Asian Cup 2015: Australia v Kuwait – as it happened
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jan/09/asian-cup-australia-kuwait-live Version 0 of 1. 10.01pm AEST11:01 Melbourne’s Rectangle is a scene of joy tinged, I’m sure, with relief. Australia have survived a scare and responded wonderfully. That early Kuwait goal could have given them the wobbles but while Australia often struggled for fluidity the effort was incessant and the goals came. Luongo, the official man-of-the match, was a dynamo, Cahill was Cahill, and Leckie and Kruse got better the longer the match went on. The Kuwait goal underlined one of the Socceroos’ weaknesses, but Ryan, and those four goals, made up for it in spades and now Australia can be hopeful of going deep into the tournament, on their own soil for the first time. Thanks for your company and enjoy the warm glow. Cheerio. 9.53pm AEST10:53 Full-time: Australia 4-1 Kuwait And thus ends the opening match of the 2015 Asian Cup. 9.52pm AEST10:52 GOAL! Australia 4-1 Kuwait (Troisi 93) ... and Troisi nips in to slam it home from four yards. That’s the cherry on top! 9.51pm AEST10:51 90 min + 2: Australia stroke it around looking for an opening. Without one forthcoming Leckie makes one himself. He zigs, he zags, he zigs again and he gets off a shot that Hameed can only parry... 9.49pm AEST10:49 90 min: There will be three added minutes... time enough for Burns to get a goal. He’s certainly busting a gut, trying to run down an overhit clearance from Ryan. 9.47pm AEST10:47 87 min: You’ve got to love the Socceroos’ thirst for a fourth goal. It’s this kind of intent that explains the patience of the fans during a period of poor results. 9.46pm AEST10:46 83 min: Luongo is substituted for Bresciano and before introductions are made Australia rattle off two shots: Burns on his left, aiming to the keeper’s left. Then, after Hameed made a great save, Troisi tried to steer home the rebound. But still Kuwait weren’t safe. Seconds later, Leckie crossed beautifully across the face and Burns side-footed it into the corner. Or he would have had a diving Hameed not intercepted the certain goal with his boot! 9.41pm AEST10:41 80 min: Entering the last 10 Kuwait need to take a few risks here. Phil Withall, meantime, asks: “On the basis of the second half performance are Australia really 14 places worse than Cyprus that the FIFA rankings say they are?” I will direct you, Phil, to my introductory comment likening the FIFA rankings to the gibberish spouted by the Swedish chef on The Muppet Show. 9.38pm AEST10:38 78 min: It’s end to end now! Ryan dives to his right to save a goal-bound shot from Almotawaa. Almotawaa gets to the rebound first and tries to square but Franjic clears. Australia then stream forward, Leckie getting a shot off. 9.36pm AEST10:36 74 min: Kuwait sub: Kuwaiti stalwart Almotawaa comes on for Alqahtani. Robbie Kruse also left the field recently, replaced by Nathan Burns. And incredibly, Burns almost scores with his first touch! Troisi, I think it was, rips in a cross and Burns, a long way out and on an acute angle, steers a header against the frame! That would have been a hell of a way to get off the mark in international football for the A-League’s leading scorer. 9.31pm AEST10:31 71 min: Are Australia safe? No. Again, more proof: Kuwait strike the frame! What a shot, what a save! Alebrahim cushions a low hard cross beautifully and, on the half volley, he hits it with the outside of his right boot. It’s heading for the top left corner but for Ryan whose outstretched right glove tips it onto the frame. 9.29pm AEST10:29 68 min: A lovely counter attack is foiled by some brilliant defending. Leckie romps into space after a kind deflection and while it looked like he could manufacture a shot himself he pushed the ball in front of Kruse whose first touch was soft enough to set the ball up for a shot on his right. But as his boot approached, a perfectly timed sliding tackle from behind just toed the ball clear. 9.25pm AEST10:25 65 min: Australia sub: Cahill is off, Juric is on. Need I describe the reception he received from the crowd? 9.24pm AEST10:24 64 min: Australia are looking good now but not safe. There’s too long togo for that. As if proving the point substitute Yousef forces Ryan into a diving save when he takes a snap shot from the right of the area after some good build-up play by Kuwait. 9.21pm AEST10:21 GOAL! Australia 3-1 Kuwait (Jedinak 62) And Jedinak slots it! Hameed seemed to go to his right rather early but Jedinak still had to keep his head and keep it he did, rolling it into the bottom right corner. 