the post.
Jason Culina was named player of the match in what was Australia’s 500th international match against all opposition since being admitted back to FIFA in 1963.
Despite the solid win, Hiddink wasn't getting too carried away, saying "I'm always critical, but overall the attitude was perfect and it was a very good victory."
"We have to look at this relaistically and it wasn't the strongest Jamaican team, but there were some very good things defensively and offensively today."
"I look at the little details, I'm very sharp on that and at this high level of football these details are decisive," he added.
Match Details
AUSTRALIA 5 (Marco Bresciano 2’, Archie Thompson 27’, Mark Viduka 47’, John Aloisi 59’, Joel Griffiths 84’)
JAMAICA 0
Australia: Zeljko Kalac (gk), Tony Vidmar (Josip Skoko 53’), Lucas Neill, Michael Thwaite, Scott Chipperfield, Mark Bresciano (Tim Cahill 79’), Brett Emerton (Vince Grella 70’), Luke Wilkshire (Ahmad Elrich 79’), Jason Culina, Archie Thompson (Joel Griffiths 70’), Mark Viduka (John Aloisi 57’).
Substitutes (unused): Ante Covic (gk), Stan Lazaridis, Jon McKain
Jamaica: Shawn Sawyers (gk), Damian Stewart (Fabian Stewart 64’), Tyrone Marshall Claude Davis, Nicholy Finlayson (Desmond Breakenridge 53’), Jermaine Johnson (Damani Ralph 50’), Ricardo Gardner , Omar Daley, Robert Scarlett (Garfield Reid 53’), Ricardo Fuller (Jason Morrison 66’), Luton Shelton
Attendance: 6,570