Goodwin believes this squad can produce something special at Asian Cup

The Subway Socceroos touched down in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of their clash at Baniyas Stadium against Bahrain on Sunday, 7 January (AEDT).

The camp, and of course, the match at the weekend, is all in preparation for the Asian Cup which is due to start for Australia on Saturday, 13 January.

For Craig Goodwin, the flight across to Abu Dhabi was a short one from his base in Al Wehda.

• READ MORE: Our History vs Bahrain

"(It's) definitely a shorter trip, only the two and a half hours for me, so much easier to adjust to the time zone and I guess the surroundings being very similar to Jeddah.

"But yeah, I am really excited to be here and obviously preparing for a really big Asian Cup."

Goodwin has found some form of late playing for Al Wehda in the Saudi Pro League as he as six goals and an assist in the league to date.

He thinks that the experience he has playing in the region will help him in the upcoming tournament.

"I've been in this region now a while and getting used to the style of football that a lot of the nations will play in the Asian Cup," he said.

"So I think it's good preparation for me, and it's been really nice to be able to come into this tournament with some good form as well."

Speaking on the environment in the camp, Goodwin said the vibes are good and as always it feels like a second family.

"When we come into these camps, everyone says the similar thing, it's like a second family coming in here," he said.

"It's very easy to get along with everyone and to feel very comfortable, so I think that's really important to keep that kind of environment, especially for new players coming in."

Those new players and the experienced group all share the same goals according to Goodwin - win the cup.

"We have aspirations to win the Asian Cup, and to do that, we've got to have a ruthless mentality and to be focused on what's coming next.

"Although we're very happy with what we've done here in the past (Qatar), that is in the past, and we've got the here and now to focus on to be able to try and bring the Asian Cup back to Australia." 

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On a personal level, Goodwin hopes to contribute with goals and assists throughout the tournament.

"Just being able to put on the shirt and represent the country at a major tournament for me is special," the 32-year-old said.

"I want to be involved as much as I can, I want to help the team as much as I can. If I can contribute to as many goals and assists as possible, that'll be great."

He finished by saying he truly believes this squad has the ability to do something special.

"I genuinely believe that we have the squad that can win this Asian Cup," he said.

"It's going to be hard and difficult, but we have a good group with a good mentality, and I think that we have the potential to do something special here."