Arnold wants improvement on the ball but pleased with group progression
The Subway Socceroos had to work hard for a 1-0 win over Syria in their second match of the Asian Cup on Thursday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
Speaking after the match, Head Coach Graham Arnold gave props to the defensive strength shown by the side but said he knows his side can improve.
“It was exactly what we expected against Syria, a very physical game, and we knew that with the stadium here with a lot of fans supporting Syria that they would make it difficult for us, but I was very happy with our defensive performance,” he said.
“That's two clean sheets that we've started off with now in the Asian Cup and overall, I know we can improve, and we will improve as we go on and it's great to already qualify for the second round.”
He added that he felt this match, in a hostile environment with the Syrian supporters was a good experience for many in the squad.
“We have an inexperienced squad, I had seven players that have played less than six caps and probably for them it was the first time they'd experienced playing in the Middle East and playing with a crowd like that, so one-sided,” he said.
“It's a great learning experience for those kids the young ones who as I said with less than six caps and we have a great culture and you know the boys are fantastic friends, fantastic mates.”
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In the 59th minute, Jackson Irvine scored what turned out to be the winning goal for the Socceroos with a neat finish whilst under pressure inside the box.
That goal was Irvine’s second in as many games and Arnold heaped praise on the midfielder for his efforts.
“Jackson gets into the box well and he has goal scoring ability. Jackson has now scored two goals in two games and he's getting in those positions to score, which is important,” he said.
Whilst he was pleased with scoring, Irvine said the match was a difficult one and the grit within the side was clear to see.
“It was difficult for us, it's about finding those solutions and breaking down different kinds of teams and very different kind of opponent to the first game against India,” he said.
“The spirit and the culture around the group gives us the platform to perform and we back each other all the way and you know today it was to find that little moment that can win you a game and fortunately it fell to me again today.”
Irvine’s goal came from the only shot on target for the Socceroos in the match, which is something Arnold wants to see an improvement on.
“With the number of players that they had in the box, it made it difficult to score, and I think we need to improve with the ball,” he said.
“It’s been a trait of these type of teams for quite a long while, and they're hard to break down, and that's the reality of it, but what's important for us is that we give a mature performance, we're not throwing too many men forward and getting hit on the break."
Looking ahead, Arnold said he wants his side to finish at the top of the group and will go into the Uzbekistan match fully prepared.
“We know our expectations and what the demands are, we want to top this group and we've qualified for the second phase already, but we want to top the group.
“That's been a goal of ours since we got in the camp for the Asian Cup. There's no such thing as taking your foot off the pedal.”
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS AFC ASIAN CUP QATAR 2023™ FIXTURES (GROUP B):
Australia v Uzbekistan
Tuesday, 23 January 2024
Al Janoub Stadium, Doha
Kick-off: 2:30pm local (10:30pm AEDT)
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Every AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 match will be live on Paramount+