SYDNEY – As far as footballing analysis goes, that goals change games isn’t the most cutting of insights; coming in just above the ball is round and the grass is green when it comes to stating the obvious. But oftentimes, the simplest of wisdom can be the most percipient. Take, for instance, Australia’s 5-1 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Indonesia on Thursday evening.
Across a ferocious opening 15 minutes, the Indonesians were dominant. They were not some demure minnow, coming to Australia seeking to eke out a result by ceding possession and looking to play on the counter-attack. They were pressing high and with intensity and moving the ball forward with lethal intent with the ball at their feet. Tony Popovic’s side almost looked shell shocked, panicked even, as they were hardly able to string a series of passes together before turning the ball over or committing silly errors that opened the door for them to be punished. Tim Garuda had arrived at the Sydney Football Stadium with an intent to win the game, rather than not lose it, and backed by a sea of red shirts in the stands that made a mockery of this being a ‘home’ fixture for the Socceroos, had their hosts on the ropes.
“After that, we received the penalty. If you score the penalty, it will be a totally different match. But unfortunately, Kevin hit the post and from that moment, we changed something in our minds or something. We didn’t play our play anymore.
“But I think that we fought like lions. We never dropped our heads. But unfortunately, I’m very disappointed.”
Goals, we can see, don’t just chance games. They change perceptions. They can change narratives, careers, World Cup qualification campaigns and maybe even the trajectory of an entire footballing nation.
The narrative that will naturally flow from Thursday is that Kluivert naive in sending his side out to try and get in the faces of a higher-ranked opponent with a high line.The outcome and Australia’s moves to bypass the midfield and work against isolated defenders reinforces this. Indonesia, meanwhile, have gone from pushing for an unlikely, diaspora-driven automatic qualification slot to fighting to avoid elimination thanks to the tight nature of the group. The PSSI backing the players and removing Shin Tae-Yong, who held Australia to a 0-0 draw in September, looks to have backfired. Their pursuit of a heavy program of naturalisation perhaps has left the side unjointed and reached the point of diminishing returns, too. But would anyone be saying that if Diks converted and took something from the game?
And what of Popovic? Right now, Australia is on track for automatic qualification and most of its fans still think he’s an overly negative and stubborn bastion of negative coaches. The coach has come under scrutiny for his policies at the selection table and Football Australia for so strongly and quickly backing a coach of his philosophy after breaking with Graham Arnold. But thanks to Diks’ miss, he remains undefeated, with more time to work on implementing his vision free of speculation on his future and signs of progress nor obfuscated by the pain of defeat.
Indeed, goals change games. But they can change so much more.