9.19pm AEST10:19 Penalty! Kruse is brought down. No question. Jedinak steps up... 9.19pm AEST10:19 61 min: And now Leckie hits the frame! He received the ball on the edge of the D, cut inside on his left and clobbered it. Hameed was beaten but it hit the frame. Australia are charging! 9.18pm AEST10:18 59 min: Cahill goes oh so close! Leckie, having pounced on a loose ball, finds Cahill who turns and shoots in one motion with his left boot but Hameed dives to his left to bat it clear. 9.16pm AEST10:16 56 min: Hussain, who spoiled Kruse’s cameo moments ago, is looking in a bit of trouble. Can Australia exploit his injury? Not yet, but out on the right Luongo threads a lovely ball in behind and Franjic almost gets on the end of it. 9.13pm AEST10:13 54 min: It came to nothing but Kruse has showed why he’s ranked so highly, squirming his way through three defenders when hemmed in near the Kuwait’s left corner flag. It was as if he was smeared in Vaseline. That was Suarezesque. 9.11pm AEST10:11 52 min: Another Kuwaiti down, this time Sultan after he cops a knee from Franjic in the small of the back as they both contested a high ball. 9.10pm AEST10:10 50 min: The second Socceroos goal has seen a change in Kuwait’s tactics as they now look keen to pressure Australia much higher up the pitch. As I write, Cahill and Hussain get tangled up and the Kuwaiti goes down. An ankle? A figment of his imagination? Not sure. He hobbles off but he’ll be back on in a sec, don’t worry. 9.06pm AEST10:06 48 min: Here comes the rain. And it’s cold here too. Advantage Australia! 9.06pm AEST10:06 47 min: But Troisi overhits his in-swinger and it sails out. 9.05pm AEST10:05 Pffft! Here we go! And we start where we left off with Australia on the attack. And an early free-kick for Australia from the right when Franjic is cut down by Faisal... 9.04pm AEST10:04 And the players are back on. Jedinak is out so that ankle must be fine. Can Australia build on their lead, buy some insurance? Kuwait to start us off any moment now. 9.00pm AEST10:00 Stat time: Possession: Australia 64.5%, Kuwait 35.5% Territorial advantage: Australia 65%, Kuwait 35% Passes: Australia 283, Kuwait 158 Passing success: Australia 83.4%, Kuwait 72.2% Shots on target: Australia 2, Kuwait 1 Shots off target: Australia 1, Kuwait 3 Corners: Australia 5, Kuwait 1 8.57pm AEST09:57 And the love comes in for Luongo: @MassLuongo tearing Kuwait apart... @MurrayShaw1 why did @SpursOfficial sell him? #AUSvKUW #COYS #GoSocceroos 8.57pm AEST09:57 The mood has improved here by some measure. This sums it up: Great pic @7Sport! Timmy does it again. #AC2015 #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/Mt2WUazPFH 8.52pm AEST09:52 Half-time Without really clicking Australia have fought their way back into this one, just when it looked like it might be one of those nights. It still could, of course, but the good ship Socceroos has been righted. 8.51pm AEST09:51 45 min: And that was pretty much the last act of the half. It really was a great header from Luongo who has been in everything tonight. He was almost reclining in the air when he met Franjic’s cross but he still had the wherewithal to head it over Hameed. 8.48pm AEST09:48 GOAL! Australia 2-1 Kuwait (Luongo 44) All that recent pressure pays off and what a header from Luongo! And it started with Franjic, again. This time he u-turns his defender and gets the ball on his left peg. A quick look up and he chips it to the spot where Luongo —with Cahill in the air behind him— rises and heads home. Updated at 8.53pm AEST 8.43pm AEST09:43 40 min: Troisi wins a corner on the left when he volleys into traffic. Jedinak rises to meet it but, after contesting the ball, he falls awkwardly and is now down getting treated for a left ankle injury. But he’s okay. As you were Mark Milligan, who’d started to warm up. 8.40pm AEST09:40 38 min: Reader Matt Leonard may be ready to change his tune now, but prior to that goal he was getting in early with #AngeOut. All Socceroos now... 8.38pm AEST09:38 36 min: Australia are storming forward now and Kruse almost bursts clear but he tumbles in the area under pressure and loses the ball. The crowd plead for a penalty again. In fact, every time an Australian so much as stubs his toe in the Kuwait box they go up. 8.36pm AEST09:36 GOAL! Australia 1-1 Kuwait (Cahill 33) Cahill, again! But with his right boot, not his nut! Franjic took a throw on the right and found Luongo who spun clear of two defenders and, near the byline, squared to the penalty area. Standing there like Michaelangelo’s David was Cahill who raised his right peg and chipped it past Hameed. Cue delirium. 