Socceroos v UAE: Ange Postecoglou’s regeneration justified after Asian Cup semi-final win
ANGE Postecoglou’s regeneration and Asian Cup selections were justified in a fell swoop as the Socceroos secured a passage to Saturday’s final.
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ANGE Postecoglou’s regeneration and Asian Cup selections were justified in a fell swoop as the Socceroos secured a passage to Saturday’s final.
They were left with a late concern however, as right-back Ivan Franjic appeared to suffer a jarred hip in the dying minutes, leaving him in doubt for the South Korea match.
Franjic was left clutching what appeared to be his adductor and played the last seven minutes, as the Socceroos had made all three substitutions.
He is one of few players who’s played every minute, after the other right-back option Chris Herd was ruled out ahead of the Oman group match with an achilles injury.
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While most of the players did a lap of Hunter Stadium to thank the 21,079 crowd after the 2-0 win, Franjic went straight up the tunnel for treatment after a quick word with coach Postecoglou.
Up until the Franjic scare it was a near perfect night for the Socceroos, as they scored two early and didn’t have to over-exert themselves.
If there were selection quandaries pre-tournament they were the stopper, left-back and midfield positions.
Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson put the Socceroos 2-0 up after 14 minutes and Massimo Luongo provided the assists.
Sainsbury was picked ahead of 2014 World Cup defender Alex Wilkinson, Davidson dueled with Aziz Behich before getting the nod against China and Luongo was the bolter that’s refused to lose his place in the XI.
The assists weren’t pure artistry, but demonstrated two vital qualities.
The first came from a well-delivered corner, an area where there’s been an unhealthy reliance on veteran Mark Bresciano, who returned to the bench.
The second came from a goalmouth scramble after Tim Cahill’s attempts to finish Robbie Kruse’s cross were spoiled.
The ball was loose and then it came down to a battle of determination. Starting behind Amer Abdulrahman, Luongo wanted it more, sliding in and laying it off for Davidson who was left with an easy finish.
Though Mark Milligan was drafted in to replace Bresciano, he played further forward than his usual defensive midfield role for Melbourne Victory.
Nonetheless it was a ploy to provide support for captain Mile Jedinak in his attempts to muzzle UAE star Omar Abdulrahman.
Truth be told UAE was two-down before he had a meaningful touch on the ball, as any threats of Socceroos complacency were dispelled.
Lightning striker Ahmed Khalil was the biggest threat as he moved everywhere in search of the ball.
But Mat Ryan’s sweeper-keeper style supported the defence on the rare occasions they were exposed.
Jedinak was composed and kept it simple in midfield after dusting off the cobwebs against China. allowing the five players ahead of him to strut their stuff.
Australia went in for the kill early in the second half and put UAE keeper Majed Naser under pressure at every opportunity.
But it descended into a sloppy encounter as the Aussies started turning the ball over cheaply, though the energetic Leckie tried hard for a third late on.
Originally published as Socceroos v UAE: Ange Postecoglou’s regeneration justified after Asian Cup semi-final win
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