The Subway Socceroos are through to a fifth consecutive Asian Cup knockout phase, having traversed what was considered the tournament's 'Group of Death', here are the numbers behind their campaign so far.
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Having entered the tournament as the sixth favourite to win, the green and gold stocks have grown in value considerably as the tournament has progressed, thanks to two wins and a draw, against India, Syria, and Uzbekistan, to top Group B.
The 2023 campaign equals Australia's best group stage at an Asian Cup, having gone undefeated only once in four attempts, which came during the 2011 Asian Cup.
Overall, the numbers bode well for Graham Arnold and his side, with the statistics of this campaign strongly resembling that of the 2011 side, which made the final, and the 2015 side, which ultimately went on to lift the trophy, in front of their own supporters.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1749778987495424111
Attacking statistics from the Group Stage:
- No player has made more passes in this Asian Cup then Australia's central defender Harry Souttar (315 passes).
- The Socceroos' dominance with the ball at their feet is highlighted by the fact they have five players in the top ten for passes completed, with Souttar, Aziz Behich (231), Kye Rowles (205 in 2 games), Jackson Irvine (171), and Keanu Baccus (171) rounding out the list.
- Australia also rank first for most sequences of play with 10 or more passes involved, sitting a whole 15 above second-place Japan
- Starving the opposition of possession, the Socceroos spend 63.2% of each game on average, with the ball, not allowing the other team to create any opportunities
- Despite only playing one match so far, Craig Goodwin is ranked second for 'chances created', with around 20% of his passes ending up in a goal-scoring position for the Socceroos (7/36).
- The Al-Wehda star also leads in accurate crosses (8), an incredible feat for a player who has only been available for one match so far this tournament
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1749773481695461525
Defensive statistics from the Group Stage:
- A new national team record was broken in the 36th minute against Uzbekistan, as the current squad surpassed 609 minutes without conceding in all competitions, breaking the total set by the 2008 squad.
- Only one goal was conceded in three matches, which equals the 2011 campaign, however the 260 minutes which it took for an opposition team to score, is the longest of any Asian Cup campaign.
- Australia are first for 'high turnovers' in this Asian Cup, having won the ball 39 times in the opposition's half, 7 more than the next best side Japan after 3 matches.
- Arnold's 'the first defender is our attacker' philosophy is made clear when you find that forward Riley McGree leads the Cup in possessions won in the opposition's final third (2.5 per game), while midfield maestros Jackson Irvine and Keanu Baccus rank in the top five for interceptions.
- Provided Thailand do not keep a clean sheet against Saudi Arabia tonight, Maty Ryan and Australia will join the top of the list for clean sheets (2)