Easy pass mark for Aussies
IT was a Socceroos win that featured the good, the bad and the ugly.
In patches, Australia was good; Kuwait was bad; and the matted, clumpy pitch was ugly.
But overall it was a satisfying night for Graham Arnold, his first time sitting on a senior international bench as head coach since September 11, 2007, and treated to a 4-0 win.
Arnold was keen to emphasise afterwards how all he has worked on so far in two training camps has been the attacking side of the game. Obligingly, Kuwait offered little to test the Australian defence, pushed back for long spells by the Socceroos’ attempts to work the ball in forward positions. “We're playing with three nines and the fullbacks giving us width, and it's about getting more men in the box,” Arnold said.
The first goal came from Robbie Kruse’s beguiling cross, albeit fortunately thanks to Khalid Mohamed’s own goal, and consistently the visitors tried to stock the Kuwaiti box with plenty of bodies in scoring positions.
The pitch did Australia no favours, with the players clearly not trusting its stickiness.
The quick movement and transition that Arnold wants should be rather easier at Suncorp and ANZ stadiums next month, for the games with South Korea on November 17 and Lebanon on November 20 respectively.
“Surfaces are everything,” said Arnold. “We expect back in Australia to have top pitches to help us play the way we want.”