Aussies ignore cynicism

Socceroos captain Mat Ryan is adamant the negative “outside noise” that has surrounded his team’s Asian Cup campaign is not impacting the players because they know how wide of the mark it is.

But he’s also confident the Australians have got “a lot of improvement in us” ahead of a quarter-final showdown with the winner of the clash between Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

A 4-0 win over Indonesia to secure a quarter-finals berth was the best result of the tournament so far as the Australians gathered steam through a patchy group of pool games where goals in particular were hard to come by.

Coach Graham Arnold had already declared international football “isn’t easy”, especially in tournament play where every opponent is bringing their absolute best in the quest to stay alive.

While critics have suggested the Socceroos have looked at times messy and lacking the capacity to put away some of their lower-ranked opponents, Ryan (inset) made it clear how the intensity of every match, which is now do-or-die, made them each their own battle.

“The most important thing, as I said, is the results. And, you know, there can be a lot of outside noise and all that about the team should be doing this and doing that, but football isn’t easy as everyone perhaps claims that it is from the outside,” Ryan said in the wake of the win

Doha.

“When you’re out here and you’re a professional footballer and you’re taking on another team that’s obviously trying to do everything that they can to win a game, it’s not easy and we face challenges.

“Indonesia gave it a good crack and they gave us problems there, but we found a way in order to get the job done and that’s a skill set within itself and I feel that we’ve still got a lot of improvement in us and I think that’s a good sign moving forward.”

Ryan said the Socceroos squad, which assembled from all parts of the football world for the tournament, were “like a family” and that unity had helped bond them against any negativity, and more goals would be coming his team’s way.

“You know we all treat each other like brothers and it’s like a family in here,” he said.

“With the talent and quality we’ve got, I’ve always backed ourselves to create chances and put opportunities away.”

Arnold was unfazed by who their opponent would be for a spot in the final four, with a clear focus.

“We have a couple days off now to rest and recover, which is crucial, but overall, we’re just focused on ourselves,” he said.

“It is the most important thing that we get our games right and our brains clear. The boys know their jobs and they can go out there and get it done.” over

Indonesia in