Socceroos ready to go toe-to-toe with Venezuela
Anna Harrington |
Emboldened by rediscovering their trademark physicality, the combative Socceroos are ready for whatever Venezuela throw at them.
Saturday’s match in Houston and next Wednesday’s clash with Colombia in New York are Australia’s first against South American opposition since two friendlies against Ecuador early in 2023.
Midfielder Aiden O’Neill expects world No.50 Venezuela to offer both technical and physical challenges at Shell Energy Stadium.
“It’s really important, obviously, to play different sorts of teams,” O’Neill told AAP.
“With the South American teams, historically it’s quite a physical game.
“I think we showed in the last window in those two games that we’re definitely up for the fight and we can definitely bring our physicality to the game.”
Australia ruffled some feathers in last month’s friendlies against Canada and the United States with their aggression.
Socceroos boss Tony Popovic was pleased after lamenting the lack of physicality in his early games at the helm.
“The boss also said there’s no such thing as a friendly,” O’Neill said.
“The group that we have really go out there and definitely don’t treat it like a friendly.
“It’s a new opportunity for the team to keep improving and we go out there and don’t hold back at all.”
O’Neill has first-hand experience of the competitiveness of South American opponents.
“I’ve got a few South Americans in my team in New York,” he said.
“They can be quite feisty at times and, yeah, late into tackles and stuff.
“But that’s just all part of the game and they can bring a bit of a spirit, you can call it, to games – so we’ll be bringing the same.”
Defender Milos Degenek won’t worry if Venezuela, who missed out on World Cup qualification, come flying into challenges.
“I don’t think we’re scared of those tackles and things like that, even though they didn’t qualify. I think that’s football,” he said.
“You’re going to face teams where they’re going to come flying in, then you’re going to face teams who are not going to want to fly in.
“So it’s part of football. And I think we’re well prepared for either scenario.”
The crowd is expected to be hugely pro-Venezuela, and Socceroos great John Aloisi knows the challenge that can pose across these two games.
“You expect a lot of noise – and that’s what it’s going to be like for the World Cup,” he told AAP.
“More than likely we’ll be drawn against a South American side.
Twenty years on from sealing Australia’s droughtbreaking qualiification for the 2006 World Cup, Aloisi also feels the testing conditions are the perfect preparation for next year.
“We’re getting tested on playing in the US again,” he said at the premiere of JAM TV’s ‘The Kick that United a Nation’ documentary.
“Yes, we’d love to see them here playing in Australia. It would have been nice, the 20-year anniversary that there’s a friendly game here.
“But in terms of their preparation, it’s probably best that they’re in the US.”
AAP
