Sydney: Ange Postecoglou hailed his Australia charges – and singled out Robbie Kruse for praise – after they signed off on the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifiers with a resounding 5-1 win over Jordan.
The Socceroos sealed top spot in Group B on Tuesday with an inspired display at the Sydney Football Stadium, advancing to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers and booking their place at the 2019 Asian Cup in the process.
In fact, a draw would have been enough to see them do just that but, having challenged his players to deliver a statement of intent before the game, Postecoglou was a satisfied boss after watching them produce the goods.
“It was good,” the 50-year-old said on Australia’s official website. “It wasn’t just about getting a result – we were pretty confident we’d win the game – we really wanted a strong performance.
“And I thought it was a strong performance (last) Thursday night against a weaker opponent (a 7-0 win over Tajikistan). But the signs were really good (against Jordan).
“We were a totally dominant side from start to finish.
“The boys have been very good in camp. All looked bright and fresh and (I am) pleased for them they got the rewards tonight (Tuesday).”
The Australians charged to a 3-0 lead by halftime courtesy of a Tim Cahill double and an Aaron Mooy strike, with Kruse in brilliant form as he weighed in with three assists.
The victory was secured in the second half through further efforts from Tom Rogic and Massimo Luongo, before Abdallah Deeb’s piledriver handed Jordan an injury-time consolation.
Acknowledging the contributions of Bayer Leverkusen forward Kruse (pictured, in yellow shirt), whose night ended early after being on the receiving end of an ugly challenge, Postecoglou added: “I wanted him to get some reward for what he did for us at the (2015) Asian Cup.
“Tonight was a good night for him. It was always the plan to start him tonight.
“But tonight was tailor made for him. I thought he looked really sharp at training and was outstanding while he played.
“He’s okay. It wasn’t a great tackle to be fair, a bit disappointing at the end (but) he should be fine.”
Kruse’s performance on Tuesday was a fitting way for him to return to the Sydney Football Stadium, the venue where he suffered a serious ankle injury in last year’s Asian Cup final – which Australia won with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Korea Republic.
Photo: Brendin Lo
Source: the-afc.com