Australian squad perfectly placed to achieve Asian Cup dream

The only way is up for the Socceroos after an opening Asian Cup win for a squad better placed than ever to win the whole thing.

Major tournament experience matched with the adaptability which was on show in the Socceroos’ opening win over India was further proof the Asian Cup has come at the “perfect time” for coach Graham Arnold’s squad.

While Arnold walked away conscious there was “a lot to improve on” after the 2-0 victory there were enough positive signs for a group certain to “grow” as they share more time together in the tournament after a preparation limited by distance.

“When you get a team together, they play all around the world, they play at different clubs, they have different styles, everything is different, and the hardest thing to do is to gel them together with the ball,” he said.

“Defensively, it’s easier to get them together. But the patience, the timing and runs and movement off the ball and those types of things are not easy to do.”

Arnold’s long-time assistant, Rene Meulensteen, said the growth of the Socceroos under his boss, which included a run to the final 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, ensured teams were “extra prepared” for the Australians at tournaments.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

It then demands more of the players to work through the various playing styles needed to combat ultra-defensive outfits, like the Indians were and like Syria will be when they meet on Thursday.

But Meulensteen said the journey and growth of the current squad under Arnold’s tutelage had them perfectly primed to deliver on the goal of lifting the Asian Cup.

“Other teams will have changed their perception of us. What we have done over the past 14 months, the impression we left at the World Cup, teams are extra prepared,” he said.

“They set up very defensively, so it’s another challenge to make sure we keep our patience, keep our quality to break them down.

“In the preparation we we don’t have too much contact time and access to the players and you learn a lot from those games when you review them. It’s always about adding, we are a constantly growing team, you can see that by the make-up of the squad.

“When you look at the turnover of players (since 2019 Asian Cup), the players we have brought through, by also taking the team to the Olympics in Japan, beating Argentina there, the experience for players there like Harry Souttar and Ryley McGree, and then 10 of them came to the World Cup, it’s such an experience for them they can use now.

“Throughout those years we have used different system and styles and the players are good at adapting and that’s one of our strengths.

“We’ve got that strength in depth ... we can use players with experience or young players early in a game, it’s a massive plus for me and Arnie.

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“We brought in a lot of pace, a lot of power which the Indians couldn’t deal with. In other games you need to bring on experience to see the game out.

“This Asian Cup comes at the perfect time for this squad. We’ve got a lot of experience, a lot of young players, a lot of power, a lot of expeiremnce boys playing in forgeiorgh compeitions.

“And all those nations in Asia, they are all improving, it’s not just like we can turn up and walk past them.”

Originally published as Australian squad perfectly placed to achieve Asian Cup dream