New-look Socceroos shift focus to ‘beautiful challenge’ in Japan

Tony Popovic is set for a reunion with his old captain at Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima when the Socceroos face the might of Japan in their next World Cup qualifier – and he firmly believes their adventurous new style can deliver an upset.

Not since 2009 has Australia defeated the Samurai Blue, who sit comfortably on top of Group C after three matches, and never before have they prevailed in Japan. Tuesday night’s clash at Saitama Stadium always loomed as the most difficult assignment that the Socceroos would face in this stage of qualification.

Their coach, Hajime Moriyasu, was Popovic’s skipper when he played for current J.League leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the late 1990s. Their squad featured three other Australians, all of whom have gone on to become coaches: Graham Arnold, Popovic’s predecessor; Hayden Foxe, his long-time assistant; and Aurelio Vidmar, now in charge of Melbourne City in the A-League, all brought to the club by the late Eddie Thomson.

Moriyasu’s squad is littered with stars from Europe’s top-five leagues, including captain Wataru Endō of Liverpool, Brighton ace Kaoru Mitoma and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, who is known as the “Japanese Messi”. What’s more, they are yet to concede a goal in six matches since their Asian Cup quarter-final defeat to Iran, and in World Cup qualification have blown away China (7-0), Bahrain (5-0) and Saudi Arabia (2-0) – the latter result occurring early on Friday morning (AEDT) and enabling the Socceroos to jump into second position in Group C, albeit five points behind Japan.

A draw, all things considered, would be a fabulous result for the Socceroos. But Popovic, emboldened by his team’s character in coming from behind to beat China 3-1 on Thursday night, and by the promising signs they displayed with their new-look attacking system, has no intention on bringing home anything less than three points.

“There’s nothing to fear,” he said.

Tony Popovic during his playing days in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima.Credit: Getty

“Full of respect for Japan. I know the coach very well, he was my captain when I played in Japan, a wonderful person that’s been there several years now. You can see the evolution of Japanese football and how he’s changed, bringing players in and out, how they’ve improved their style of play.

“Obviously, it’s a big challenge but also a big opportunity as well to win in Japan. I think we can get better. If we can improve on this performance [against China], we can win the game. That’s really key.

“You’re going to Japan to play the best team at the moment. It’s a beautiful challenge. I can’t wait. I hope the players are really excited for it.”

Popovic’s gung-ho approach was reflected in the way Australia set up against China, playing a 3-4-3 formation in which the two wingers were inverted, coming inside to act as No.10s, with the team’s width provided by their wing-backs. It remains to be seen if they will actually play on the front foot in Japan, but the new coach’s attitude is rubbing off on his players.

Tony Popovic congratulates Socceroos star Craig Goodwin, the man of the match against China.Credit: Getty Images

Aziz Behich even evoked the old slogan of the Ange Postecoglou-era Socceroos on Friday when he told reporters: “We’re not going to take a backward step against anybody, that’s for sure.”

Behich said he thrived on the left-hand side under Popovic’s set-up and that the three centre-backs behind him gave him licence to roam.

“And the positioning our 10s were getting in, and the way we were breaking lines, it gave me much more freedom and more confidence to get forward. You’re not worried about losing the ball because everyone’s in the right position,” he said.

“It’s hard. It’s difficult to mark. We showed that, especially in the second half where we were rotating the ball, the opposite 10 was always free – and that’s when it gives myself or the other full-back time to overlap and cause a bit of problems with the two-v-one on the wing.”

While the Socceroos came away with no injury concerns, Popovic flagged the likelihood of several changes, saying he didn’t believe many players in his squad had the ability to back up “at the level we require” for a second match in four days.

Jason Geria, Riley McGree, Jordan Bos and Nishan Velupillay, who all impressed off the bench, loom as strong candidates to start, as does Ajdin Hrustic, who came on in the 90th minute.

Popovic has already put his stamp on the team by dropping captain and usual first-choice goalkeeper Maty Ryan, who is yet to play a minute for his new club AS Roma, in favour of Joe Gauci, who last month made his debut for Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup but hasn’t featured since.

“Maty’s still our captain, that’s no doubt,” Behich said.

“The bosses make a decision and us as footballers, especially the ones like myself that have been around long enough, you’ve just got to get on with it. From what I’ve learned from Popa in the few days I’ve been with him, everything’s done with a purpose … so I’m sure there’s a reasoning behind that.”

Popovic’s other surprise move was handing Lewis Miller his first minutes since Australia’s heartbreaking loss to South Korea at the Asian Cup, in which he gave away the free kick and then the penalty which enabled them to score a last-gasp 2-1 win. He immediately repaid Popovic’s faith in him by heading in Craig Goodwin’s cross for the equalising goal, and the coach later talked up his potential.

“It didn’t go the way that I wanted to go in the Asian Cup,” Miller said.

“I took that to heart. I was let down by who I let down, the country and stuff. But at the end of the day, football is football, right? It’s a game of emotions – the best and the worst emotions. That’s why we play the game, for the thrill.

“This is the start of the redemption, and I’m keen to keep going on and on and on.”