Don’t get carried away with warm-up results, says Socceroos assistant coach
Socceroos assistant coach Mark van Bommel says Australia will only seek an improved performance in its final hit-out against Hungary, with warm-up results no guarantee of success at the World Cup.
Australia take on Magyars in Budapest on Sunday morning (Australian time), and then head straight to Kazan ahead of their tournament opener with France on June 16.
The Socceroos defeated Czech Republic 4-0 in a friendly last week, a marked improvement on a 4-1 loss to Norway and 0-0 draw with Colombia in Bert van Marwijk's first two matches in charge of the team in March.
But just how important results leading into a World Cup are is a matter of contention.
Germany entered the 2014 tournament, which they won, on the back of underwhelming home draws with Poland and Cameroon before thrashing minnows Armenia 6-1.
They are currently on a five-match winless streak — having drawn with England, France and Spain and lost to Brazil and Austria — but remain joint favourites with Brazil.
Socceroos assistant van Bommel, who played at two World Cups including the 2010 Dutch campaign when they were finalists, said lead-up results were immaterial.
"I saw some teams with a very good preparation and then they lost a few games [at the World Cup] and the other way round, the same," he said.
"We've had a very good preparation in Turkey.
"We've worked hard on the physical part and also the technical. All of that gives us a lot of confidence … to go to Russia but it doesn't give you a guarantee [of success]."
Van Bommel stood in for his father-in-law Bert van Marwijk on Friday as the 66-year-old made a quick dash to the Netherlands to visit a gravely ill friend.
The assistant coach would not be drawn on team selection, though Mile Jedinak is likely to come into the team to face the 51st-ranked Hungarians.
Tomi Juric could also return up front, while Jackson Irvine or defenders Matthew Jurman or Milos Degenek could come into a finely-tweaked team.
Van Bommel said the performance was more important than the score.
"We want to play better than [we did] against Norway, better than Colombia and better than the Czech," he said.
"If we improve that every time we become a good team."
Jedinak agreed.
"It's nice to get another hit-out together with the way we've been working," he said.
"This period has been vital for us and very important. We have to continue doing that right up until that first game."
AAP/ ABC
[contf]
[contfnew]
ABC .net
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