8.33pm AEST09:33 30 min: A goal in the bag, Kuwait are now sitting ever deeper. Australia take up the invitation but their passes aren’t sticking. There’s some action in the Kuwait box but it’s of the pinball variety and in the end Kruse is called for offside just when he looked to turn and shoot. 8.30pm AEST09:30 28 min: Kuwait goalie Hameed meets a backpass and, seeking his winger, lofts his pass way over the sideline. His coach applauds. I’m looking down at coach Maaloul’s bald patch but my impression is that he wasn’t clapping sarcastically. 8.27pm AEST09:27 26 min: Leckie turns his man smartly and goes down theatrically in the Kuwait area. The crowd pleads for a penalty, but no dice. Moments later, the ball falls to Luongo outside the D but his snap shot sails wide right. 8.25pm AEST09:25 25 min: Leckie lofts in a corner from the left but the penalty area is packed to the gunwales. Australia has not got any fluid possession going yet; Kuwait are harrying them into error. 8.24pm AEST09:24 23 min: As the crowd rise, pleading for a penalty for blocking, Peter Oh writes in. Oh Peter!: “My angle is that there’s no way that this one’s going to end all square at the Rectangular. Australia will run circles around Kuwait with fluid passing triangles culminating in a direct line toward goal, leaving the gulf state side’s campaign pear-shaped. Sorry for being so obtuse.” 8.22pm AEST09:22 20 min: Jedinak —who’s scored at least one cracking free-kick for Crystal Palace this season— takes it but it deflects off the wall and out for a corner. Australia have picked up the intensity, the crowd have risen with them. 8.20pm AEST09:20 18 mins: Troisi toes forward for Kruse in space. He turns with the ball into the area but Hussain chops him down before he can get a shot in. Hussain gets yellow, Australia get a free-kick just outside the area in line with the keeper’s right post... 8.18pm AEST09:18 15 min: Alqahtani causes more trouble on the left after beating his man on the by-line. Australia clear but clumsily and it falls to Faisal, I think, for a speculative shot from the edge of the area that Ryan gets down to easily enough. Sloppy defending, however, which is a real worry at this early stage. Australia push forward and Franjic’s cross finds Cahill on the edge of the six-yard box but it’s too high for him to get a clean header on it and Kuwait clear with a mighty boot into touch. 8.14pm AEST09:14 13 min: There’s still a sense of disbelief in the Rectangle. A early deficit was not in the script. 8.13pm AEST09:13 11 min: The crowd was stunned by that and, sadly, a few booed when the Kuwait side celebrated the goal by getting on their knees in a prayer of thanks. In the meantime, Australia push forward and some industry from Luongo wins a corner. But it comes to naught. 8.11pm AEST09:11 GOAL! Australia 0-1 Kuwait (Hussain 8) And from the corner Hussain strolls to the six-yard line and with no-one marking him stoops to head past Matt Ryan! Calamity for Australia! 8.09pm AEST09:09 8 min: A lovely backheel by Sultan frees Alqahtani on the left flank who dribbles to the byline but his cross is cleared for a corner. 8.07pm AEST09:07 6 min: Sultan is sandwiched between Luongo and Franjic and the whistle blows. Luongo needs to be careful here. 8.06pm AEST09:06 4 min: An early corner to Australia, taken short, but Kuwait stymy Australia’s attempts at freeing someone for a shot. After winning possession they push forward in numbers. The counter-attacking game is on, ladies and gentlemen. 8.04pm AEST09:04 2 min: Sainsbury, with time, launches a long cross-field ball that sails over Behich’s head and into touch. Regarding the time he had, Kuwait are, at the moment, not venturing over the half in defence. 8.01pm AEST09:01 1 min: Luongo gives away a free-kick in Kuwait territory with some overly enthusiastic defending. Nothing his mum would be embarrassed about. 8.00pm AEST09:00 Pfffft! And it’s Australia kicking off! running north to south. They are in gold, Kuwait in blue. The crowd roars. 7.58pm AEST08:58 But Kuwait’s? Here’s one with cute kids and cymbals crashing: The narrator’s accent is hard to place. Could he be a local who learnt English in Yorkshire? Kick-off is imminent... 