FIFA World Cup qualifier: Ange Postecoglou says Socceroos battled nerves before finding their feet
TOMI Juric and Tom Rogic helped navigate Australia to calmer World Cup qualifying waters with brilliant goals in the win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night.
FORGET Timmy time, it’s Tomi time.
The Socceroos’ two Toms — Tomi Juric and Tom Rogic — have helped navigate Australia to the calmer waters of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying with brilliant goals at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
By beating Saudi Arabia 3-2 the Socceroos are now equal top in Asia’s Group B on 16 points and are within striking distance of the top two places which would secure automatic qualification to Russia next year. They have matches against Japan (away) and Thailand (home) to come.
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But it was tense, especially in the first half when four goals were scored and Australia had taken and then squandered leads.
Juric scored a brace, including a goal on seven minutes gifted to him by an inexplicable error from goalkeeper Yasser Al Mosailem, to give the home side an advantage twice but Saudi Arabia stunned the home side with goals from Salem Al-Dawsari and Mohammad Al-Sahlawi.
But Rogic scored Australia’s third goal with a trademark left-foot drive from outside the box in the 64th minute.
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou believed his side’s ordinary first-half performance was down to nerves.
“There were no magic words from me (at halftime). The players were kicking themselves,” Postecoglou said.
“We started off well but we became a little bit too anxious.
“I think we just lacked a little bit of composure and we’ve had that during the World Cup qualifying campaign and a lot of these guys are still learning the nuances of international football.
“We had the intent and execution in the second half.”
Postecoglou also revealed the 3-4-3 formation which has been deployed three times in these 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers is far from the finished product, but claimed it was still a very good project which simply needed to be perfected.
Saudi Arabia coach Bert van Marwijk was angered by the defeat, claiming his side gifted the Socceroos all three goals after critical mistakes.
The Dutchman, who led the Netherlands to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, also claimed that his side’s first goal, which saw Australia cut to pieces centrally, should have been enough to secure at least a point at Adelaide Oval.
“We didn’t have the energy we had in the first half,’’ said van Marwijk.
“In the second half we made the third personal mistake, that’s why we lost the match and that’s why I am very disappointed and angry.
“When you see this game, you see we don’t have to be afraid about a team like Australia.
“Our tactic was that they play with three defenders and sometimes five.
“And when you play like that for us it was a possibility to play against the central defenders, who moved sideways, and we did it well. I think they didn’t have a solution.
“Normally you can win the game because of that and I had a good feeling..”
Australia will now face Brazil at the MCG on Tuesday before heading to the Confederations Cup in Russia.
AFC 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Australia 3 (Tomi Juric 7m, 36m, Tom Rogic 64m) Saudi Arabia (Salem Aldawsari 23m, Mohammed Al Sahlawi 47m) at Adelaide Oval — Referee: Ravshan Irmatov — Crowd: 29,785.