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Easy as expected, says Australian coach Hiddink [Mon Sep 5th, 2005]
Guus Hiddink described his Australian national coaching debut thrashing of the Solomon Islands as “easyâ€; admitting many facets of the game worked on during training would be better tested against higher quality opposition.
The Dutchman, who took the national coaching mantle from Frank Farina in July, saw his team dominate the Islanders from start to finish, recording a 7-0 victory in the first leg of their Oceania World Cup qualifier at Aussie Stadium in Sydney.
Australia travel to Honiara to play the return leg on Tuesday to make official their mid-November date with the fifth-placed South American team. The winner of that two-leg series will earn the right to be named the 32nd team to secure a place at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
“It was an easy game, but that was expected,†Hiddink said after the match. “Of course we are happy to win every game. Even when it is a training game, I want them to win.â€
Newly-appointed skipper Mark Viduka grabbed a brace, while Jason Culina, Scott Chipperfield, Brett Emerton, Archie Thompson and Tim Cahill joined him on the scoresheet.
“What was important was to see some of the things we practiced for the big games,†the former South Korea coach said. “We wanted to press from the start, which we did, and then we had a bit of luck in a crowded area for the first goal.
“In that period I think we were a little bit too excited to get the first goal, and began using long balls instead of building up a game through the wings so our strikers could get in behind the defence.
“But I think we did well not to let them (Solomon Islands) play, and there were some quality goals.â€
Hiddink, a noted taskmaster, admitted that many of his tactical teachings to the Australian players at their August training camp in Holland were not able to be tested against the “weak†Solomon Islands. He said he was looking forward to the October friendly against Jamaica for a sterner test ahead of November’s all-important qualifiers.
“We were practicing to control the opponent in any circumstance, whether they play one striker, one-and-a-half strikers or two strikers. But it‘s completely different when we play one of the strongest teams in South America,†he admitted.
“That is why I’m interested to see how we play in our friendly game in October against Jamaica.â€
Hiddink added that he may change the side for the return leg in Honiara, while maintaining that regardless of the proposed changes on the park; the full squad will travel to the Islands to increase their level of “focus†towards November’s ultimate test.
“I’d like to see some other players as well; maybe part of the game or the whole game,†Hiddink said.
“(But) I’d like to take the whole squad. We are aiming on November, and everybody has to focus on that.â€
“I don’t have to learn about my players; I know them. But I want everyone together, and have their mind fixed on the major goal in November.â€
The PSV Eindhoven coach changed Farina’s unsuccessful 4-3-3 formation, choosing instead to start with three at the back, five in midfield and two up front. He said the reason for this formation was it made the squad more versatile.
“With this system you can change easily,†Hiddink said.
“It’s more easy when you play like this to change within the team, rather than using my bench.
“When you can change three in defence to four in defence from within the team if necessary, then it’s better than losing three substitutions,†he explained.
Hiddink did admit that he was yet to settle on his central midfield format, which included Josip Skoko, Cahill and Culina from the start.
“I’m still looking,†he said. “We have good technical players in the midfield, but you also need strong, physical players to recover the ball.â€
Meanwhile, Solomon Islands coach Airton Adrioli said he was impressed with his side’s first 20 minutes, before admitting it was always a case of “mission impossible†for his Island minnows.
“It was always mission impossible,†Adrioli said.
“We tried to put a team together in three weeks to play a full-strength Australian team that are used to playing at a higher level.
“For the first 20 minutes in the game, I was quite happy until we lost concentration.
“I hope the match in Honiara will be a greater test for the Australian team. We’ve broken the nerve barrier and I’m confident it will be a greater test in the Solomon Islands.â€
Adrioli also called the red card brandished by Malaysian referee Mohd Salleh Subkhiddin to defender Nelson Sale a “soft†one, and revealed error-ridden goalkeeper Francis Aruwafu was likely to be replaced for the Honiara leg on Tuesday.
AAP
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