Australia kicked off their qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup with a nervy 2-1 win over Kyrgyzstan. It was the result they were after but it was the home side who were treated like heroes at the end.
Tim Cahill said they had to attack like they did in Germany recently. And they needed only an opening 30 seconds of full-throttle football – and the free-kick it resulted in – to have the lead at half-time. This was fortunate, because the first was the only decent minute the Asian champions produced until well after the interval.
It took Kyrgyzstan a few minutes to get over the shock of going behind so early. Once they did, though, the Socceroos were under siege.
Kyrgyzstan, hosting the biggest match in their history, played with a verve and determination Australia lacked. The home side’s team sheet indicated they were fielding eight forwards – a 2-0-8 line-up to be exact – and it looked like it. Sure, some of Anton Zemlianuhin’s step-overs were comical at times, but no more than what some of the Australians – including the normally dependable keeper Mat Ryan – did. And unlike the visitors, at least Zemlianuhin was creating chances.
Australia, playing with as close to a full-strength line-up as injuries would allow, were industrious enough, especially the captain Mile Jedinak and Mathew Leckie. But overall they looked nervy, unimaginative and lacking composure. Perhaps they had just expected the home side to sit back and take a battering. Maybe the crowd – who were outstanding – got to them.
The Asian champions looked completely out of their depth against a team who have won only three games in two years and who sit at 177 in the Fifa rankings. Two of Kyrgyzstan’s most dangerous players – Viktor Meier and Edgar Bernhardt – play in the German regional league and the Polish second division respectively.
The Turkey-based Mirlan Murzaev also caused big problems for the Australian defence, and the left-back Valerii Kichin looks like as if he will be a good addition to the Russian top flight next season.
The onslaught continued after the interval – as did the floodlights, in their first outing. Kyrgyzstan made all the play, but that started to change around the hour mark, once Tommy Oar came on for Nathan Burns. Then on 67 minutes, the striker got on to the end of a Mark Milligan pass and struck the ball past the goalkeeper.
It was fair reward for him. Kyrgyzstan deserved more, though, for their domination throughout. They kept Mat Ryan busy right until the end, and got some reward of their own two minutes into injury time, when substitute Mirzaliev Almazbek headed in from a corner.
The Australia coach, Ange Postecoglou, said the only surprise for him was Kyrgyzstan’s level of fitness. “I thought they would die away a little towards the end but maybe that was the crowd factor. They gave them the energy they needed.
“In terms of ability, we knew they could play because we had watched them a fair bit. If anything we looked a bit underdone with a few players who hadn’t played for a while and that showed in the end.
“We tried to force things a bit too much in the first half. It was hard for us to keep passing through the lines and we lost possession a bit too easily, which allowed them to counterattack. We got a bit better in the second half, particularly when Tommy Oar came on and we looked a bit more threatening.”
The second matchday in this round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers began in Guam around lunchtime here, where the tiny US territory defeated India 2-1, the world’s second most populous nation. The surprise results abounded – Japan were even held goalless at home by Singapore – and in some ways it was a big win for the Kyrgyzstan.
The fans were certainly celebrating that way, giving their team a hero’s reception after the match and then mobbing them as they got on to the team bus. The could be cheering even more in the games to come.
“It was such a tough game,” said Jedinak. “Let’s not kid anyone. You look at results across Asia and in the context of things, it was very positive result. It puts us in good stead from here.
“We know we can perform better and we’re under no illusions but, considering the circumstances, I’m very happy with taking three points.”
Australia return to these parts in September, to neighbouring Tajikistan. On this performance, they may struggle to leave Dushanbe with the points.
