Rogic is a 15-20 min late sub

And yet he still beats multiple players consistently every game.

His speed is a problem if he follows that up with an attempt to break away using his speed - but it isn't just that. Someone who beats a couple of players should be able to then pass a ball to someone else in space and create a threat at least.

Thinking about it, it cannot be easy running off him since he may pass after he beats the first player, or he may pass after the second, or the third, or he might change direction. You can't time a run off that sort of playing style.

I feel we pack our midfield too much and it means the players are then happy to play short passes. With a single guy at 6, he'd be forced to play it around a bit further. The others would then be forced to move around. 

Today was the silly big square box midfield. I just don't get why Arnie decided to change it up. All in hindsight but changing the formation a bit saw the players lost and we don't know whether the one we'd been using can be effective against better teams. No we're stuck again. 

Rogic was still fairly decent today. Some of those passes were gems and he was able to turn and go left numerous times.

Though, imagine bringing him on for that final 20 with Mabil. Then it may pan out differently. The list Chondro wrote of who should come in excites. We need to arrange as many practice games as we can post WC 22 whether we go or not. 

Why the f%#k did Rogic start????

A reality check.11 wins in a row .But against top quality teams I cant recall a win for some time.
Its hard to say,where we go from here.

That was abysmal. Before Japan’s second goal I was feeling sorry for them.

They’d been making us look like a Sunday league team and were on track to draw at home, after a bunch of poor results.

Again and again and again and again we coughed up the ball because of poor first touch receiving. I lost count. You have to wonder how these blokes make a living out of playing football.

In some cases, they even had a few touches and then took a heavy touch. The Japanese said arigato gozaimusu and ran off with the ball.

We also move the ball along really slowly so the Japanese players could make a slide tackle and turn it over.

They moved fantastically off the ball and carved us up. While our passes easily intercepted, theirs moved the ball into really uncomfortable parts of the pitch for us.

The Japanese players looked a lot faster, too. What happened to Aussie footballers being athletic?

Aziz Behich looked like football’s left back equivalent of a “walking wicket”  tonight. Fran Karacic made some really poor decisions, such as attempting to score a goal from well outside the 18 yard box when he had a bunch of teammates ahead of him.

Good shot from Adam Taggart. It was sufficiently-powerful to make the Japanese goalkeeper have to make a very good save. Phenomenal goal from Ajdin Hrustic.

But it’s very disheartening that after all this focus on technically stronger football, the first touch was elephantine and the movement off the ball was mediocre. To say nothing of a lack of speed and agility.

Aziz Behich has played well for the Socceroos in the past. I hope that he can do so again the future.

Tonight, however, was lousy.

For one-off upsets?
For *plucky* losses (Netherlands in 2014, France in 2018)?

Or for sustained success?

Tonight's match was a testament to two vastly different Football administrations....

Lets go back to say 1990, and compare the two sides...

Japan decided to build their league on touch... and then shape ..... they started out and in many ways still are corporate based teams... however the requirement to be top flight was all based on technical development.

Never in our history, has Australia had such a desire among our admins... 

IMO Japan is a top 20 side..... be it they are starting slow this time..


  

The awful thing is that, compared to other Japanese sides, this one wasn’t that great.

And still they move the ball around really nicely and dispossessed us with ease. We looked lethargic compared to them.

Imagine if that had been a a really good Japanese side.

Also what’s the point in taking Arzani away from his club side of he doesn’t play? It’s great having him in the squad for his development. Maybe he brings the confidence back with him to his club side?

But I’d have thought it would be more sensible for him to stay in Belgium, train as much as possible and really work on getting better match by match. Flying to Asia/ME every month can’t be helpful (unless it’s some outside-the-box way of improving his self-confidence)

Is it wishful thinking to hope that China can salvage a draw against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah?

That would be extremely helpful.

Saudi lead China early. Oman 2:1 vs Vietnam. Fanbloodytastic

That is no good for us

Gotta think too. Oman best Japan 1:0 as did Saudi. Law of averages was also against us today. This run had to come to an end and the players have been complacent for quite some time. I take hope from the snippets of decent play. I'm concerned Arnie can't pick it up and this next window is thankfully soon so they'll hopefully have it in mind to make amends.

Behich will be feeling terrible tonight. He got in when Smith was shocking. I guess Smith then was an easy act to follow. Behich rarely put a foot wrong. It's just so horrid that it went so badly for him tonight in the biggest game. Today was the exam and they failed miserable. 

China make it 1:2 on 46. Mon! 

C'mon China!! The Saudis r so skillful in ball movement. Wish we can play like that.

3:1 then 3:2 Saudi. Ordinary Saudi keeping.

Nine minutes added. Come on China! 

Massive chance China. Fucking square it!

China with a great move down wing giving them a 3 on 2 in the box. He needed to square it 2 metres and it would've been 3:3.

The other group has seen plenty of draws. The next game is absolutely crucial and then the 3 'easier' games come. I do wonder how the other teams will go in their next 4 games. If we're not in a solid place before the final two we're in for it big time. 

12 games 0 draws, this could mean we'll  need 22 to get top 2 if it keeps happening.

No ifs, no buts, we need to beat SA

It was? We really took it to the Dutch and played well against Chile after the first 15. We actually looked dangerous occasionally. And all that with the worst squad we've ever had and in the most difficult group we've ever faced. There was cause to be optimistic about the future. 

2018 on the other hand was completely wasted on excessive caution and negative tactics. The Peru game was particularly woeful and exposed Van Marwijk for the hack mercenary that he is, but we created nothing in the other two either. Two lucky penalties was all we could point to.  There really was nothing to be positive about after our performance in Russia. It was very disappointing. We went out with a whimper. At least in 2014 we had a go. 

Don't get fooled, Japan may not be playing as a team, but as individual players, this is a very strong team, lots of good players playing in Europe.

The big difference & always has been is our first touch & Harper mentioned it, every first touch that was slightly astray Japan pounced on it.

It was 3 (brave) losses. How we played won't be remember in a 100 years just that we shipped 9 goals

That's because Japanese players have now decided to get out of their comfort zone and play in Europe. 

This Japan team is not a patch on what they have had in the past.  There is no equal to the likes of Y Endo, Honda, Kagawa, Hasebe, Okazaki, the Twin Tower CB's.

As for the bad first touch, that IS Australian football in general.  This is a skill that even the likes of Oman and Saudi Arabia possess, but we never have, in general. 

But this is a learned skill, we should be able to teach it.  So its down to the youth coaches.

So wtf are the youth coaches doing?  The buck stops with them. Either they don't know how to teach a good first touch, or they don't select players that have it.  Or both.

Anyway it hasn't gotten better in decades, why expect it to now.

Both campaigns were abysmal - i dont know how anyone can think otherwise....

If we make it to Qatar it will probably be about the same if not worse under GA

So when will Smith be available again?

I thought the whole midfield was terrible last night and that for me was the main problem . It reminded me of watching us trying to qualify under Ange , they were slow cumbersome with almost no go forward . Mooy and Rogic together was supposed to be a problem back then ? Mooy lost the ball at the start of the second half with his first two touches and put us under enormous pressure , I think we look better without him . Also both Behich and Irvine looked outclassed . 
The Japanese movement in the midfield was vastly superior and gave the ball carrier options . Our defence had almost no options going forward .