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World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

Decentric said:
I think we have to credit Indo with such superb Full Pressing and intensive Squeezing.

We constantly had to back pass, because Aus players were receiving with the incorrect body shape to play forwards. Indo's co-ordinated gegenpressing, with many of them playing in the Eredvisie, was high quality.

Our off the ball players weren't moving quickly enough into space to shake their Indo markers, or, weren't checking ( feinting one way and moving in another to shake a marker) effectively enough to open diagonal passing lanes, so a Socceroo could have effective body position to receive and play forwards.

I reiterate, that Arie Schans and Ad Derkson, KNVBstaff coaches, dispelled the myth that it is the fault of the player on the ball, where it is passed to. They did this in 2008 in Aus, coaching all the AL youth coaches.

It i s incumbent on the players off the ball to support the ball carrier, by opening diagonal passing lanes to have effective body shape to play forwards.

Indo were almost as good as Japan in Pressing and Squeezing. Irvine said they did it for the entire 90 mins, which was almost unprecedented for it to occur in a home game in Aus against Asian opposition.

Once Indo become experienced as a team unit, and have more cohesion in their defensive pen box, they will be an Asian powerhouse. The Eredivisie is the 6th ranked league in Europe!

6 of the Indo players play in it (I think - courtesy of Quicky) and 1 plays in Serie A, plus 2 play in the Championship.
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Yes, Indonesia were so good that they lost 5-1!
 
huddo said:
They beat us in the Asian cup final, they literally won a trophy, we got 3 points Ina world cup pool. They won.
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They haven't lost to the Socceroos since 2009. Australian fans were arrogant when Australia was admitted to the AFC and very insulting to the Japanese. They've not forgotten this and never will.
 
Barca4life said:
You think Indonesia made us sit back? There press was quite good and they kept the ball quite well.

Im not sure if it was deliberate but the space it gave for our attackers which was beneficial for us.
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Indeed. It will be interesting to see if the goals dry up if China employ a low block.
 
Lupi said:
They haven't lost to the Socceroos since 2009. Australian fans were arrogant when Australia was admitted to the AFC and very insulting to the Japanese. They've not forgotten this and never will.
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They have over 60 professional teams, we have 13, they are in a different league. They are literally the third most professional league in the world. Its basically England vs Ireland in football.
 
JS96 said:
Yeah that was me. Behich and his stupid backpasses and killing off any potential move forward. The entire team did this in the first 25min last night. Thankfully they got into better gear after that. The issue with Behich is he's hoarded the position for years off the back of a terrible line of left backs winning the power vacuum.

Elder always had a niggle before a window and came in once and Arnold fobbed him off on a sort of group suitability and he preferred King. Gersbach made his own mistakes but should've been given more of a go. Bos and Farrell are the future and if fit need to be played. For me Behich needed to take a squad role post 2019 Asian Cup.

Strain still had other games where he did well. He's decent amongst a poor bunch at right back. We won't see him again though as Popovic won't look at him. It's disappointing but not a crucial loss.
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I'm not a fan of Miller as a wide defender (although happy for him to be selected as a RCB in a back 3) but I wasn't that bothered about Strain not being selected. Apparently his club form in the last month or so has been very average.
 
JS96 said:
Yeah that was me. Behich and his stupid backpasses and killing off any potential move forward. The entire team did this in the first 25min last night. Thankfully they got into better gear after that. The issue with Behich is he's hoarded the position for years off the back of a terrible line of left backs winning the power vacuum.

Elder always had a niggle before a window and came in once and Arnold fobbed him off on a sort of group suitability and he preferred King. Gersbach made his own mistakes but should've been given more of a go. Bos and Farrell are the future and if fit need to be played. For me Behich needed to take a squad role post 2019 Asian Cup.

Strain still had other games where he did well. He's decent amongst a poor bunch at right back. We won't see him again though as Popovic won't look at him. It's disappointing but not a crucial loss.
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I agree re Gersbach. Especially in Popa's system, where I think he is particularly well suited at LWB.
 
Usn
Wolfman said:
✅ Australia beats Indonesia
✅ Japan beats Bahrain
❓Saudi Arabia draws China
❓Japan beats Saudi Arabia
❓Australia beats China
❓Indonesia draws Bahrain

So far so good this window. If the above results all happen then, barring a tremendous 9+ goal difference swing against us, we'll be almost certainly into the World Cup on Wednesday morning since we'll have 13 points and everyone below us will be stuck on 7, needing to absolute demolish our superior goal difference.
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Unfortunately Saudi won…….
 
Decentric said:
I looked at one replay, where there were ostensibly issues elucidated with Behich, listing actions at specific times. Found the complete opposite. Behich was playing well for mine, and apart from one mistake, I thought he made good decisions ( which he usually does) and I concluded we are very lucky to have him. H e is experienced and his body still holds together.
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I thought he played well people don't realise the ground he covers and all the little things he does, he is prone to the odd mistake but has a lot of experience at this level to help us steady the ship at times.

Based off the crowd and the pitch condition I wouldn't play there again for a long time.
 
China got a red card in the match, we need to win every game at this point. And hope Japan beat the Saudis.
 
jas88 said:
I thought he played well people don't realise the ground he covers and all the little things he does, he is prone to the odd mistake but has a lot of experience at this level to help us steady the ship at times.

Based off the crowd and the pitch condition I wouldn't play there again for a long time.
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I for one am not bagging him out on last night's performance - in fact I agree he had a good all round game.

It is his cumulative negative, backwards facing, team stifling performances over the last few years rather than individual mistakes that I criticise him for.
 
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