In a raucous Saitama Stadium, Australia were far from outclassed but their limitations were laid bare. The Socceroos’ chances of reaching the 2018 World Cup are now on a knife’s edge following a 2-0 defeat in Japan on Thursday night and to qualify automatically they must now achieve a better result than Saudi Arabia in Tuesday’s final round of matches; Australia host Thailand in Melbourne, the Saudis welcome the now-qualified Japan to Jeddah.
Australia and Saudi Arabia are level on points but the Saudis occupy the crucial second qualifying spot in Group B by virtue of a goal difference advantage of two. Should Tuesday night’s results not favour Australia they will face a play-off against the third place team from Group A (most likely Uzbekistan or South Korea) and if they pass that test a further play-off against the fourth-placed side from the Concacaf region – currently Panama.
Aaron Mooy’s unexpected illness-enforced absence denied Ange Postecoglou his midfield metronome and without him there was no fluency to Australia’s play. Eiji Kawashima was not required to make a save of note all night with the toothless visitors’ only real threat a deflected first-half effort from Matthew Leckie that hit the outside of the post.
The turning point of the match arrived 41 minutes into the first-half when the dangerous Takuma Asano ghosted behind Australia’s static defence to convert Yuto Nagatomo’s delightful inswinging cross. Asano was gifted the freedom of the Australian penalty area by the ball-watching of the wrong footed Brad Smith.
Playing as the left wingback Smith struggled throughout, especially in the first half, appearing susceptible defensively and failing to provide the required penetration during attacking transitions. Australia’s first opportunity of the night should have fallen to Smith after good work from Robbie Kruse down the right hand side but once the lone striker crossed the ball no gold shirt had gambled to get into the danger zone. Smith was nearby but, as with Japan’s goal, seemed unsure whether to stick or twist.
Smith’s selection and performance underlined a couple of long-standing issues for the national side.
The most pressing is finding a regular left-sided defender. Aziz Behich started the last international against Chile but was one of seven players cut from the initial 30-man squad for Thursday’s match. Alex Gersbach also featured at left wingback during the Confederations Cup but he sat on the bench in Saitama. Jason Davidson was Australia’s left-sided defender during the Asian Cup final in 2015 while James Meredith has lined up in previous Russia 2018 qualifiers.
The challenge longer-term is potential internationals suffering from a lack of game time. Thursday night was Smith’s 16th full international cap. At club level the 23-year old has made just 17 league appearances, a career total rising to 29 including cup competitions. Signed by Bournemouth in the Premier League a year ago for a fee in the region of $10m, Smith has featured only once this season, in the EFL Cup. If he was betrayed by indecision at crucial moments against Japan, it’s hardly surprising.
It’s a problem not unique to Smith and it’s one Postecoglou has been cognisant of during his tenure. “At the end of the day, the players know the position they’re in and we need our players playing regular football,” the coach warned after the 2-2 draw with Thailand back in November 2016 when Smith, along with the likes of Mat Ryan and Robbie Kruse were struggling to find regular football. “Ultimately it’s in the player’s own hands to make decisions that are going to be best for their careers.”
It’s an issue affecting more than just the men Postecoglou is considering for immediate responsibilities. Australia’s players’ union (PFA) released research earlier this week underscoring the challenge. According to PFA there has been an 80% reduction in the match time of Australian players across the “Big Five” leagues of Europe from 2005 to 2015 alongside trends affecting younger players, including a dramatic reduction in minutes played by Australian teenagers in the past five seasons. “The quality of Australian careers and the success of Australian footballers at the elite level is inherently linked to our ongoing international competitiveness,” forewarned PFA chief executive, John Didulica.
It’s clear the development of international calibre players is becoming an issue for Australia. Tuesday night will determine exactly how acute.
