Bad luck for Australi. Played well but the game is about putting the ball into the back of the net.
Agree with comments regarding Neill and Carney....hope they have played their last games for Australia. Kewell did miss a few chances, but thought overall was good.
My rating of the team:
Schwarzer - star, will be difficult to replace Wilkshire - very reliable Carney - rubbish Neill - arrogant, petulant Ogdenowski - good solid player Holman - good tournament, ever improving Jedinak - ok Cahill - needs to be more commanding in general play. Survives due to ability to score from set pieces Kewell - good to see him fit. needed to score more McKay - the revelation of the tournament for Australia. Emerton - ineffective..at the end of his career N Burns - needs to step up now Culina - team better without him....backpasses the ball 80% of the time Kruse - need to persever with him...looked good McDonald - the non-scoring striker.... Kilkenny - was ok when appeared Valeri - was ok...needs to do more
The team is in desperate need of a genuine playmaker. This is the role Cahill or Kewell should be playing...but Kewell is now too old for the role...and Cahill is not capable
Overall, a good performance. Japan are a quality team and were missing players, but we have beaten them before...and we were wasteful
