Must say I was impressed with all of Aus' opponents in the last 4 games I watched - China in the second half, Iraq, Japan and Saudi.
Saudi -
* players like Toure who burst through the other defences with pace, power and some excellent dribbling, and running with the ball, could not penetrate the Saudi defence. They always seemed to have players fast enough who could turn and chase and check him physically. Sometimes we were able to break through the middle in central attacking interplay against the other teams. We struggled against Saudi.
* Aus Defensive Transitions - so often when we lost the ball in a turnover, from just 1 missed tackle, or them intercepting, we struggled to organise ourselves in the 6 second transition from Ball Possession to Ball Possession Opposition quickly enough. Conversely, the Saudi Attacking Transitions were so quick, with either a long, lofted ball over the top, or a fast ball carrying Saudi bursting into our pen box.
*Our defenders had less pace without the ball, than the Saudis had with the ball. If we played long straight balls, I felt the Saudis more easily repelled them.
* Saudi outmuscled us in their defensive half. Physically stronger Saudi defenders shielded the ball, out-tackled, out-jostled and out-headed our attacking mids, wingers and forwards. At senior level, the Socceroos tend to hold their own in the attacking half, whilst they win the 1v1 physical duels in the defensive half. Toure and Jovanovic, and maybe Johnny Yull, held their own, but I thought Pearman, Quintal and Badalato lost a lot of hard ball duels.
In the defensive half Bennie, Okon, Deli, Kikianis, Esposito and Talidora won the majority of hard ball duels, which is to be expected.
AUs strengths -
* some really good patient build ups in the attacking half, with rhythm changes - fast, slow, fast, slow, fast, slow - in neat triangles and diamonds. After the 2010 South African World Cup, Berger and the FFA Tech Dept, analysed that Aus couldn't do this anywhere near as well as the world powerhouses. It has been an aim since to close the gap through the NC. The U 20s are more than closing the gap.
* Mental strength - always identified as having it, it is still there in spades, with the fight back against Iraq.
* Technical qualities - first touch, running with the ball, handling speed, 1v1 attacking skills -have all improved relative to the opposition. Although Youlley, Irankunda, Walatee, and Schreiber, weren't there , they, Okon, Bennie, Quintal, Deli, Toure and Jovanovic, pretty well match any Asian nations.
Grazor has suggested that our long passing isn't as good, and it may be true? Something to work on.
* Defensive organisation and cohesion was good.
