Barring a miracle during next month’s window,it means they will have to again scrap for qualification in the intercontinental play-offs. On current form,there’s no guarantee Australia will get past the UAE,Asia’s other likely third-placed finisher,let alone whichever South American nation waits for the winner.
The Socceroos and Matildas play the same sort of way:direct,unsophisticated football dependent on crosses,set pieces,individual skill,pace,power and passion over any collective strategy. It is a style that runs completely contrary to the prevalent trends among successful teams across the world,and yet Australia persists with it at all levels. Sometimes it works,but when it doesn’t,there is nothing.
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson now has cause to ponder whethernot only Tony Gustavsson but Graham Arnold is deserving of keeping his job in light of this most recent failure.
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Arnold was asked in his post-match press conference for what he thought the “weakness” was in Australia’s flagging campaign. His answer was puzzling. “We had to play our first lot of games away from home. We weren’t allowed to play in Australia,” he said,but the truth is the pandemic cannot be blamed at all.
The Socceroos won seven straight matches against minnows while exiled from home. The results that have cost them cameafter they were given permission to play on Aussie soil - the 0-0 draw in Sydney against Saudi Arabia,the 1-1 draw with China on neutral territory,and now this slip-up in Muscat.
That’s four points dropped from winning positions. Add them to Australia’s tally and it’d be enough to put them top of Group B. It’s fair to question the quality of the current playing group,but it’s clear the maximum is not being extracted from them.