With only hours until kick off, fans of both the Socceroos and Japan are eagerly awaiting this much anticipated friendly as a means of measuring their teams progress on the eve of the Asian Cup.
Both countries have built quite a rivalry over the past decade, with the most notable match coming in the first group game of the 2006 world cup, where Australia scored three times in the closing stages to win it's first ever world cup match.
Despite the Socceroos unsuccessful yet encouraging world cup campaign, all the talk around the country is doom and gloom leading into their best ever chance of winning silverware. Many are questioning coach Ange Postecoglou's credentials as a national team manager and also his unwavering and uncompromising continental philosophy.
Japan on the other hand couldn't be riding a higher wave, with a 6-0 demolition of Honduras only days ago coinciding with star player Shinji Kagawa finally back in his comfort zone and playing some great football at his old club Borrussia Dortmund. New coach Javier Aguirre is of high domestic and international calibre and the perfect man to carry forward the Japanese style of play and progress in the world game.
Japan are pioneers of Asian football and have really set a fantastic model for others to follow. It has been a well planned and steady rise, with many notable players plying their trade at top clubs in Europe, while domestically their league is stronger than ever. No matter who coaches this great side, the philosophy remains the same. They will relentlessly attack you at great pace like very few teams in the world can. Their technical ability is very special.
In Australia, since our German world cup campaign we have gone through five coaches, all of which differed quite dramatically in their beliefs. We had the total football Guus Hiddink, straight to the ultra defensive Graham Arnold. Then the pragmatic Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck. Finally, we have ended up with Ange. A great domestic product with a forward thinking possession philosophy. Since his tenure, Australia has played some of its most technical attacking football in its history. They have been suicidal at times, but it is all part of a plan which is a proven model for success. The famous Barca under Guardiola was purely the finishing touches of a 20-30 year plan started by Johan Cruyff.
We have to be able to crawl before we can walk and walk before we can run. Sustained success is the key and Ange Postecoglou has a very good chance of bringing this to Australia. Our domestic product is thriving, we boast the current Asian Champions League winners and we now have a national team who will be able to compete on a technical level which has been the biggest gap between Australia and the worlds top sides for its entire existence. This is also very important for the sports popularity in this country as people want to watch an entertaining brand.
Behaviourally speaking, it is style first for Ange. He will not flinch at what is being said in the media and calls for change. The game plan comes first, the players are then educated to fit into it, not the other way round. This may very well sacrifice a shot at winning the Asian Cup, but it will be exciting times come Qatar and Russia.
Don't expect too much in terms of a result from the Socceroos tonight as all arrows point to a resounding loss, but one thing is for sure. They will not alter the way they are playing whether they are 1-0, 2-0 or 10-0 down. They will keep the ball on the deck, play out from very deep and always look to pass forward as a first option.
This is the most important stage in our nations development both as a game and as a national side. Enjoy the ride and don't get disheartened at short term pain. The future KPI's point to a happy ending.
Both countries have built quite a rivalry over the past decade, with the most notable match coming in the first group game of the 2006 world cup, where Australia scored three times in the closing stages to win it's first ever world cup match.
Despite the Socceroos unsuccessful yet encouraging world cup campaign, all the talk around the country is doom and gloom leading into their best ever chance of winning silverware. Many are questioning coach Ange Postecoglou's credentials as a national team manager and also his unwavering and uncompromising continental philosophy.
Japan on the other hand couldn't be riding a higher wave, with a 6-0 demolition of Honduras only days ago coinciding with star player Shinji Kagawa finally back in his comfort zone and playing some great football at his old club Borrussia Dortmund. New coach Javier Aguirre is of high domestic and international calibre and the perfect man to carry forward the Japanese style of play and progress in the world game.
Japan are pioneers of Asian football and have really set a fantastic model for others to follow. It has been a well planned and steady rise, with many notable players plying their trade at top clubs in Europe, while domestically their league is stronger than ever. No matter who coaches this great side, the philosophy remains the same. They will relentlessly attack you at great pace like very few teams in the world can. Their technical ability is very special.
In Australia, since our German world cup campaign we have gone through five coaches, all of which differed quite dramatically in their beliefs. We had the total football Guus Hiddink, straight to the ultra defensive Graham Arnold. Then the pragmatic Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck. Finally, we have ended up with Ange. A great domestic product with a forward thinking possession philosophy. Since his tenure, Australia has played some of its most technical attacking football in its history. They have been suicidal at times, but it is all part of a plan which is a proven model for success. The famous Barca under Guardiola was purely the finishing touches of a 20-30 year plan started by Johan Cruyff.
We have to be able to crawl before we can walk and walk before we can run. Sustained success is the key and Ange Postecoglou has a very good chance of bringing this to Australia. Our domestic product is thriving, we boast the current Asian Champions League winners and we now have a national team who will be able to compete on a technical level which has been the biggest gap between Australia and the worlds top sides for its entire existence. This is also very important for the sports popularity in this country as people want to watch an entertaining brand.
Behaviourally speaking, it is style first for Ange. He will not flinch at what is being said in the media and calls for change. The game plan comes first, the players are then educated to fit into it, not the other way round. This may very well sacrifice a shot at winning the Asian Cup, but it will be exciting times come Qatar and Russia.
Don't expect too much in terms of a result from the Socceroos tonight as all arrows point to a resounding loss, but one thing is for sure. They will not alter the way they are playing whether they are 1-0, 2-0 or 10-0 down. They will keep the ball on the deck, play out from very deep and always look to pass forward as a first option.
This is the most important stage in our nations development both as a game and as a national side. Enjoy the ride and don't get disheartened at short term pain. The future KPI's point to a happy ending.