Socceroos brace for Dutch attack
Still overcoming taking on Chile’s fearsome attack, Socceroos centreback Alex Wilkinson admits he’s yet to even imagine what he’s about face against the Netherlands’ star strikers.
In their World Cup opener last Friday Australia’s back four was under constant assault from the likes of Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez, who scored the first goal and set up the second in Chile’s 3-1 victory.
And it won’t get any easier for the Socceroos in their second group match against Holland who are fresh off the back of a 5-1 demolition of world champions Spain.
Manchester United’s Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, who headlines Bayern Munich’s attack, tore their way through the Spanish backline.
Wilkinson will be lining up in just his fifth international appearance when Australia take on the the Dutch in Porto Alegre on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), but far from being intimidated the 29-year-old says he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I haven’t visualised how I might play them yet. I was too busy visualising about Sanchez and the other ones for the last few days,” he said.
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“Players like van Persie and Robben are world class and it’s exciting to come up against guys like that.
“You go to a World Cup and you are going to play the best and those two, and most of their team, are up there with the best in the world.”
In the lead-up to the World Cup the Socceroos backline has endured several changes with the likes of Rhys Williams and Curtis Good injured and veterans Lucas Neill, Sasa Ognenovski and Luke Wilkshire axed.
Just as some consistency was beginning to be established, yet another injury blow has hit with rightback Ivan Franjic (hamstring) ruled out of the tournament.
The opener against Chile was just the second time the back four of Franjic centrebacks Matthew Spiranovic and Wilkinson and leftback Jason Davidson have started a game together.
Wilkinson says Franjic’s heartbreaking situation has made the team realise the importance of living in the moment.
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Ryan McGowan, who came on for Franjic after he limped of in the 48th minute of the Chile encounter, looks the likely replacement for the next two group games against Holland and Spain.
McGowan plays as a centreback at his current Chinese club but was deployed as a rightback during his time with Scottish side Hearts.
“Ryan did quite well when he came on,” Wilkinson said.
“It’s always tough to come on like that … no chance to warm up, straight off the bench and on to the park, especially in a wide position like that where you have to be tactically aware and there is a lot of running.
“Not sure what boss is thinking we’ve got training in the morning and I’m sure we’ll start working few things there. We’ll just have to adapt now.”
Meanwhile, in one of this morning’s pool matches, Lionel Messi scored a brilliant individual goal to bring Argentina out of their slumber to beat Bosnia 2-1 in the Balkan nation’s first appearance at the World Cup finals.
After giving away away the fastest own goal in World Cup history – two minutes and eight seconds – the Bosnians frustrated Messi and his superstar teammates for much of Sunday’s Group F clash in a Maracana stadium packed with Argentine fans.
Messi struck in the 64th minute, dancing around Bosnian players on the edge of the penalty area before firing past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic without even looking up to see where the goal was.
With just two minutes on the clock Messi also took a free kick on the left that Marcos Rojo headed onto the legs of Sead Kolasinac. The ball would have gone wide but the rebound flew past Begovic into the goal.
Bosnia recovered however, contained Messi and the rest of the Argentine strike force who appeared increasingly frustrated until the Barcelona superstar’s second half goal.
Even after going two goals down, Bosnia did not give up.
After 84 minutes, substitute Vedad Ibisevic picked up the ball in the Argentinian penalty area. The ball hit goalkeeper Sergio Romero’s legs and trickled into the goal setting up a finale that gave both teams plenty of nervous moments. Messi fired one shot into the side netting with an almost open goal.
Argentina next play Iran in Belo Horizonte on Saturday (Sunday AEST). Bosnia play Nigeria in Cuiaba the same day.
