but Yazbek looked very good.

what do you base this on?  Hill & Harper's jabbering?
He got skinned for their goal.

Brave call to make six changes to the starting team so kudos to Popa for this.Brattan  not up to the pace of this Japanese team but Yazbek looked very good.

I am a big fan of Ryan but Gauci does look like he will usurp his position as first choice keeper.Geria was immense as was Harry.Burgess could not be blamed for the og as he had to play at the ball as there was a Japanese player behind who would have had a tap in.

Miller was exposed by Mitoma's pace and the RB position continues to be a problem.He did get the important "assist" but  for the time he should be a squad player rather than a starter-should Atkinson be there.

Bos is a dynamo and this was a good experience for him. He did find his opponent  difficult initially but started to come to grips with him.

Have only watched the live game - which was tense. Great result!

Looking forward to watching a replay, which always show up interesting things after watching a game live. I might have a different opinion looking at a replay. However, Popa, like all new coaches Aus have had, has made sone selections few would have thought to do - and they've come off.

Geria - in one and a half Socceroo games in this WCQ phase, he has been close to the best player we have had! How the heck didn't Arnie recognise his  quality as a Right CB in a back three, and general defensive qualities? He has been immense.
When I watched Victory a lot in the last season, after subscribing to Paramount in January, MV have  dominated possession and  territory in most games. Hence, I was particularly interested in young players Arzani, Villupillay, Teague and Valadon - with an eye to the Socceroos. From Geria's  2 Socceroo performances thus far, he has to be a starter in the next games. He is aged 31. What a waste of an excellent defender.

Gauci- others know more about shotstopping than me. As a shot stopper he has done little wrong. One errant pass against China with the ball on the deck. Another good call from Popa. 

Villupillay- could not hit the side of a barn for MV or the Aus u23s, last season, despite plenty of excellent ball playing and ball winning qualities. He is the only Aus striker to score in the last 4 games, albeit Goodwin being a winger. Another good Popovic call. 

Will have to have a closer look at Brattan in the replay, but I think Nesbit should have been selected based on previous performances.

Hrustic was all at sea, with so little ball. Off the ball work is not his go.Metcalfe would have been more effective. 

Both  Irvine and Miller struggled against more nimble opposition - both are just too slow footed with the ball at their feet to wrongfoot Japanese players. Miller was a great selection against China, with his aerial prowess and he provided the excellent cross that led to the Japanese own goal, but the likes of the more nimble Strain or Atkinson are needed against Japan.

I just wonder if Popa is a bit put out that Arnie underestimated the ability of A L players to do a job? Forget where players play club football, Geria has been our best CB along with Souttar.  One of our best ever CBs, Spira, played most of his club football with Popa in the AL.

At the same time other players have really been shown up against Japan. Japan are knocking on the  door of a world powerhouse reputation. Their technique on the ball, really fast handling speed, perfect body shape under time and space pressure, two footedness, was simply a class above Aus. They are pretty well as good as the UEFA powerhouses and probably better than any South Americans outside Brazil and Argentina.

In their Squeezing, the measure of  intensity of football pressure off the ball, within different types of press, was incredible. As soon as a Socceroo gained a turnover, often three Japanese  swarmed in the Defensive Transitions and won the ball back within a second or two.

Whatever the past tactical inferiority of Japan compared to Aus 10 years ago, as identified by FFA Tech Dept, given all the Japanese players play in really good tactical leagues in UEFA, we just couldn't  move the quickly enough to stop Japan  reading our patterns of play, and anticipating where the build up was occurring too quickly for Aus to keep the ball.

For Japan to have 71% Possession, meant absolute domination. Undoubtedly Aus had brilliant concentration off the ball, for sustained periods, but like when SK played Aus in the Asian Cup, we were totally outclassed by Japan. I just marvelled at the quality of their football. Aus doesn't need to look to outside Asia, for technical advice. Foot Aus need study groups of coaches visiting Japan to acquire training ground methodology.

Aussie Eurosnobs are simply deluded by ignoring Asian football. Japan play better quality football than many  UEFA football matches they watch. 

Also, I've previously said a weakness in UEFA teams is many are tot tall in height, but only teams like Argentina and Brazil are good enough to exploit it. Japan is another team with many nimble, shorter players, very quick on the turn. In recent periods, Portugal and Spain , haven't relied on lots of tall players, but Japan is another quality football team playing deck football.

