Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos love the comforts of home as record over last six years shows

THE Socceroos are unbeaten at home in 20 matches and veterans Mile Jedinak and Mark Bresciano say the team is a different proposition in Australia.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 04: Mark Bresciano of Australia runs with the ball during an Australian Socceroos training session at Collingwood training Ground on January 4, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

THE Socceroos are unbeaten at home in 20 matches and veterans Mile Jedinak and Mark Bresciano say the team is a different proposition in Australia.

Captain Jedinak issued a call to arms for fans ahead of Friday night's Asian Cup opener against Kuwait at AAMI Park, a game which Bresciano said can set up the Socceroos' assault on the title.

Mark Bresciano says home support could give the Socceroos the edge.

It's been nearly six years since the Socceroos were last beaten at home in a sequence that has reaped 15 wins and five draws.

Eight of those games were friendlies, but leading in to the Asian Cup the encouraging stat is that 12 were competitive fixtures — 10 World Cup qualifiers and two 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Jedinak told the Herald Sun the record "speaks for itself".

"It's obviously a very proud record," Jedinak said.

"My interpretation of it is that teams just find it difficult to play against us at home.

"Are we up for the challenge any more than any other time? Possibly, but I don't really think that's right.

Tim Cahill has been the centre of attention at training.

"The fans play a big part in it as well, the atmosphere they create. We love to play in front of our home fans and as a team we don't get the opportunity to do it too often.

"A lot of us play overseas and to have that opportunity to play in front of your family and friends, for your national team, is a special moment and you want to do your best."

The Socceroos endured a miserable 2014 on paper, losing eight of their 11 games and winning just once, a record that saw the team's world ranking drop to 100 come December.

But just one of those games, May's 1-1 friendly draw with South Africa, was in Australia.

Perhaps the only bad omen ahead of Friday's tournament opener at AAMI Park is that Kuwait was the last foreign team to win here.

That came in a 2011 Asian Cup qualifier in Canberra in March of 2009, but the Socceroos fielded an entirely A-League-based team that night for a game that was not in a FIFA's international window.

Bresciano said home support could be "the edge" the team needs.

“We do have an advantage, conditions and home support," Bresciano said.

"The first game is key, if we can start off positively and get everyone's confidence and that belief that we can win games.

"Come January 9 if we can get a good result that could take us all the way through."

Star striker Tim Cahill said the team's poor run of results could have been different had more games been played at home.

In 2014 the Socceroos played in Brazil (four times), London (twice), the Middle East (twice), Japan, Belgium and Sydney.

"There’s always a method to the madness and I prefer the route that (coach Ange Postecoglou) has taken," Cahill said.

"OK, our ranking has dropped but our football’s improved.

"We could have played Qatar, UAE and Japan in Australia. Possibly two out of three wins, and our ranking would have stayed up a bit and everyone would've been happy.

"Would that have put a smokescreen over what we really should be learning about going into one of the biggest tournaments in Australia?"

FORTRESS AUSTRALIA

The Socceroos are unbeaten in their last 20 matches at home

WHAT

World Cup qualifiers P10 W8 D2

Asian Cup qualifiers P2 W2

Friendlies P8 W5 D3

Total P20 W15 D5

WHERE

Sydney P9 W6 D3

Melbourne P6 W5 D1

Brisbane P3 W2 D1

Canberra P1 W1

Adelaide P1 W1

Total P20 W15 D5

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos love the comforts of home as record over last six years shows