Friday 45 Sports Friday, June 29, 2018

Socceroos must shed ‘inferiority complex’, says ex-coach Ange ‘We still want to be the underdog’

SYDNEY: must shed their inferiority left the position shows me my instincts were complex and stop thinking of themselves as the right,” he said. “We still want to be the under- “underdog”, former national coach Ange dog. We want everyone to know that eight times Postecoglou said yesterday after their early out of 10 we will be beaten by the very best, but World Cup exit. that does not mean we can’t knock them off. The Socceroos limped out of the tournament After all we are Australians and we fear no one. in with a 2-0 defeat to Peru in Sochi on “We can’t fear failure or being exposed. The Tuesday, again paying for a lack of a cutting Socceroo name alone should give us that edge in front of goal. Australia have won only strength. We should build on the shoulders of two of their 16 World Cup games stretching those before us, otherwise we have failed in our back to their tournament debut in 1974. They responsibilities.” Despite another World Cup brought in Dutchman after failure, Postecoglou remains optimistic about Postecoglou abruptly quit following their qual- Australia’s future in international football. ification for Russia. “The core of this group have their peak years Postecoglou, who now coaches Japan’s ahead of them,” he said. “They have played Yokohama F. Marinos, defended his attacking under great leaders like , Mark philosophy and said the reigning Asian champi- Bresciano, and Matt McKay. ons should not fear failure on the world stage. They have played with our greatest Socceroo “If our way forward is to rely on our defensive Timmy Cahill. stability and competitiveness, then let that be “The likes of (youngsters) and our blueprint,” he wrote on the PlayersVoice Tommy Rogic give us genuine excitement.” website. Postecoglou also fired a salvo at Didier De- “But we must shed our inferiority complex. schamps after the France boss criticised his SOCHI: File photo shows #20 of Australia and Pedro Aquino #23 of Peru The problem with always being the underdog is coaching ethos. “Before the France (World Cup) battle for a corner kick during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group C match between that it is a sign you haven’t improved.” game, Didier Deschamps remarked how the Australia and Peru at Fisht Stadium on June 26, 2018 in Sochi. — AFP Postecoglou said Australia still thought of them- Socceroos now had a better balance between selves as underdogs, despite qualifying for the attack and defence,” he said. last four World Cups. “He referenced that during my reign we were evidence of my failings. “I saw it differently. We better five words to define my career than those. “What has happened and transpired since I too offensive and open. Some used it as further all try and find meaning, and I can think of no His teams were too attacking.” — AFP

feel I cannot give my maximum, I’ll pull out,” Kolarov, Matic added Matic, who turns 30 in a month. Swedish debacle leaves The Belgrade press largely echoed coach Mladen Krstajic’s praise for his team’s fighting ponder futures as spirit in being outclassed by the five-times world bittersweet taste for Mexico champions; Blic called them “heroes”. The Serbs needed a win to reach the second round from MOSCOW: Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio credible seventh time in a row. Proceeding to Serbia head home Group E after a last-minute 2-1 defeat by was apologetic, his players were defiant and the last eight or beyond has become a Switzerland last week. However, in pressing hard their critics baffled after they reached the last Sisyphean task for the Mexicans since they MOSCOW: Serbia’s captain Aleksandar Kolarov they left themselves exposed to a goals in either 16 of the World Cup despite a 3-0 defeat to last reached the quarter-finals when they and midfielder Nemanja Matic are considering half by Paulinho and Thiago Silva. Sweden. One former Mexico coach, Ricardo hosted the competition in 1986. their international futures after a 2-0 defeat by “We went out to win against a powerhouse La Volpe, suggested that the players were al- La Volpe, whose team were eliminated by in Moscow eliminated the national side in modern football and we came up short,” ready feeling the weight of the so-called “fifth Argentina in 2006, said it might be all in the from the World Cup. Krstajic said. “I congratulate my players for their match”-the elusive quarter-final — as they mind. “I think the problem is the famous fifth “I will speak with the people from the football brave efforts. “That’s how it goes in football. We fell apart against the physical Europeans. match,” he said, adding that Mexico felt more federation, whether they see me in the national have to up our game.” After silencing Osorio’s critics with im- comfortable as underdogs. “It’s a psycholog- team,” Kolarov, 32, was quoted as saying by Blic “The players gave their all,” added Krstajic, a pressive wins over and South Korea, ical thing and the players still don’t know how newspaper. “If I can’t contribute to what the na- former international defender who was pro- Mexico nearly blew it against Sweden and the play with the burden of being winners.” He tional side needs, I won’t be selfish. “It will be moted to coach from assistant when Slavoljub only progressed because of Germany’s in- then suggested that Mexico might be happier hard for me but I will stay away,” added the AS Muslin was sacked last October after leading the credible defeat to South Korea. facing Brazil than Switzerland, who they Roma and former Manchester City defender. side to qualification for Russia. Even so, they finished second in the group would have met if they had won the group. “First I need a rest,” Matic said, noting he had “We came to the World Cup to show our true and will have to face Brazil next, making them “Mexico know how to play against the big played more than 60 games this season for Man- colours after eight years of missing out on major odds-on to go out in the round of 16 for an in- powers,” he said.—Reuters chester United and his country. “I’m drained, tournaments. We can be very satisfied with our both emotionally and physically. We’ll see.” “If I performance,” he said. —Reuters