7.55pm AEST08:55 Anthem time. You know the Australian one well enough… 7.54pm AEST08:54 The teams are in the tunnel and about to enter the arena. And here they come, Australia led out by Jedinak, whose beard is still on his chin but denuded somewhat from its glory days. The roar from the crowd is mighty. Kuwait are led out by Alenzi, who is stubbled but you wouldn’t say bearded. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is now greeting the teams and he is roundly booed by the crowd. As per tradition. 7.46pm AEST08:46 Someone called Havana Brown on stage now, lip-synching like her life depended on it by the looks of it. I don’t have a pic for you, but here’s a pic of something else to get you in the mood. What is it about playing strips hanging in the sheds that just creates expectation? It's 2015 Australia Asian Cup ! #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/um9tc36bzw 7.41pm AEST08:41 Speaking of the pressure on the Socceroos and Postecoglou to come good at the right time, it’s one thing when we say it, but when a former coach says exactly the same thing it sounds rather more sinister. Here’s what former coach Pim Verbeek said this week: [Postecoglou’s] doing well but it’s all about results, that’s the way it works…In the World Cup he had enough excuses, there were only seven months to prepare and a young team. They got no points but still had respect from everyone. Perfect. But at the Asian Cup the expectations are there and it’s time to deliver. Ange knows very well that he has to survive the first round and second round. He needs results, that’s clear. 7.37pm AEST08:37 A termite mound? And those clouds... Opening ceremony Asian cup! Come on Australia! #football #AsianCup2015 pic.twitter.com/gHgw7u3CtC 7.36pm AEST08:36 The opening ceremony is underway and, I swear, the volume is so loud within the stadium that I’m worried my ears may start bleeding. What’s happening? I’m disorientated by the noise but there’s some group going all hip hop on a hexagonal stage, and other people jumping about, and kids in soccer strips zipping over the grass, others dressed to look like oranges. God, my ears! 7.30pm AEST08:30 Teams? Why not: Australia XI: Ryan, Franjic, Sainsbury, Spiranovic, Behich, Jedinak, Luongo, Troisi, Leckie, Kruse, Cahill Kuwait XI: Hameed, Hussain, Al Hajeri, Al-Qahtani, Saleh, Aziz, Alebrahim, Sultan, Al Enzi, Faisal, Al-Maqseed. Alternatively... Team Sheets for both teams #Socceroos #AsianCup2015 pic.twitter.com/RQS4bLc3ms 7.23pm AEST08:23 Chilly here in the stadium, where a southerly is blowing and the crowd is building and the teams are warming up. There’s a gold hue covering the stands but behind the southern goal there is a small but hardy contingent of Kuwait fans wearing blue. How do I know they are hardy? They refrained from leaving the stadium when the sound system blared out Peter Andre’s Mysterious Girl. Who’s Peter Andre, young readers? Why he’s the man who invented abs: 7.20pm AEST08:20 Kuwait? They qualified for the tournament in March 2014 by finishing second in their group (with two wins, three draws and a loss) behind Iran and ahead of Lebanon and Thailand. Since then they were undefeated in six friendlies before exiting November’s Gulf Cup of Nations after beating Iraq, drawing with the UAE and getting tonked 5-0 by Oman. In the wake of that tournament coach Jorvan Vieira was sacked meaning his replacement, Tunisian Nabil Maaloul, has had just seven weeks with his team. It’s far too little time to shape a team the way you want, so Maaloul will just tighten a few nuts and bolts, perhaps whack a spot here and there with the edge of his spanner, and hope for the best. On the surface, Kuwait don’t look ready to pull off any kind of upset. But then this is sport and all the pressure is on the men in gold. 7.17pm AEST08:17 The narrative surrounding the Socceroos in recent times is that they have been a team in transition. New coach, new players, a proactive, possession-based style of football to get their heads around. Last year’s World Cup came too soon for this group of Socceroos, though they did well enough, if you can say that about a team that didn’t earn a point (and I think you can). In the 15 months since Postecoglou took the reigns (during which time the Socceroos have won just two, and drawn two, of 12 matches), we’ve understood that it’s all been about building for the future. Well, it sounds like a contradiction of time and space, but the future is here. Of course, for all the infusion of new blood, Australia still seem overly reliant on a couple of precious relics from the past: Mark Bresciano and, more notably, Tim Cahill. The ageless midfielder-cum-out-and-out-striker has scored eight of