Mark Bresciano says recovery the key as Socceroos eye ‘vulnerable’ Honduras in Sydney
MARK BRESCIANO knows what it’s like trying to qualify for a World Cup. After watching the Aussies in Honduras, he writes why the Socceroos should be buoyant ahead of the return leg.
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TWELVE years ago we left the Montevideo cauldron confident we had done enough to set ourselves up for World Cup qualification.
The Socceroos of 2017 would be experiencing the same emotions after a very good performance away to Honduras.
In the players’ eyes, Honduras is beatable in Australia, after the Socceroos almost beat them on their home patch.
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Vulnerable, too, once travel is factored in.
Ange Postecoglou would be proud of his men, but he would have quickly turned the team’s attention to Wednesday’s second leg.
The focus is on recovery now and this is where the medical and fitness staff earn their money and where those small percentages are multiplied.
You can’t perform miracles in three days and in many ways the game has already been played out because the work is in the preparation.
This is where Australia has made huge strides in the past 12 years and where the Socceroos’ extensive travel experience will play a part.
Reflecting on 2005, when we were whisked out of Montevideo on a Qantas charter flight and landed in Sydney hours ahead of the Uruguayans, it makes a massive difference physically and mentally.
Players may be in lockdown but they are still exposed in the media. When we saw images of the Uruguayan players come off their flight, they looked stressed, tired.
It gave us such a boost that mentally we had already equalised in Sydney well before Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell set me up in the first half.
On the Socceroos’ charter flight, which lands Sunday well ahead of the Hondurans, the players will be rotated through the massage tables with the staff monitoring hydration.
They will reflect on the game’s key moments and their successful operation in good spirits, but experienced heads Mile Jedinak and Tim Cahill will ensure they don’t get too happy with themselves.
If someone offered me a 0-0 draw in San Pedro Sula pre-game, I would’ve signed off straight away.
At the final whistle, I would’ve been disappointed not to win.
You can dissect the missed chances, but now you just accept it and look forward to Wednesday knowing you’re in a good position.
In the second leg, scoring will be key but just as vital will be minimising mistakes because a scored draw (1-1, 2-2 or 3-3) would see Honduras advance.
We are the better team, we have a physical edge and we will score.
As good as the Socceroos were, they still looked vulnerable in that transition period when losing possession.
Being on the offensive on Wednesday night, that could leave us more exposed defensively.
The only way Honduras can capitalise is from Socceroos mistakes — a bad pass, a lost ball in transition and leaving ourselves exposed.
That’s where the presence of Mile Jedinak, my long-time midfield partner, makes a massive difference.
He slots into good positions, organises, leads and intimidates the opposition, which is an important factor.
The charter gives him a better chance of recovering for the second leg despite his lack of game-time for Aston Villa this season.
Aziz Behich was very energetic on the left and one of the few who didn’t look affected by the conditions. You can see he’s playing regularly for his Turkish club.
I personally don’t like too many changes and I believe the rotation has affected the confidence of someone like Massimo Luongo over the past 12-18 months.
Luongo, who starred after taking my starting spot at the 2015 Asian Cup, did well in Honduras, but I would have expected him to play a much bigger role in qualifying.
But it comes down to experience in games like this and Ange has given lots of younger players a go, so enough of them are prepared for the occasion.
Knowing Ange, he is bound to make quite a few changes, knowing there’s fresh legs like substitute Tom Rogic and starters (Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse and Mark Milligan) that stayed back in Australia.
Rogic, Leckie and Kruse are first XI players and they are among our best players at the moment, so they can make an impact.
The uncertainty surrounding Ange’s future didn’t seem to affect the team and I don’t think it will.
It wasn’t the ideal time for it to come out, but the boys responded to him and regardless of the coach’s position, the players are there and know they’ve got a chance to go to a World Cup.
I’ve played in the past three World Cups and we’ve had some close shaves, but this is the closest thing to that famous Uruguay win in 2005.
I don’t think any World Cup qualification will replicate that special night, because every Australian was dying to qualify after a 32-year wait against a very good Uruguay.
But Wednesday night is no less important than 2005 because there is a World Cup spot at stake.
Mark Bresciano played 84 games (scoring 13 goals) for the Socceroos, including the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He scored the equalising goal in the return leg against Uruguay 12 years ago.
Originally published as Mark Bresciano says recovery the key as Socceroos eye ‘vulnerable’ Honduras in Sydney