0-0 A Bonus For Socceroos
The Age
Thursday March 27, 2008
IT WAS a golden point for Australia forged in the white heat of battle in Kunming last night. The scoreless draw against China - earned with a penalty save by Mark Schwarzer - provided ample evidence the Socceroos have the character to make a fist of this World Cup campaign.
Against the odds, and in spite of the altitude, a patched-up side showed enormous commitment, and discipline, to graft out a result that - depending on the outcome of Iraq's match early today - might still leave the Socceroos at the top of the group. The encouraging news is that, on this evidence, Australia has the better of China, which must now come to Sydney for the final match of the group stage in June.By then, qualification for the next phase might already have been achieved and this point in Kunming could be viewed as a priceless one.Playing without a genuine striker, Australia was always at long odds to score - making a clean sheet a priority. It was achieved, not without some anxious moments, but with purpose and composure.In the end, the Socceroos can thank Schwarzer for securing the draw, his 88th-minute penalty save deflating Chinese hopes of a victory. Schwarzer had conceded the penalty - hesitating as he came off his line to clear a hopeful strike from Sun Xiang and, by the time he went in to make a challenge on striker Qu Bo, his timing was out. Down went the substitute, and referee Mohamed al Saeedi pointed to the spot.Around the ground, and on the pitch, the celebrations had already begun, but Shao Jiayi still had the task of converting from the spot. An unconvincing effort went straight to Schwarzer, who gratefully claimed the ball.The Socceroos even had time to try and steal a win. Deep into stoppage time, Mark Bresciano escaped down the right and cut the ball back to the edge of the box, but David Carney didn't attack the ball with the goal at his mercy.And so it was a point apiece, a result that helps Australia much more than the Chinese. The home team, though, can have no complaints, its passive approach playing right into Australia's hands. Apart from a flurry of activity early in the second half, China rarely threatened to speed up the game - negating the altitude factor for the visiting team. The fact coach Pim Verbeek made his only voluntary substitution minutes before the end demonstrated how well the Australians lasted the distance.The first half was the key, and the Socceroos did more than simply survive it, they fashioned the best chance of the game. China turned over possession cheaply in midfield, the ball was funnelled quickly to Brett Holman, and his early cross found Bresciano, whose shot was heading for the bottom corner before keeper Zong Lei produced a fine reflex save.It was the closest either team came to a goal before the break, although the home team did manage three half-chances - Han Peng blocked by a superb covering tackle from Jade North, Zhi Zhenyi failing to connect properly as he closed in on goal, and Zhu Ting volleying over after Australia failed to clear a corner.But for the Socceroos, and Verbeek, the first half could hardly have gone better. The fear that China would start fast, and hard, failed to materialise, giving the Australians breathing space to work themselves into the game. One key was China's failure to pressure either Vince Grella or Carl Valeri in midfield. They were rarely challenged, giving them time to receive and turn - suggesting China had failed to do its homework on Australia's makeshift XI.The only disappointment for the Socceroos in the opening stanza was the substitution of striker Archie Thompson, who was crunched by Feng Xiaoting after just three minutes and had to go off.
© 2008 The Age