Asian Cup holders Australia looked set to stumble into 2019’s round of 16 – that is until Tom Rogic intervened.
After a second half at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium pockmarked by questionable refereeing, the Socceroos appeared poised for a disappointing 2-2 draw against World Cup 2018 qualifying rivals Syria.
The ball then broke to Rogic on the edge of the penalty box in the 93rd minute and he produced a rasping winner. Here is why the 26-year-old is our latest Hero of the Day:
KEY STATS
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Attempts on target: 2
Pass completion: 75.7%
Key passes: 2
Lost balls: 19
30-SECOND REPORT
The Socceroos came into this Group B decider in the Garden City virtually assured of progression from second place, while Syria needed to avoid defeat – at a minimum – under new coach Fajr Ibrahim.
Awer Mabil struck a stunning opener into the top corner, before Omar Khrbin’s rebound made it 1-1. Chris Ikonomidis converted Rogic’s cross after the break, only for Omar Al Somah to convert a soft penalty.
A draw then seemed certain until Rogic took aim in injury time and eliminated Syria.
GOOD
Australia’s heartbeat – Rogic has been the one constant in head coach Graham Arnold’s three-man midfield in the UAE.
Mark Milligan was forced to drop to centre-back against Syria, while Massimo Luongo and Jackson Irvine have rotated in a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation.
This places emphasis on Rogic to deliver creatively – and the Celtic man has carried the burden. Deep crosses have caught defences by surprise for assists against Palestine and Syria, while Tuesday evening’s clutch goal was a beauty.
BAD
Taking aim – A playmaker is usually handed leniency when it comes to the exacting demands of ball retention.
This free-spirited status, however, creates room for improvement.
Against Syria, Rogic’s goal, assist and two key passes (joint-second best for Australia) came at the expense of 75.7% pass accuracy (seventh best) and 19 lost balls (the highest). Arnold won’t be unduly fussed by these statistics, but it’s something to look at for the knockouts against Japan or Uzbekistan.
VERDICT
Rogic came into the 2019 tournament with one of the biggest reputations in Asian football and he continues to make good on this status.
Few players could have conjured the deep first-half pass that put scurrying striker Jamie Maclaren into a shooting position. Then comes the dangerous cross for Ikonomidis and the late, late clincher.
With so many established Socceroos now absent after the World Cup, he’ll need to keep relishing responsibility in the knockouts.
Rating: 8/10