Australia's second match at the Asian Cup, against Oman, was tipped to be a tricky one. However, the Socceroos were able to dominate proceedings and kill off the match by half time when they headed into the dressing rooms leading by three goals to nil. The dominance continued in the second half with the match finishing with a four nil scoreline. The Socceroos produced a very comfortable and routine performance, something that has become rare in recent times. Here are three points to take away from it...
1. A strong start is always important
Unlike the match against Kuwait, the Socceroos started the match very well by quickly imposing themselves on the opposition and producing chances early on. This set the tone for the rest of the match, which gave the players confidence and allowed Australia to dominate. The Socceroos effectively finished the game off by half time, something that we haven't achieved in a long time against any kind of opponent. The first half was arguably one of the best Australia has produced in recent times. Tonight's match was living proof that a strong is extremely important to settle quickly into the match and ask questions of the opposition. We should try to continue doing that in every match going forward.
2. The reliance on Tim Cahill might be over
The final scoreline against Oman was four goals to nil, however Tim Cahill's name was no where to be seen on the score sheet. The numbers don't lie, two games, eight goals scored, eight different goal scorers and only one goal to Cahill's name. I think it's fair to say that our reliance on Tim Cahill could be coming to an end. The key to this has been Australia's cohesive play which relies on players constantly moving and working for each other. It's nice to see Ange's plans finally coming together and getting the best out of the team as a whole. This has allowed each and every player to step up and have their chance at not only scoring but contributing. The cherry on top of the cake for our attack is the fact that three of our four scorers tonight were A-League players, the domestic league is finally bearing fruit. It's safe to say that scoring goals won't be a problem at this Asian Cup.
3. Our defense is not as bad as you might be led to believe
It's not that surprising that the Socceroos have been able to find the goals needed to win matches but the fact that we haven't conceded many is quite remarkable. Credit needs to be given where it's due. Two matches gone and only one goal conceded. Many might disagree but I don't think the Australian defense is as bad as we are led to believe it is. The Socceroos' back four have looked solid and comfortable on the ball even with a change of personnel against Oman. It is true that the opposition haven't yet truly tested our defense but our defensive structure has vastly improved since the World Cup. The transition from attack to defense has been great too, the Australian team now defends as a unit and it starts from the front. As the cliche says, goals win you games but defenses win championships. The Socceroos must continue to build confidence in defense become as impervious as possible come the knockout rounds.
Top performers: Robbie Kruse, Matt McKay, Massimo Luongo, pretty much the whole team
Worst performers: Tim Cahill (wasn't his usual self but was heavily marked), Jason Davidson (lack of regular playing time was showing)
#AUSvOMA
#AC2015
#GoSocceroos
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