Japanese Media: Australia Loses Its Edge by Abandoning Long-Ball Tactics; Japan Not Afraid of Their Shift to Possession Play

According to the Japanese media outlet The World, in the recent World Cup Qualifiers Round of 18, the Japanese team has secured victories against both China and Bahrain, setting a strong start for this qualifying campaign. However, their group rivals, the Australian team, have faced significant setbacks: they lost their opening match to Bahrain and then drew with Indonesia. In light of these results, Australia’s head coach, Arnold, announced his resignation, with Popovic taking over.

In his inaugural press conference, Popovic reflected on the recent two matches, saying, “Our performance might have seemed somewhat dull. This happens in football. We could show more dynamism and speed up our ball circulation. These were things we excelled at in the past and achieved much success because of them. But in recent games, we haven’t demonstrated much of these characteristics. I am confident that I can help the team regain its form and move forward.”

Japanese media points out that the Australian team was once known for its long-ball tactics, featuring towering forwards like Tim Cahill and Viduka who were adept at exploiting aerial advantages. The match between Japan and Australia in the 2006 Germany World Cup was a tough encounter, with the Australian team posing significant challenges for Japan.

However, since 2010, the Australian team began to shift its tactical style from traditional long-ball play to a more ground-based, possession-oriented approach. This change was influenced by the then-national team coach Postecoglou, who had previously won numerous accolades with such a technical style while coaching Brisbane Roar. Postecoglou introduced this philosophy to the national team, fundamentally altering Australia’s playing style.

Why did the Australian team transition from long-ball tactics to possession football? There are multiple reasons, including waning interest from fans and sponsors in the traditional style, as well as a reduction in the number of players capable of intense physical duels and aerial battles. More importantly, to remain competitive on the global stage, the Australian team believed that possession football held more promise than their previous tactics. Indeed, Australia won the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil with this new tactical approach, earning widespread domestic recognition.

Since the Australian team shifted to possession football, however, Japan has not lost to them, making the once-troublesome opponent much easier to handle. In the qualifiers, Australia has had to go through playoffs to secure World Cup berths in recent campaigns, and their recent performances in Asian competitions have been lackluster. While they are attempting to build around possession football, they have yet to reach the heights of teams like Spain, with their overall passing quality being rather crude, making it relatively easy for well-organized opponents to defend against. How to improve this situation will be key to determining the outcome of future matches.

Looking ahead, Australia will face Japan in October and Saudi Arabia in November, with both matches being crucial. If they suffer further defeats, Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup will be severely jeopardized, potentially leading to elimination. At the very least, Australia needs to secure a playoff spot, but starting now, they must work hard to turn things around.