Media reports just won't do, since everyone has a different interpretation of the way a game should be played, of what happened, and of what the overall impression is.
Despite the game being called dour, my assessment is very, very positive. I thoroughly enjoyed the match.
This was a game that required a different approach and set of skills to the Germany match, and in which a reconstituted Australian team performed very well.
Macedonia had analysed Australia against Germany and decided the counter attack was vital to guard against and, as such, defended in the middle of the field until forced back by the Socceroos into a deep defensive unit.
The Socceroos knew Macedonia defended in a 4-4-2 and had captain Mile Jedinak contributing to the build-up where necessary, with the remaining midfielders taking up positions either side of the central two opposing midfield players.
Both sides had done their homework and the game was a tense, tactical battle.
Australia controlled most of the game, and crucially defended well against the counter attack they would now be faced with, a different problem to the Germans, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Australia's players pass the ball and try to combine to find a way through.
The passage of play in the 66th minute to create a chance for Mathew Leckie was particularly good, and demonstrated why this game was of great value.
After so many years talking about it, it is always a pleasure to see Australia holding the ball and being patient in possession, and this team did so commendably.
The match allowed Australia to test its midfield and attacking cohesion against an opponent playing as most Asian teams will do in the forthcoming qualifying campaign.
This is where the midfield was so important, and the presence of Massimo Luongo and Aaron Mooy, as well as Nathan Burns and Tommy Oar, particularly finding spaces around the midfield area, meant Australia had players capable of playing in tight areas and working to unlock the opponent.
With Jedinak anchoring the centre of the field, the Socceroos possessed a group of players that are all mobile and competent on the ball, with plenty of speed looking to get behind where possible, and much of the play was delightful.
Again, it demonstrates the importance of what's happening in the A-League, with players all learning how to move around each other and a far higher focus on maintaining possession of the ball than was the case just a few years ago.
Macedonia also was far less willing to build-up from defence, which meant the opportunity to press and recover the ball very high was not as prevalent as the previous game against Germany.
Still, the Australians put on a highly competent display, demonstrating their ability to play against different systems and approaches, and stopping the opponent effectively when possession was lost.
The two matches, then, allowed the Socceroos to test themselves and grow in confidence against the Germans before utilizing the Macedonia match to assess new talent and grow the depth.
Oar performed very well in his 45 minutes on the pitch, it was great to have Luongo back and Mooy looks very comfortable in the new-look midfield.
In all, a very sound week of team development.
