Passive Socceroos Problems Exposed In Disappointing Defeat To Venezuela

Houston, do we person a problem? After starting nan Tony Popovic-era pinch a 12-game unbeaten run, an experimental Socceroos lineup fell to their second-straight defeat, going down 1-0 to Venezuela astatine Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium. While location was a definite level of conflict to their 2-1 nonaccomplishment to nan United States past month, this was a overmuch much passive, disappointing defeat.

Just 20 minutes in, nan 50th-ranked Venezuelans had three-quarters of possession, which only fell to two-thirds astatine half-time and 66% astatine game’s end. It was a crisp opposition betwixt nan attack of interim leader Fernando Aristeguieta and his predecessor Fernando Batista, who was sacked aft they grounded to suffice for nan World Cup pinch an mean possession complaint of conscionable 39.3% during nan qualification campaign.

Venezuela’s affirmative attack was paired pinch an contiguous property whenever Australia took possession, harassing and haranguing their attempts to move nan shot and much often than not taking it backmost earlier they could advancement beyond nan halfway statement pinch immoderate benignant of momentum.

The Socceroos did show early flashes – Mohamed Touré doubly shooting connected extremity – but that soon faded. After attempting to bring a much beingness magnitude to their crippled against Canada and nan US past month, aft a bid of fixtures successful which Popovic felt they had been outmuscled and astatine times bullied, nan Australians were erstwhile again pushed connected nan backmost foot, reacting and chasing arsenic their opponents took control.

Eventually, this unit began to manifest: Cristian Cásseres Jr whipping successful a transverse that was met pinch a diving header by Jesús Ramírez successful nan 17th minute, Gleiker Mendoza cutting wrong from nan near and bending an effort conscionable wide of nan acold station successful nan 29th, and Ender Echenique weaving into nan container and sliding successful a debased effort successful nan 32nd minute. For nan two, bookending efforts connected target, however, debutant goalkeeper Patrick Beach proved up to nan task, pinch his split-second guidance to contradict Ramírez nan item of an evening where, if not for his interventions, this could person been a overmuch heavier conclusion for nan Socceroos.

The Melbourne City custodian, however, could do thing erstwhile nan reservoir collapsed and Ramírez yet gave nan South Americans a deserved lead successful nan 38th minute. Dani Pereira dropped nan shot successful down Craig Goodwin for Ender Echenique to tally onto, nan FC Cincinnati attacker driving inside, rounding debutant centreback Kai Trewin and squaring nan shot backmost for his teammate, pinch Beach scrambling backmost crossed his goal, to pat into an unfastened net.

It lowlighted a miserable but suggestive fewer minutes for nan Australians, arriving conscionable aft a disappointment Nestory Irankunda was fortunate to flight pinch a be aware aft lashing retired astatine Echenique’s ankle from behind, eliciting an instant, angry guidance from nan Venezuelans and conscionable earlier Jason Geria limped disconnected pinch an injury. It besides capped disconnected a bid of moves successful which La Vinotinto looked to onslaught nan abstraction being near vacant by Goodwin, who was a astonishment starter astatine near wingback successful nan absence of Jordy Bos and Aziz Behich. It had been a decade since he past regularly played nan role, and, if these games are astir experimentation, past this was a presumption that will astir apt beryllium discounted moving forward, particularly fixed Popovic replaced him pinch Callum Elder astatine halftime.

And pinch 3 debutants successful Beach, Trewin, and Paul Okon-Engstler starting (the first clip that’s happened since nan Socceroos faced Guam backmost successful December of 2012) and a raft of first-choice players connected nan bench, aliases absent entirely, nan dream for Popovic will beryllium that this will service arsenic a learning experience, alternatively than trendsetter. And aft Ramirez forced different diving prevention from Beach 2 minutes into nan 2nd stanza, nan return of Jackson Irvine and Riley McGree from agelong wounded absences disconnected nan chair arsenic nan half progressed offered a faint metallic lining, arsenic did different debutant successful Al Hassan Touré forcing José Contreras into a crisp prevention amid signs of precocious life.

But sloppy of its framing, Friday evening’s loss, 7 months retired from nan World Cup, isn’t 1 nan Socceroos will want to repeat.