Australia’s past 12 goals. Talisman doesn’t begin to describe his influence and aura and one doesn’t want to imagine what would happen were injury to strike him down, so I won’t even mention it. But even if he plays every minute of this tournament The Golden Nut can’t carry Australia on his own bonce. If he gets a chance, Nathan Burns needs to transfer his A-League form into the international arena, Tomi Juric too needs to find the net, and assists and goals are needed from Australia’s fleet-footed wingers and midfielders; Tommy Oar, Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse and co. In the midfield and at the back Australia has looked vulnerable, partly due to the play-it-out philosophy which has its rewards but punishes mistakes. But captain Mile Jedinak is in place to run the show and considering Australia’s long preparation they would expect themselves to be ready and able to get the job done tonight. What do you think, dear readers? On tonight’s match specifically, but I can be drawn into tangents. Drop me a line: paul.connolly@theguadian.com 7.10pm AEST08:10 Preamble Good evening folks. I’m coming to you tonight from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (it rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) where the Asian Cup kicks off with the match between the hosts, Australia, and fellow Group A team, Kuwait. Tiny Kuwait: sand in their gussets and fodder for the hosts, right? Don’t bet on it. Yes, times and teams have changed, but history counts for something and in the past three matches between these two countries Kuwait —who won the Asian Cup back in 1980—have won two to Australia’s none. I didn’t intend to alarm you so early in the piece but there you go. The world is a cruel place and you’ve got to learn that sooner or later. If I may be so bold as to describe the mood here I’d say it’s one of foreboding, like a camping trip you’ve been looking forward to for ages but one which has, wouldn’t you bloody well know it, coincided with an imminent meteorological meltdown. The past few days in Melbourne were steamier than an orang-utan wearing a tracksuit in a sauna in a Sumatran jungle and it’s taken its toll. A cold front has arrived with a congress of clouds and rain fell in sheets for a time yesterday, and steadily this morning. It’s not raining now but there are heavy clouds overhead and if they’re ornery enough they will unleash their payload during the game. The playing surface is Irish green but it will surely be wet and could get wetter. Will a downpour hinder the desire of Ange Postecoglou’s men to play it out from the back or will it help, considering they would be more used to wet, cool conditions than their opponents, most of whom ply their trade in their home country? I don’t imagine it rains all that often in Kuwait, so you’d think… actually, I should check the precipitation figures, shouldn’t I? Alright then, hold on (with bated breath, no doubt)… Okay. It does rain, but not a lot: 107mm annually in Kuwait City compared to Melbourne’s 537mm. But it never rains in June, July, August and September, so if you were thinking of somewhere reliably dry to go camping then look no further than Kuwait City. Helpful information that, but I can’t help but feel I’ve gone a little off track here. So back to the game, one which, though it’s the first of Australia’s three group matches, has a crunch feel to it. A loss or draw tonight for the hosts would not only mimic the result of a pin meeting a balloon but it would put the 100th-ranked Australia under enormous pressure to qualify from their group, one which also contains South Korea (#69) and Oman (#93). FIFA’s ranking system often makes less sense than that chef from the Muppet Show, but a semifinal berth would probably be considered a pass mark for the Socceroos, if one is feeling generous. Bowing out in the group stage, however, would be a disaster. So all hands to the pump, Australia, make Kuwait (#125) wish they’d never heard the name Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, let alone stepped foot inside its geometric perfection! Kick-off: 8pm. 7.10pm AEST08:10 Finally, the waiting is over. The Asian Cup 2015 is upon us and the man to guide you expertly through the tournament’s opening game is Paul Connolly. He’ll be here soon enough, but in the meantime, have a read of Kate Cohen’s excellent Socceroos preview. While Australia aren’t favourites for the tournament – that honour goes to Japan – the final four is surely a minimum expectation for the side and its supporters. |