Lewis Miller’s penalties and free kicks allowed South Korea to rally and win Friday’s Asian Cup match 2-1 to go to the semi-finals, but Australia’s coach Graham Arnold refused to assign blame.
Australia was ahead 1-0 when Miller fouled Son Heung-min in the box during stoppage time in the second half. This gave South Korea’s Hwang Hee-chan the opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot and force extra time.
Son completed the comeback in the 104th minute when he scored from a free kick after Miller had fouled Hwang on the edge of the area during extra time.
“I hug him and put my arm around him, telling him these are just life lessons. When asked how he would handle Miller’s mistakes, Arnold responded to reporters, “You learn from these kinds of things and you move forward.”
“He’s got to get back to his club and it’s a different environment from here, he’ll be fine.”
Despite being the 2015 winners, Australia was not the clear favourites to win the Asian Cup this year, but according to Arnold, it was still a terrific competition for a developing squad hoping to rebuild for the next World Cup.
Only three players from the 2019 Asian Cup were included in the team: Mathew Ryan, the custodian and captain, Aziz Behich, and Jackson Irvine.
“In terms of appearances and caps, our team is quite youthful. Only twelve players from the 2022 World Cup were present, said Arnold.
The team is being rejuvenated following the World Cup. That explains why there were several new players on the pitch. We’ve learned a lot from the younger players, and some of the older players may retire and move on after this Asian Cup.”
Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed his “immense sense of pride” in the team’s accomplishments despite their departure.
“This team, this great group of players, has every reason to hold their heads high, and I have no doubt they will return stronger,” Johnson stated.
“As we turn our focus to the upcoming Olympic qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers, the lessons learned and the experiences gained from this tournament will undoubtedly fuel our ambition and preparation.”
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