The Socceroos were brought back to earth in a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador as Graham Arnold handed more opportunities to the team’s exciting new generation of players – this time, to more mixed results.
Brandon Borrello’s first international goal put Australia ahead in the first half of Tuesday night’s clash at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, but despite the best efforts of debutant goalkeeper Joe Gauci – who made a string of terrific saves – they could not contain the visitors.
Craig Goodwin takes on Angelo Preciado in Melbourne.Credit:Getty Images
Clearly intent on exacting revenge for Friday night’s 3-1 defeat in Sydney, Ecuador were slicker on the ball and much more physical in the tackle – and their coach Felix Sanchez later admitted they were determined to make an “extra effort” to match their opponents in that department. The Socceroos, on the other hand, were more disjointed at both ends of the pitch than in the first game, which Arnold would have anticipated after making seven changes to his starting line-up.
A second-half penalty, given away by Thomas Deng, allowed Pervis Estupinan to level the scores from the spot in the 51st minute. William Pacho brilliantly nodded home a corner 14 minutes later to give the visitors the lead. On the balance of play, it was fully deserved.
“If there’s one big lesson we learned tonight, for the young boys, it was the physicality of the game, and the speed,” Arnold said.
“These type of things are a great learning experience … an opportunity to see how and what it takes to be top players.”
While the result is disappointing for the Socceroos, there is no great shame in a defeat to Ecuador. They only missed out on the World Cup knockout phase due to goal difference, and Arnold rolled out a youthful team, which included just five starters from Qatar. The players he exposed here will be much better for the experience – including Melbourne City left-back Jordan Bos, who got his first taste of international football off the bench, and rarely looked out of place.
“It’s been a fantastic 10 days,” Arnold said.
“We’ve found players – three or four or five kids that can handle the level, and they’re only going to get better. But we need to expose them to more of these type of things.”
Jackson Irvine was handed the captain’s armband.Credit:Getty Images
If last week’s clash gave Socceroos fans a glimpse of the future, this was a much longer, clearer and probably more realistic look at what lies ahead, at least in the immediate term. Arnold handed a debut to Gauci, the Adelaide United custodian, a second cap to Hearts midfielder Cameron Devlin, a third to former Melbourne Victory defender Deng, and a first start in almost two years for Borrello, who played up front in the striking role he has excelled in this season for Western Sydney Wanderers.
Hometown lad Jackson Irvine wore the captain’s armband for the first time, becoming just the 63rd player to skipper the Socceroos in the team’s 100-year history.
Curiously, Arnold chose not to use 17-year-old excitement machine Nestory Irankunda, who was in line to become the youngest Socceroos player of all time. Manchester City youngster Alex Robertson was also an unused sub.
While they spent the latter part of the first half – and most of the second – on the back foot, Australia started brightly enough. Borrello hit the opener in the 22nd minute when the in-form Craig Goodwin’s shot cannoned off the right post and rolled straight to him, with an open goal at his mercy. He celebrated with a backflip; but it proved the only breakthrough from their opening blitz.
Gauci was kept increasingly busy, making two key interventions to deny Kevin Rodriguez, who brushed past Deng to go one-on-one with the rookie goalkeeper in the 22nd minute. It would be hard to imagine a more confident start to his Socceroos career – and the team needed it, given the way Ecuador wrestled back the momentum as the opening stanza wore on.
In midfield, Devlin smothered Premier League star Moises Caicedo – then copped an accidental knee to the head from Pacho. Blood gushed everywhere until team medicos were able to intervene.
He wasn’t the only one in the wars. Bailey Wright, who slotted into defence alongside Deng for the injured Harry Souttar, also copped a heavy hit to the head in a challenge but played the full 90 minutes.
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