Asian Cup 2024, Round of 16 results: Socceroos draw criticism despite advancing to quarter-finals

The Socceroos blasted their way into the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup – and still they were hammered by critics. Socceroos great Robbie Slater asks.... What more do people want?

The difference in the public’s attitude towards the Matildas and the Socceroos is baffling, according to Robbie Slater.

Imagine if the Matildas had advanced to the quarter-finals of a major tournament with a 4-0 win – the praise would be endless, and rightfully so.

However, when it’s the Socceroos who win by that scoreline in a round-of-16 match, a lot of people still want to criticise them and their coach Graham Arnold because the performance was supposedly not good enough.

The difference in the public’s attitude towards the Matildas and the Socceroos is baffling.

It often seems like the Matildas can do no wrong, regardless of how they play, but when it comes to the Socceroos, first-class football is expected in every game.

What more do people want than a 4-0 win in a do-or-die affair at the Asian Cup?

Harry Souttar scored the Socceroos’ fourth goal during their win over Indonesia. Picture: Getty

While the Socceroos weren’t at their 100 per cent best, they were never in danger of losing, scored four goals and kept a clean sheet for the third time in the tournament

Yes, Indonesia isn’t a powerhouse of world football, but the Socceroos earnt the right to play one of the lower-placed teams in the FIFA rankings by winning their group.

The Aussies will probably have to improve to get past either Saudi Arabia or South Korea in the quarter-final, but that’s normal in a tournament. The deeper a team goes, the harder it gets and the better you have to play.

Arnold knows this and so do his players, but for now, we should be celebrating a 4-0 win rather than trying to pick unnecessary holes in the display and the team’s tactics.

Graham Arnold is again steering the Socceroos deep into the knockout stages of a major tournament. Picture: Getty

The performance also showed that Arnold got it spot on with his use of Craig Goodwin.

Let’s face it ­– at 32, Goodwin’s not getting any younger and is becoming more vulnerable to fitness niggles.

However, he can still make an impact, so using him off the bench is ideal, as he showed against Indonesia with a goal and an assist in less than 10 minutes on the park.

Jordan Bos, a huge star in the making, has done a very good job on the left wing, and his combination with experienced left-back Aziz Behich continues to blossom.

Of course Arnold wants to win the Asian Cup, but with an eye on the 2026 World Cup, he also wants to use the tournament to inject some new blood into an ageing Socceroos line-up.

Bos must therefore remain in the starting team. He will eventually take over from Behich at left-back, but for now, using him as a left winger suits his international development, as well as the Socceroos.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2024, Round of 16 results: Socceroos draw criticism despite advancing to quarter-finals