Postecoglou calm after Socceroos upset in Amman

Coach Ange Postecoglou was more phlegmatic than furious after Australia's shock loss to Jordan, insisting after its first defeat on the road to Russia 2018 that he won’t be swayed from the course he has been steering for the national team.

Korea Republic v Australia - 2015 Asian Cup: Final

Source: Getty Images

While he can have taken few positives from a sterile and stuttering performance at Amman’s International Stadium, a steadfast Postecoglou was not in the mood for any drastic measures either.

Second half goals from Hassan Abdel Fattah and Hamza Al Daradreh sealed Australia's fate and continued a hoodoo against the host, which upset the Socceroos 2-1 in the capital city three years ago.
“We're not the finished product, we haven't said we are and we've got a lot of improvement in us,” Postecoglou said. 

"We're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater though, its one loss.

"I still firmly believe we're on the right track and we've got some home games to come, the task (of qualifying) is still in our hands.

"It's one result. If I was going to tear everything apart we've been building... so far it’s been working pretty well, tonight was a test, we didn't pass that test.

“We've obviously got to look at the reasons why.”

It all began to unravel in the 47th minute when a foul by Matthew Spiranovic paved the way for Fattah to blast Jordan ahead from the spot and Australia, playing with a worrying lack of width at times, never looked like recovering.

“We conceded a really bad goal and when you go a goal down in games like this it’s very hard to get any rhythm afterwards,” Postecooglou said.

“It gets a bit frustrating for the players. In the end, it was too big a task for us to get that goal back.

"It’s disappointing but we'll learn from it.”

Postecoglou brushed aside suggestions of an intimidation factor from a fiercely partisan crowd which never stopped backing the home side.

“People talk about the crowd but what do we want to do, play in empty stadiums?" he said.

"Its part of football, if our players don't want to be out there on a day like this, they're in the wrong business.

"The crowd gets behind them but that’s ok, it’s just part of what you expect at this level."

 “I thought we were okay in the first half, I thought we were relatively in control. I was hoping we could push on in the second half.

 "Once that goal goes in the game really stops and starts. They used every advantage they could which is fair enough.
“If you switch off for a second, away from home and you concede a goal then you know what you're going to get afterwards."
Postecoglou denied there was any hint of complacency from his team as it failed to answer the questions asked of it by a lively and fast-breaking Jordan.

“Whether we're Asian champions or not, World Cup spots are up for grabs," he said.

"That's enough motivation for any side, any country. We shouldn't expect teams will lift against us, we should expect it’s going to be hard all the time.

"I don’t think we underestimated the opposition, I don't think motivation was a factor tonight.

"We had a plan and it came unstuck and we found it very hard to get back into the game.”


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3 min read
Published 9 October 2015 7:50am
Updated 9 October 2015 10:53am
By David Lewis

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