Australia grind win over Syria but is Asian Cup task still steep?

“It’s about winning football matches,” mentioned Jackson Irvine, recent off scoring the aim that secured Australia a 1-0 win over Syria and development by way of to the final 16 of the Asian Cup, mentioned. “[It’s about] tournament mode, about clean sheets, scoring goals, winning games, and getting through to the next round.”

Indeed, successful soccer matches is what the Socceroos have headed to Qatar to do. Seven video games, to be exact; coach Graham Arnold declaring earlier than the match started that not solely did he wish to see his facet obtain Asian dominance for the second time throughout the approaching weeks, but he wished them to take action whereas going coast-to-coast.

And whereas it hasn’t been fairly, they’re still on observe to try this. Thursday night’s three factors in opposition to Syria have been preceded by a workmanlike 2-0 triumph over India on Saturday night.

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If one other win comes in opposition to Uzbekistan on Tuesday, Australia can have secured their best-ever begin to an Asian Cup since they first started competing on this stage in 2007. If they’ll hold one other clear sheet in opposition to the White Wolves, who thumped India 3-0 on Thursday, they may have progressed out of the group phases with out conceding for the primary time.

Already, back-to-back clear sheets to open the Asian Cup signify a primary, the final time Australia achieved this feat on a continental degree was after they blanked New Zealand and Tahiti within the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup.

“Our expectations and what demands are, we want to top this group,” Arnold mentioned following the Syria win. “Yes, we’ve qualified for the second phase already but we want to top the group. That’s been a goal of ours since we started, since we got into camp before the Asian Cup. To do that. There’s no such thing as taking your foot off the pedal.”

But there’s successful, after which there’s “winning.” And in opposition to Syria, as soon as once more, the Socceroos emerged with three factors but having carried out little to deal with the long-standing issues which have dogged this group each time they’re requested to flip the script and go in opposition to kind as a recreation’s ball-dominant entrance runner — the place an onus is on them to take up the initiative and break down the embedded defence of a cussed underdog.

As was the case with the India fixture, a surface-level perusal of the stat sheet would paint an image of dominance. By the time referee Adel Al Naqbi blew full-time on the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, the possession battle had been gained 62.9% to 37.1%, 81 entries into the ultimate third had been made versus 36 in the wrong way, and the ball was despatched into the Syrian penalty space 22 extra instances than the inverse — ending 32 to 10. Pretty complete and never unhealthy in any respect.

But look elsewhere, and you will see that Irvine’s 59th-minute aim represented the one one of many 10 photographs his facet was in a position to muster that was on course. Despite their defeat and relative lack of the ball, Syria ended up with the identical variety of makes an attempt despatched at Matthew Ryan’s aim and solely two fewer in whole. They hit the publish in simply the fifth minute by way of Pablo Sabbag — the place an early Syrian aim may have fully modified the sport’s complexion, just like how issues would have shifted if Sunil Chhetri transformed his early header for India.

IRV11NE 🔃@jacksonirvine_ steps up with one other essential aim for his nation 🤩

🎥 @10FootballAU#SYRvAUS #Socceroos #AsianCup2023 #DifferentBreed pic.twitter.com/PmlRp6daCW

— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) January 18, 2024

Per Opta, the Socceroos created simply 0.96 anticipated targets (xG) from their 10 makes an attempt all through the sport, which although nicely away from Syria’s 0.23 is still hardly splendid for a facet that carries a repute, bolstered by its run to the spherical of 16 on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as being considered one of Asia’s greatest.

Abandoning metrics for the attention take a look at alone would inform the story of an Australian facet, once more, struggling to discover a degree of enterprise and a way of artistry to their assaults, with most bogging down when it tried to discover a manner by way of a well-organised and chronic Syrian defence. Most of the play was filtered out large for a speculative cross, an early burst of vitality, and what gave the impression to be an elevated willingness to try to play by way of their opponents fading as the primary half wore on. The advance metrics will not correctly convey how Syria completed the primary half with a flurry that appeared to have the Australians on their heels and the way arduous they pushed for a late leveller.

Of course, it needs to be famous that there have been flashes and indicators of progress for Australia. The recreation wasn’t a catastrophe; they gained and they’ll the spherical of 16, these are simply the critiques that include being a facet by which expectations are excessive. Fortunate because the bounces to set the aim have been, Martin Boyle and Irvine displayed vital moments of talent within the build-up, and the previous instigated the transfer by taking a danger and operating instantly at a number of defenders. Winger Jordan Bos offered a degree of drive after coming into the beginning lineup and most of Australia’s assaults of their early, energetic play have been coming down his facet of the pitch — even when that was considerably misplaced through the intervals he switched with Boyle and moved to the proper.

How Bos’ is deployed in opposition to Uzbekistan subsequent week shall be one of many main storylines. Though nominally a left-back, Arnold performed him greater up the pitch to get him and Aziz Behich onto the park on the identical time in opposition to Syria, and whereas there’s logic there if the sum of that mixture is larger than the sum that one may trend from Bos sliding backward and a Silvera, Craig Goodwin, and even Kusini Yengi beginning in entrance of him is a query.

That’s to not slight Behich, both, extra so acknowledge the numerous growth Bos has undergone in recent times. After approaching in its place once more, Riley McGree is one other participant who needs to be coming into competition to begin if he is bodily ready. The identical may very well be mentioned for Bruno Fornaroli or Yengi, provided that Mitchell Duke hasn’t been in a position to stamp his authority on both recreation up prime so far. If Gethin Jones retains his right-back place over Lewis Miller and Nathaniel Atkinson, he additionally bears watching.

But in the end, whereas tinkering with personnel is all nicely and good, there’s still the matter of how they’re being instructed. Arnold was pressed a number of instances on his facet solely managing to provide a single shot on course within the post-game media convention, hints of frustration rising with repeated probes.

“We need to improve with the ball,” he mentioned, responding to the primary query. “But it’s getting those balls in the positions and when Syria has 10 players, nine players defending the edge of their box.

“We received into the proper positions on quite a few events but due to the variety of gamers that they’d within the field, they made it troublesome to attain. It’s been a trait of these kinds of groups for fairly a protracted whereas and so they’re arduous to interrupt down. And that is the truth of it. But what’s necessary for us is that we give a mature efficiency, ensuring we’re not throwing too many males ahead and getting hit on the break.

“They had a couple of shots, one hit the post in the first five minutes. The rest of the shots I think went in the grandstand. So it’s important that we keep that clean sheet.”

Yet, even with Arnold’s declaration concerning the want for enchancment, the altering dynamics of the match are more and more shaping in a way which may render this much less very important, if not moot. Starting with Uzbekistan, Australia ought to face greater high quality opposition in coming fixtures, opponents which are ostensibly going to need the ball, or no less than extra of it, and go away themselves open for the transition and hard-running they excel at. Under Arnold, the Socceroos are constructed to play the higher sides, to rally round one another, and consider they’ll come out, struggle and win as underdogs; they’re reflective of their coach in that regard.

Five years into his tenure, Arnold’s not going to alter who he is, nor the underlying ideas that information this staff. Therefore, this may simply be it. Against the nice sides, Australia can thrive. Against the minnows, they will labour. The trick is to get by way of the latter so the previous can come into play; and given the growth of the World Cup, that is one thing the Socceroos ought to be capable to do that coming cycle.

What this implies for the long-term, philosophical outlook of the Australian recreation is an necessary query; is this what Australian soccer needs to be? But at this Asian Cup, it would simply function one thing of a information. Indeed perhaps, simply perhaps, when accounting for recreation state, stakes, and expectations, Australia has already performed its two most troublesome video games.