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Asian Cup title can ease Australia’s 2022 despair

Australia can soften the blow of failing in their bid to host the 2022 World Cup by beating three-times champions Japan to claim their first Asian Cup title on Saturday, according to midfielder Matt McKay.

Soccer lags behind Australian rules and rugby in the country and last month’s decision, which saw Qatar emerge victorious in the contest to host the sports’s showcase event, was a setback for the game, especially as Australia mustered only one vote.

However, McKay believes the team’s displays can help lift the gloom especially if they can beat Japan, who are aiming for a record fourth Asian title, at the Khalifa Stadium.

“It was such a disappointment not to get the 2022 World Cup and maybe a few people’s heads dropped after that decision,” the Brisbane Roar wideman said after the emphatic win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

“But making a final of the Asian Cup and possible winning it is just going to lift football in Australia again.”

Australia, the best FIFA-ranked side in the tournament at 26, were unimpressive in reaching the semi-finals with narrow 1-0 goal victories over holders Iraq and Bahrain, but then turned on the style with a 6-0 humbling of Uzbekistan.

They have demonstrated a more professional approach than four years ago when, on their Asian Cup debut after leaving the Oceania Federation, they were accused of over confidence.

After a draw with Oman and loss to Iraq, they exited in the last eight at the hands of Japan.

Their German coach Holger Osieck can be credited with the improvement and he also brings an extensive knowledge of Japanese football having previously worked with Urawa Red Diamonds, winning the Asian Champions League in 2007.

“Knowledge is one thing, to transfer the knowledge is the other one,” Osieck warned.

“We shouldn’t get carried away (after beating Uzbekistan) and we should stay with our feet on the ground because a final is definitely something different.”

Japan will also be full of confidence after they overcame their rivals South Korea 3-0 on penalties after a high-quality 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

Their Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni has yet to taste defeat since taking charge of the Blue Samurai in August and the future looks bright with former Asian Player of the Year Yasuhito Endo the only one of the 23-man squad over 30.

Led by their attacking trio of Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda, the Japanese have played some of the best football of the tournament in sweeping past the hosts Qatar and traditional regional powerhouses South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

“The great thing about this team is that we leave everything we have out on the pitch, every time,” Zaccheroni said.

“We’ve come this far, I want to win it. We will need to recover as much as we can. That will be the key for us.”

Uzbekistan and South Korea will meet in the third-place playoff at the Al Sadd Stadium on Friday with the winners joining Japan and the Socceroos in securing a berth at the 2015 Asian Cup finals in Australia.