FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Mooy shows his quality for Socceroos

Aaron Mooy has struggled for Premier League game time, but he’s shining for the Socceroos.

Socceroo Aaron Mooy takes on Kuwait’s Amer Almatoug Alfadhel

Aaron Mooy may be struggling to get game time in the English Premier League but even being on the bench hasn’t dampened his quality with the Socceroos.

Australia beat Kuwait 3-0 in the opening World Cup qualifier with two goals set up from the 28-year-old’s pinpoint set-piece deliveries with the other rocketing home via his right boot. Mooy has had minimal opportunities with his new side Brighton & Hove Albion this season, but Socceroos coach Graham Arnold had no doubts about starting the versatile midfielder.

“He’s great, the passes that he sees and the things that he can do,” Arnold said.

“You just even look at the fact that two of the goals were from great delivery of set pieces.

“You know he adds so much to the team and he’s a joy to coach.” Mooy paired with youngster James Jeggo in the Socceroos midfield and their solid partnership largely allowed midfielder Jackson Irvine to run the game, while providing excellent service and tracking back to defend when needed.

He created more chances than any player on the field and could have grabbed a brace in the 53rd minute.

After Mathew Leckie was brought down near the penalty semi-circle Mooy stepped up but his resulting free-kick was wide.

The midfielder also teed up Awer Mabil twice in the closing stages but the winger hit the side netting first and then couldn’t get his lob over stumbling Kuwait keeper Sulaiman Abdulghafour.

Mooy’s man-of-the-match performance made it all the more baffling to hear that he is struggling to impress Brighton manager Graham Potter, although if he was watching the game he may have softened his views of the Australian.

Although the victory seemed comfortable, even when they were down 3-0 Kuwait threatened to claw their way back into the match.

Particularly concerning were the first 15 minutes of the second half with the hosts’ coming out the sheds clearly determined to turn the match around at Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium.

They pressed Australia’s players and were able to create three clear shots on goal that they failed to make the most of.

Kuwait captain Hussain Al-Musawi found enough space on the edge of the box to fire a volley into the side netting.

Just six minutes later, Mathew Ryan was tested for the first time in the match with the Socceroos goalkeeper brilliantly tipping forward Al-Musawi’s shot over the bar.

Not long afterwards Yousef Nasser had arguably Kuwait’s best chance of the night when Trent Sainsbury’s awkward, no-look overhead clearance dropped into his path near the penalty spot.

But Ryan was on hand again to save Nasser’s effort Eventually the tourists started to move the ball around quicker to swing the momentum back in their favour.

Defender Milos Degenek said Kuwait were “a bit fiery” and Irvine also felt their “fire in the belly”.

“They had that little patch of possession but I thought we defended well and we coped with the pressure well and we just got back on top,” Degenek said.

Irvine said despite Kuwait creating some opening the Socceroos dictated the terms.

“Naturally when you’re playing away from home they’re going to come out and make a few changes, you know fire in the belly, but I thought overall we controlled the game,” he said.

Coach Graham Arnold played down Kuwait’s resurgence in the second half, putting it down to a bit of Socceroos lethargy with the temperature at 36C during the match.

But he said scoring the early goals and sitting back in control had always been part of his game plan.

“It might have something to do with the weather, we put a lot of energy into the first half to get a couple of goals to break the game open then we were in control,” Arnold said.

“I thought the first half was excellent, the first half of the second half was a bit erratic and the last half (of the second half) was very professional.”