Asian Cup 2015: Tim Cahill insists Socceroos better prepared to win than in 2011

SPORTS science was a dirty term in the Holger Osieck era and no game summed up the archaic training methods than the 2011 Asian Cup final.

Australia's coach Holger Osieck shouts instructions to his team during the 2011 Asian Cup final football match between Australia and Japan at Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha on January 29, 2011. AFP PHOTO / KARIM JAAFAR

SPORTS science was a dirty term in the Holger Osieck era and no game summed up the archaic training methods than the 2011 Asian Cup final.

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The Socceroos limped to the final against Japan, with Tadanari Lee’s volley 19 minutes into extra-time securing the trophy for Samurai Blue against the exhausted Aussies.

Striker Tim Cahill, who came off just after Lee’s winner with a knee injury, said the 2015 Socceroos are better prepared, recalling how the 2011 pre-final dressingroom resembled a hospital ward.

“In the grander scheme of things, we were pretty banged up, a lot of serious injuries and we carried through that game,’’ Cahill said.

“I remember before the game a lot of the top players, all of us were strapped up. Physically we weren’t ready.

“I remember there were six of us you know strapped up on our knees, calves, hips, shoulders and we basically just made it through the game.

“If we could do that all again fully fit we’d possibly win, but we didn’t.

“That was really disappointing and sad because we really deserved that.

“Now it’ll be up to us to go one better this time around.

“I feel they are ready, I feel we are all ready and I feel that our mindset and professionalism is above and beyond what any team in this competition is doing or will be doing with the way we are preparing ourselves.’’

Defender Sasa Ognenovsi has never watched the game since, but it still rankles that the Australians got so close without reaching the ultimate goal - especially when they should have done, in his eyes.

“In the whole tournament we’d conceded one goal in 90 minutes - in the final it wasn’t until well into extra time, when we were all fatigued, that Japan scored against us,’’ Ognenovski said.

Holger Osieck couldn’t lift the Socceroos over the line in 2011.

“We’d done really well, our structure was excellent and most of all we were really solid. As the tournament went on, on top of that we started playing better and better football, as you saw in the semi-final (which Australia had won 6-0).

“We did enough to win the final, but in the end we just didn’t take our chances and that killed us. Japan had one chance at a crucial moment, and they took it.

“If you don’t take chances in that sort of environment, it’s fatal.”

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Tim Cahill insists Socceroos better prepared to win than in 2011