If we go into this game with a mindset of anything other than to win the bloody game we expose ourselves to all sorts of failure.
There are no easy games here.
We are not in the World Cup yet.
We go into this game thinking we only need a draw , or conceding a goal isn't that bad, and we could be hearing how fantastic it is for the Saudi's to have come back from such a huge goal deficit. We start trying to change our mindsets to play like them; faking injury, diving, slowing the clock and the like and, as much as it is a hilarious bit of karma, we lose our focus and are in trouble.
We should count on them getting at least 2 penalty shots with the crowd and their tactics - so they only need 3 goals in open play. They score the first goal early and our defenders start to get nervy. Then we lunge in as we do...penalty. How secure does that five goal buffer feel to the boys then in that deafening, aggressive stadium?
The good thing is Popa will have their heads screwed on right though. It will be another core defensive game but hopefully with at least 3 active forwards and 2 of them with an eye for goal not just an eye for breaking up play. If he sets up and plays for 10 behind the ball to defend our table lead (as he has been prone to do in the aleague) we are doomed to watching them pick and scheme and dive their way into a closer game than we want.
Home team, huge crowd behind them, must win game - they are the Socceroos playing against us in effect. We would be thinking we can do it if we had their team and those circumstances.
We will win the game though. Because we are the Socceroos and they aren't.
Business as usual boys. This game is the only one that counts.
Popa 4 from 4 after this game.
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