Lessons Learned In First Hitout Of 2005

2005 got off to a good start for the Socceroos after they held on for a 1-1 draw with South Africa early this morning Australian time, with coach Frank Farina acknowledging several lessons have been learned from the game.

2005 got off to a good start for the Socceroos after they held on for a 1-1 draw with South Africa early this morning Australian time, with coach Frank Farina acknowledging several lessons have been learned from the game.

Sure it was not the most convincing of performances that we have seen from the Australian team recently, but given the circumstances, a draw was a very credible result.   Click here for Match Report   Farina summed it up after the match, saying “If this was the first leg of a World Cup Qualifier, everyone would be happy.”

Farina wanted his players to approach this match, as if it was exactly that and while they could quite easily have lost the match, the fact is, after what was a very ordinary start, this team showed great character to work their way back into the match, force the equaliser and then hold on for the result.

“I said to the player-s before the game to treat this like the first leg of an away qualifier and I would be more than happy to come away with this result from such a match.

“Certainly they had us under pressure in the first 20 minutes, more than I would have liked, but we changed a couple of things and got ourselves into the game.

“It-s important in these games to stem the tide for the first 20-25 minutes and then see where we can go from there. We conceded a goal early tonight, but once we settled, I thought the players did well.”

The one thing that really stands out is how the so-called fringe players are stepping up and getting the job done when the stars are out. This match saw no Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Stan Lazaridis, John Aloisi, Tim Cahill, Kevin Muscat, Josip Skoko and Zeljko Kalac, with five of these players almost certainly seen as starters in a full strength team.

The two games that stand out in terms of testing our depth have come in the past year, with the trip to Venezuela last year and now this game against the Bafana Bafana.

Against Venezuela, the Socceroos were again without a host of first team regulars and were one minute away from winning the game, but conceded a last minute equaliser. A number of players stepped up that night and again tonight we saw Jason Culina show signs of his potential as a permanent member of this squad.

“I said when I started in this job that one of my key aims was to improve the depth of the national team and to that end, tonight showed we-ve been pretty successful.

“It wasn't an easy game for Jason,” Farina said. “The whole team was off for the first 20 minutes, however towards the end of the first half, he made some good runs, which is his strength and showed some nice touches. He copped a knock on his ankle early in the second half and that is why he came off, but I think he should be pleased with his performance.”

Farina refuted that his tactics of playing a five-man midfield was again exposed and left Paul Agostino fighting a losing battle as the lone striker.

“It may have looked like we had a lone striker, but it wasn-t the case. The tactics were not to sit back, as we like to play pressing football, but we dropped too deep in the first 20 minutes.

“The aim of the two wider players is to press forward, but when we lose the ball, to sit in behind. Once we got Jason pushing further up the field, we looked much more comfortable.

“We also must remember this is a relatively new system and Danny (Tiatto) hasn-t started for the national team for quite a while and Jason is new to the squad. Once they adjusted to what was required, they went well and so did the team.”