Socceroos given reminder it’s tough to qualify for World Cup

Japan gave the Australians a timely reminder about just how tough it will be to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Australia’s Matthew Spiranovic rues a missed opportunity on Tuesday night. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Two points lost or a point gained? Whichever way you look at it, Australia were given a timely reminder of just how tough it will be to qualify for the 2018 World Cup when Japan served it up to the Socceroos in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw in the Asian group qualifier in Melbourne.

After what has been a solid, if not impressive, start to their campaign with two wins and a draw, the Socceroos were brought back to reality by a well-organised, disciplined Japanese side that lifted to a higher level after struggling in their opening three matches.

Going into the game leading the group, the Socceroos now find themselves in second spot after Saudi Arabia continued their unbeaten run by taking care of the UAE 3-0 to go to 10 points, two ahead of Australia with Japan a further point behind.

These three nations will ultimately fight it out for two of Asia’s four automatic berths in the World Cup finals.

The group stage has yet to reach its halfway mark, and with six games to go, four of them at home and two against minnows Thailand — the Thais appear to be six points guaranteed for Australia — there is no need to panic.

But after Tuesday night’s effort, Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has some food for thought ahead of Australia’s last qualifier for the year, against the Thais in Bangkok next month.

As much as the Socceroos are blessed with a quality midfield of Tom Rogic, Massimo Luongo and Aaron Mooy, and as much as fans clamour to have all three in the starting XI, Postecoglou might well ponder whether he can afford that luxury in the future.

He changed his preferred 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 diamond midfield against the Japanese to fit the trio into the side, but it just didn’t click in the first 45 minutes as the Socceroos struggled to find any penetration against a stacked midfield.

All this despite the Japanese sitting back and allowing Australia to dominate possession. The visitors showed no fear of their opponents’ much-vaunted midfield.

While they showed some glimpses of quality, especially Rogic, the Socceroos were stagnant. There wasn’t enough ­mobility. Starved of any decent service, strikers Juric and Apo ­Giannou were isolated and became easy pickings for the Japanese defence.

One telling statistic was that the Japanese goalkeeper needed to make just one save in the first half, and that came from a set piece.

Mile Jedinak also came in for some criticism over his lack of pace and mobility, although Postecoglou defended his captain, saying he did not deserve to be isolated for his “perceived lack of pace” and that he had helped drive the better second-half performance.

The Socceroos were continually exposed down their right side by man-of-the-match Genki ­Haraguchi, the exquisite Keisuke Honda and Japan’s captain Mak­oto Hasebe.

It appears the right back position has become a real issue for Postecoglou, who has juggled a few players in that role in recent times.

Milos Degenek, a late withdrawal from the squad due to injury, has done well there recently, but is more of a central defender.

Ryan McGowan was used on Tuesday but it is instructive that the Socceroos boss took the unusual step of playing Mark Milligan there in the 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia just five days earlier.

Milligan is the jack of all trades for Australia but has rarely played right back since breaking into the national team in 2006. These days he is known more as a midfielder, although he is also very comfortable as a central defender.

Yet Postecoglou could not find a spot for him against the Japanese, given the specific formation he wanted to use, and he finished up staying on the bench as the Socceroos boss went all out in attack as he searched for a winning goal in the second half.