Apart from Bos, and McGree at times, there was little Aus impetus going forwards. We struggled to keep the ball against the intensive Japanese Squeezing.  Popa tucked the wingers  from the  three in.  McGree and Hrustic,  played inside,  which was effective in a 4-5-1- or 5-2-3 in Ball Possession opposition, but didn't work in 3-4-3 Ball Possession. Hrsutic received little service.

Yazbek did well after replacing Brattan in midfield.

Burgess has superior passing to Rowles and his frame keeps people at bay. Rowles has his days but I think Burgess is the more complete player. Rowles never gets an attacking header.

Good game by Gauci but he wasn't exactly tested. He's definitely cementing the number 1 spot and needs to seek a loan away. He's the type of better keeper that should be loaned as Villa will have him long term. The gather from the low cross was good yet there was a good metre and a half of space on the side angle so it's a rudimentary skill done 100 times a week in training. His aerial dominance was better than against China. He's not to blame but the cross for their goal was in his target range which can be seen on the side angle. Ryan would be blamed for not stopping it. It's almost as if keepers won't always perform miracles but are easy scapegoats.

anyone remember that world game article foster wrote ages back about how geriatric was our first press resistant defender (it was during an u20 world cup). Nice to see him finally debut for the roos and do well

The underrated influence in this team might be Paul Okon whom coached some of these guys at the u20 World Cup which was the last one we have qualified for an u20 World Cup.

That team played quite a possession based game so maybe no coincidence that influence has got into the current Roos style as well.

I think you're a little harsh on Gauci. He was never getting to that cross.

I thought he really grew in confidence and looked very in control by the end of the match. Will have the job for a long time - injury permitting.

I know I say this every week....but why do afc refs hate us? Lots of Japanese fouls not being called when winning aerial duels. If we can't win aerial duels, it is very difficult for us to advance the ball at all. Now bratten is cleaned up at 22 minutes and no foul called. 

now souttar playing a japanese player onside at 21 minutes while geria bos and burgess all stepped forward. Those little things need to improve

Yep initially thought way off then the staggered line. Post mortem we came off unscathed in a scoring sense from their guns. I'll take it. So much to learn from this match and a point to boot.

It's more an observation than a criticism. The third replay is along the goal line and the ball is exactly imprinted in Gauci's full glove area milliseconds before his own hand goes past it. I didn't realise how close he was an it's a shame a bit of good fortune wasn't on his side. Of course the proximity and speed means a keeper is rarely going to get to it but I'm saying more the original angles didn't show that it was much closer than we maybe thought. 

Given the numbers we had in the 5 yard box, if only Geria had started his press half a second earlier. These are things Popovic will address. Players being aware of our own defensive numbers beforehand and knowing when a charge is safe or not.

I know I say this every week....but why do afc refs hate us? Lots of Japanese fouls not being called when winning aerial duels. If we can't win aerial duels, it is very difficult for us to advance the ball at all. Now bratten is cleaned up at 22 minutes and no foul called. 

I remember after Roos won 2015 Acup Uae protested that Australia shouldn’t be in Asia - so maybe it’s an anti westerner thing?

Could be, it doesnt just seem to be dodgy calls, nearly every dodgy call is against us

Brave call to make six changes to the starting team so kudos to Popa for this.Brattan  not up to the pace of this Japanese team but Yazbek looked very good.

I am a big fan of Ryan but Gauci does look like he will usurp his position as first choice keeper.Geria was immense as was Harry.Burgess could not be blamed for the og as he had to play at the ball as there was a Japanese player behind who would have had a tap in.

Miller was exposed by Mitoma's pace and the RB position continues to be a problem.He did get the important "assist" but  for the time he should be a squad player rather than a starter-should Atkinson be there.

Bos is a dynamo and this was a good experience for him. He did find his opponent  difficult initially but started to come to grips with him.

anyone remember that world game article foster wrote ages back about how geriatric was our first press resistant defender (it was during an u20 world cup). Nice to see him finally debut for the roos and do well

I know I say this every week....but why do afc refs hate us? Lots of Japanese fouls not being called when winning aerial duels. If we can't win aerial duels, it is very difficult for us to advance the ball at all. Now bratten is cleaned up at 22 minutes and no foul called. 

GeriaTric? Harsh! Hahaha