Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has immediately delivered results - but nature of Japan performance may concern

West Australian

13 hours ago

As Aziz Behich's curled effort swung into the net and the Optus Stadium crowd erupted into a frenzy of noise and mess of limbs, Tony Popovic sunk to his knees and let his emotions take over.
Normally the cool, calm and composed type, all Popovic could do was release a primal scream of joy into the atmosphere before he was mobbed by his assistants.
History is written by the victors and certainly, the Socceroos will be telling the tale of their resolute defensive effort in the face of Japan's dominance and Behich's dramatic winner for years to come.
In itself, both the performance and the result will give credence to both Popovic's critics and his supporters.
The fact of the matter is, in seven games under Popovic since Graham Arnold's shock departure following a solitary point gleaned from their two opening World Cup qualifying games, the Socceroos are yet to taste defeat.
Across those seven games, Australia have scored 14 and conceded just four goals. For the most part, they have looked stable and in control of games.
The Socceroos needed fortitude in the wake of Arnold's leave and Popovic has provided that, tinkering with the formation while raising standards.
Players have spoken of the newfound intensity which has greeted national team camps and have publicly embraced his team-first defensive ethos.
He has taken Australia to the brink of a sixth World Cup in a row, and potentially their first direct qualification since the 2014 tournament — a feat which seemed a long way off after the Socceroos' depressing start to the campaign.
'Popaball', as it is known, relies on soaking up pressure, controlling your opponents movement through your own defensive shape and limiting your opponents' sights on goal.
To quote Ron Weasley: 'you're going to suffer, but you're going to be happy about it'.
And it must be said, the Socceroos achieved most of the above against Japan on Thursday night.
Pre-game, Popovic spoke of a desire for the Socceroos to improve upon their 1-1 draw with Japan in just his second game in charge.
In Perth, Australia enjoyed four per cent less possession and had 14 less passes in their own half than they did in Saitima. Worryingly, the home game came against a second-string Japanese side and off the back of a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi.
They only surrendered one clear-cut chance inside their own penalty area, a bullet by Takefusa Kubo which went agonisingly close to breaking Australian hearts — but had it gone in, the narrative and result would have flipped.
The Socceroos did not control the game in possession, their midfield ran ragged and any attempts to build-up from defence were destroyed by Japan's press and ended in long balls to no one.
Popovic deserves credit for being the steadying hand Australia needs and instilling a team-wide defensive mindset. The challenge now will be to evolve the Socceroos' functionality and effectiveness in attack.