Arnold at least made good on his promise to shake up his selection on Wednesday,handing debut international starts to Bruno Fornaroli and Denis Genreau while moving Gianni Stensness,who played as a defensive midfielder against Japan last week,to centre-back.
A marginally improved performance followed at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah - certainly in comparison toThursday night’s meek 2-0 defeat to the Samurai Blue,although the zero-stakes nature of this match made it difficult to draw any proper conclusions,and the same question marks surrounding Australia’s lack of midfield control and defensive integrity remain.
The result leaves the Socceroos with a woeful record of just one win,two defeats and four draws from their past seven World Cup qualifiers,having completely squandered the head start handed to them by Japan’s early stumbles in this phase. It is first time Australia has lost back-to-back World Cup qualifiers since 1977.
After trumpeting a world-record run of 11 straight wins against minnow nations,Arnold’s side capitulated in the games that actually mattered. They have finished third in Group B - four points worse off than the last World Cup qualifying campaign,when Ange Postecoglou successfully guided them through a much kinder play-off path.
“Yep,it’s disappointing we didn’t qualify directly,but you look at this type of football culture here in Saudi Arabia ... I think a lot of Australians don’t respect them as a football nation,and they’ve got very,very good players,” Arnold said post-match.
While the Saudis treated this one as a glorified training exercise,having long since secured their ticket to Qatar,the visitors had the better of the early chances on goal and probably should have been one or two goals ahead by half-time.
A terrific cross from Atkinson in the 12th minute set up Awer Mabil,who should have converted from close range,while Saudi-based Boyle had the ball in the back of the net in the 36th minute,after latching onto Ajdin Hrustic’s brilliant defence-splitting pass from deep,but was ruled to be offside after going one-on-one with goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais and rounding him.
The VAR needed almost five minutes to review the passage of play in question and,judging by the angles provided by the broadcaster,may have unfairly denied Boyle’s goal.
Fornaroli had little impact and was withdrawn at half-time for another first-timer,Nick D’Agostino,with the Uruguay-born veteran’s future at international level uncertain on the evidence of this window.
The Green Falcons eventually took the lead from the penalty spot in the 65th minute,after James Jeggo clumsily brought down Sami Al-Najei in the box in what Arnold later described as a “pretty s--- penalty”. Salem Al-Dawsari,who tormented the Socceroos when they last met in Sydney,coolly converted the spot-kick that followed.
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As the match wore on,the Saudis increasingly dominated,but two spectacular point-blank saves from Mat Ryan to deny Al-Dawsari and striker Firas Al-Buraikan ensured Australia was able to limit the damage on the scoreboard.
“When it was 0-0 we had three good chances to score. If you take those chances it’s a different game,” Arnold said.
“I think I did get[a response from the players]. The young boys,Nathaniel Atkinson,Denis Genreau,did very well. Jimmy Jeggo stepped up,did well,Gianni Stensness. We’ve been creating depth as we’re trying to win games and the depth is coming. Now the boys have to go back to their clubs and need to work hard.”
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