Experts' view of Australia: "'Swamp soccer' even though it doesn't look like it's good at anything “

“It’s difficult if you give up the first goal.”

Australia's Best Eleven is taking a team photo during the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup round of 16 match between Indonesia and Australia held at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on the 28th (local time).

Soccer experts predicted Korea's advantage in the Asian Cup quarterfinals against Australia, but warned that it would be a difficult game if they gave up the first goal.

The national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, will compete to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup against Australia at 0:30 a.m. on the 3rd (Korean time) at Al-Wakrah Al-Janub Stadium in Qatar.

Korea, which entered the tournament in second place in Group E (1 win, 2 draws, 5 points), barely won in the round of 16 against Saudi Arabia in a close match that went to a penalty shootout and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Australia passed Group B in first place with 2 wins and 1 draw (7 points), then defeated Indonesia 4-0 in the round of 16. There were many evaluations that Australia's performance in the group stage was not as good as its performance, but it appears that it has regained its status as a powerhouse starting with the win against Indonesia.

Australia has participated in the tournament since 2007, when it was incorporated into the AFC, and although it does not have a long history, it is not an opponent to be taken lightly. They had the experience of defeating Korea and taking the top spot at a competition held in their home country in 2015.

Australia participating in this tournament does not have flashy star players who played in Europe like Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka in the past. However, it is not easy to deal with because of its unique honesty and height.

Experts also agreed that Australia is a very difficult opponent.

Coupang Play commentator Han Jun-hee said, “Australia is often referred to as ‘swamp soccer.’ Watching the game is not fun. However, whether the opponent is a strong team or a weak team, their ability to draw them in at their own pace is good.”

He pointed out, “In the game against us, Australia will try to get the result by scoring 1-2 goals while avoiding threatening situations as much as possible, just as they have done so far.”

In fact, Australia has not been able to significantly outperform its opponents in any of the last four games. In Daeseung's match against Indonesia, the team was able to win by a large margin for the first time thanks to two goals that came after the game was virtually decided. However, he maintained stability in each game and played the way he wanted.

Commentator Han Jun-hee explained, “Australia looks monotonous and boring and doesn’t do anything well,” but added, “But because they have good height and strength, they have the weapons to somehow score at least one goal in every game.”

He continued, “The defense also does not give up goals easily. Against Saudi Arabia, we were easily beaten by a defense that came down at the last minute, but when Australia came down, it was much more solid than that. He expressed the opinion, “There are many players who play diligently and diligently as prepared, so there are not many gaps in the defense.”

One commentator believed that the first goal could have a significant impact on the outcome of the game.

He said, “The key is whether we can not concede a goal against Australia, who can score one goal in every game, and whether we can stop Australia’s intention to lead the game stably and bring it at our own pace.”

Meanwhile, Klinsmann brought out a ‘surprise three-back’ in the last match against Saudi Arabia and improved his poor defense. However, one commentator argued that three-backs did not mean much against Australia.

He said, “Australia is a team that uses one top team, and even that team’s front line is in poor condition recently. So, having three people in the back is a waste,” he said. “On the other hand, the second line has three active midfielders, including Jackson Irvine and Riley McGree. He expressed the opinion, “If we use a three-back and only have two players in the midfield, we will be at a disadvantage in the back fight.”

Above all, physical recovery is considered a major variable in the game against Australia. As of local time, Australia played the round of 16 on the afternoon of the 28th, while Korea finished the game on the night of the 30th.

While Korea was in the midst of a fierce battle with Saudi Arabia, Australia watched the game over dinner after returning from a two-day vacation. Australia even achieved a comfortable victory, while Korea fought a fierce battle for 120 minutes.

Commentator Shin Moon-seon emphasized that since Korea is physically behind, scoring the first goal is that much more important.

Commissioner Shin said, “Among the three elements of soccer, there are ‘3C’. “The first is confidence, the second is concentration, and the last is control,” he said. “Now, our confidence and concentration have increased with the victory against Saudi Arabia.” “But controlling the last element is the problem.” It was expected that control would not be as easy as before because the opponent had less stamina.

Commentator Shin said, “Everyone may be excited now, but once the game starts, their bodies won’t move as much as their minds,” adding, “I can see that the players are also united. But still, being difficult on the playground is difficult. “The more we have to take the lead with the first goal, the better we can control the game as we want,” he emphasized. 스포츠토토