The AFC Asian Cup may be just around the corner but Australia coach Ange Postecoglou is in no rush to show the Socceroos are genuine title contenders.
The Socceroos face fierce rival and Asian champion Japan, which is favourite to defend its crown in January, at Osaka’s Yanmar Stadium on Tuesday.
The clash will be the Socceroos’ last outing before they kick off their Asian Cup campaign against Kuwait in Melbourne on 9 January.
But despite Australia’s underwhelming performances since the World Cup, most recently against United Arab Emirates and Qatar, Postecoglou says he doesn’t feel the need to prove they’re realistic Asian Cup contenders on Tuesday.
“No, I think the time to show that will be the first game (against Kuwait),” he said.
“Regardless of what we do tomorrow night it’s still about being ready for that first game. That’s going to be the important one for us and we want to be ready for that tournament so everything in between is just preparation for that.
“Everything else is just a distraction. It’s got nothing to do with what we’re thinking or what our focus is. Our focus is to make sure that we’ve got a really strong pool of players ready for that first game on 9 January.”
Postecoglou says he’ll field his strongest side against Japan.
Talisman Tim Cahill had been in doubt after copping a bad knock to his hip on Friday but Postecoglou said the veteran would rejoin team training on Monday and indicated he would be fit for the clash at Yanmar Stadium.
There is speculation that Japan’s coach Javier Aguirre may not start big name players Keisuke Honda, who plays for AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa and FC Schalke’s Atsuto Uchida, who were all in action in their 6-0 drubbing of Honduras on Friday.
But Postecoglou says he won’t be doing the same and will put his best XI on the field.
“For us the most important thing is that tomorrow everyone’s available and we’ll put our strongest team out there and we also want to continue to give some opportunities to some players, even off the bench, to play some quality opposition,” he said.
“We’re using this as our final preparation and this game is an important part of that so we’ll field a strong team.”
Captain Mile Jedinak remembers all too well the Socceroos’ extra-time loss to Japan in the 2011 Asian Cup final and the tense draw in the World Cup qualifier in Saitama last year.
But despite Tuesday’s game only being an uncompetitive match he says there’s still so much on the line for both sides.
“Whenever we have played against Japan it brings out the best in both nations,” Jedinak said.
“Whenever we do play we always have that great rivalry and there’s always been something at stake, whether it be for three points in a qualifier or like in 2011 in the Asian Cup final. ”But that doesn’t lessen the significance tomorrow night. It’s an important hitout for both teams and I think you’ll see both teams go at it and give it their all.
“So it should be another good, strong contest.”
source: theworldgame.sbs.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 