After playing another standout role in a famous Qantas Socceroos victory, Mark Bresciano has shared the spotlight with his younger teammates.
After playing another standout role in a famous Qantas Socceroos victory, Mark Bresciano has shared the spotlight with his younger teammates.
Before departing for Sydney from Melbourne, the 33-year-old midfielder heaped praise on Australia's next generation, who have ensured a competitive team environment since the full squad first assembled in Japan two weeks ago.
"We've come together really well, with the mixture that we have," said Bresciano, whose 16th minute strike - his 13th at international level - set up Australia's 4-0 triumph over Jordan.
"We have some senior players and some younger boys coming through and I think we've got it right now.
"We do need that energy and that spark which the young boys do bring to the team and with our experience, we just try to guide them in the right way."
One particularly positive feature of Australia's recent performances has been the dominant central midfield pairing of Bresciano and Melbourne Victory star Mark Milligan.
Milligan's selection in Japan a week ago saw him assume the role previously occupied by English Premier League-bound Mile Jedinak and Austrian Bundesliga champion James Holland, but one of the Hyundai A-League's finest has been near faultless in his new role.
"It seems like every time we have played together, we've had good results," said Bresciano, who first partnered Milligan in central midfield when Australia defeated Saudi Arabia 4-2 in Melbourne last year.
"We help each other out because we're probably two different styles of play, which we play well together.
"I think the results have shown that, in the past as well."
Further to Bresciano and Milligan's midfield dominance against Jordan was an at times notable fluidity across the park for Australia.
Due in great part, surely, to coach Holger Osieck being able to field an unchanged starting XI for the first time since the semi-final and final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
"It's something I've been looking forward to (a settled starting eleven) and I'm grateful for that - being back in the team," Bresciano said.
"That's probably one of the best things you can have in a team, when you have players that we have on the bench that are still good enough to play in the starting eleven," said Bresciano.
"It keeps the intensity of training up, it keeps the players who are playing focused and on their toes.
"That's what makes a team. At the end of the day, eleven players do go on the park on the day but the result does come from the squad."
The Qantas Socceroos- FIFA World Cup fate will be decided when they host Iraq at Sydney-s Stadium Australia on Tuesday, 18 June. Kick off is at 7.30pm AEST. Click here to buy tickets.