Asian Cup 2015: Soceroos’ fitness tells as Australia finish strongest in extra-time
WHEN the Asian Cup final went to extra time, there was no doubt among the Socceroos that they would triumph physically.
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WHEN the Asian Cup final went to extra-time, there was no doubt among the Socceroos that they would triumph physically.
And they did. While South Korea’s players pulled up with cramp toward the end of the game, the Socceroos soldiered on.
It came as no surprise either — Ange Postecoglou has turned his players into a machine capable of overpowering any opponent.
So when they copped a dramatic 90th minute equaliser, something Postecoglou said would “break” most teams, it was only a question of how they would react mentally.
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“We knew we were still going to be strong,” he said.
“We knew we had them on fitness. It was just a question of making sure they refocused.”
Midfielder Mark Milligan says they noticed the South Korean players struggling and it immediately boosted their belief that they could go on and win it.
“We picked up on that, and I was very happy when Son Heung-min started pointing to the keeper to put it to the left side,” he said.
“We knew were supremely fit after months of work, we knew we could grind it out. We have a massive belief in what we’re trying to do and how we want to play. The first couple of minutes of extra time we were very confident in our fitness and running over them. That first five minutes of extra time we got the ball down and refocused and got at them. It proved to us that we were going to get the winner.”
The Socceroos did eventually grind South Korea down. Tomi Juric, backed into a corner, showed tremendous perseverance to outmuscle South Korea’s weary defenders.
It made all the difference. Juric squeezed the ball into the box, and after an initial save James Troisi clattered home the matchwinner in the 106th minute.
Trent Sainsbury, whose star rose during the tournament, believes Australia were the fittest team in it and Mathew Leckie agrees fitness played a major part in them being crowned champions of Asia.
“The major success we’ve had in this tournament was based on the quality of our players and how we played, but I also think we were one of the fittest teams,” Leckie said.
“We looked at every 90 minutes [that we played] and we scored in every part — 15, 30, 45, we scored at every point. Even at 90 minutes in each game we were still strong and in the final we were gutted at the equaliser, but Ange just said to believe and give everything you’ve got.
“What a lot of people don’t see when we analyse our video sessions, just how much the team works and that is one of the reasons for our success. We were one of the fittest teams and showed that in extra time.”
Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Soceroos’ fitness tells as Australia finish strongest in extra-time
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