The Socceroos have taken a tentative step forward in their final match before the World Cup, beating New Zealand 2-0 in Auckland as Garang Kuol became the country’s youngest debutant since Harry Kewell in 1996 – and in less than 10 minutes of action, mounted a tantalising case for selection.
The first half at Eden Park on Sunday was disjointed and timid from Graham Arnold’s men, but they improved markedly in the second to keep alive a sense of optimism about what they could do in a tough group in Qatar in less than two months’ time.
Garang Kuol impressed for the Socceroos against New Zealand.Credit:Getty
Mitchell Duke’s 54th-minute header put Australia ahead, but the introduction of Kuol, his Central Coast Mariners strike partner Jason Cummings and Scotland-based midfielder Cameron Devlin shortly afterwards gave them even further impetus, as each put their hands up for a spot in Arnold’s final 26-man squad.
Kuol, who is expected to sign imminently for Newcastle United, created the opening for the Socceroos’ second goal with a blistering run down the right flank before playing in Riley McGree, who forced a great save out of Kiwi shotstopper Oli Sail.
Cummings took a swing at the rebound, but it was blocked from going in by the hand of former A-League defender Liberato Cacace, who gave away a penalty which the Scottish-born striker – whose mother was born in Australia – dispatched confidently in the 80th minute.
Kuol, who turned 18 two weeks ago, also had a great chance to score himself in the dying minutes, but his attempt from an acute angle was deflected, although he generally showed the sort of line-breaking ability that the Socceroos have so often lacked.
Jason Cummings celebrates a goal on debut for the Socceroos.Credit:Getty
Kuol, Cummings and Devlin, who helped straighten out their dysfunctional midfield, were among five debutants fielded off the bench, along with St Mirren pair Ryan Strain and Keanu Baccus.
“I’m really proud of those young boys,” Arnold said on Network 10. “I’ll go back and review it and have a close look at things before I’d say publicly. But it’s just refreshing to see the young faces, their energy was fantastic. It’s great that they’re knocking on the door.
“I wanted this to happen, I wanted to have [selection] headaches. I didn’t want to be sitting at home, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, where am I going to get players from?’ They’ve shown me today, we can do it.”
The Socceroos will not play any more friendlies before their World Cup campaign begins against defending champions France on November 22, and unlike past tournaments where they have enjoyed a lengthy camp beforehand, the mid-season timing of this edition means they will have less than a week together in Doha to prepare for that match – meaning all aspirants for Arnold’s squad now have only club football to show Arnold why they should be on the plane.
Garang Kuol and Jason Cummings at King St Wharf earlier this month.Credit:Getty
As promised, Arnold fielded an entirely new line-up in Auckland. All but one player from the team that started Thursday’s 1-0 win in Brisbane were spared from the trip across the ditch, with the only survivor, Martin Boyle, an unused substitute.
Korea-based stopper Harrison Delbridge was given his first cap, paired next to the impressive Thomas Deng – playing just his second match for Australia, four years after his first – in the centre of defence. Andrew Redmayne, meanwhile, was given the nod in goals ahead of Mitchell Langerak, the in-form Nagoya Grampus custodian who came out of retirement to make himself available for this FIFA window in the hope of a World Cup berth.
But the experimental team fielded by Arnold, skippered by veteran Mathew Leckie, never looked like clicking in the first half. The same issues that characterised their wobbles through their qualification campaign were evident again. Connor Metcalfe, Denis Genreau and Riley McGree started in midfield – but only McGree has been playing regular football for his club, Middlesbrough, and it showed as they battled to generate any degree of penetration. On the rare occasions they did, the final pass or finishing touch wasn’t there.
Possession was even in the opening stanza, but New Zealand had the more threatening moments and had five shots to the Socceroos’ three, with only one on target, an outside-the-box attempt from McGree that went straight to Sail.
They should have taken the lead just before the break when Duke cut the ball back to Marco Tilio, but with an open goal at his mercy the highly-rated Melbourne City youngster scuffed his shot from point-blank range in a massive reprieve for the hosts.
But the Socceroos were vastly improved in the second half. Their movement, pressing and intent was much better, their passing crisper, and after putting the All Whites under a sustained period of pressure, the deadlock finally broke in the 54th minute when Connor Metcalfe’s beautiful left-footed cross was met brilliantly by a leaping Duke – and it only got better from there.
