AFC Asian Qualifiers
With Australia only having a point to show from their earlier two matches, Popovic made significant changes to the starting lineup with Aston Villa goalkeeper Joe Gauci replacing Mat Ryan and Jackson Irvine taking the captain's armband and the newly-appointed head coach was pleased with how his players responded to the early setback.
#AsianQualifiers - Road To 26 | Group C : Australia 3 - 1 China PR
“When the game started, everything felt great. I was at ease with the group and the staff. Even when we went 1-0 down, I still felt we were in total control,” said Popovic, who took over from Graham Arnold two weeks ago. “We just weren’t doing enough in the final third, but they had one shot and scored.
“I knew we could stay calm and positive, and the players demonstrated that throughout the game. I’m pleased for them because it’s been a big transition for them as well.
“When I arrived, there was so much to do in just two weeks. Changing an entire style of play and implementing a new system required a lot of hard work, and that’s where our focus has been.”
The victory elevated Australia to second behind table-toppers Japan, who beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Jeddah to remain perfect after three games with the East Asian side up next for the Socceroos.
“Obviously, it's a big challenge but also a big opportunity as well, to win in Japan. We can get better. If we can improve on this performance (against China PR), we can win the game, that (improvement) is really key. There is nothing to fear,” said Popovic.
China’s qualification hopes, meanwhile, suffered a tremendous blow as they fell to a third consecutive defeat and will have to beat high-flying Indonesia on Tuesday if they are to revive their chances.
“First we would like to congratulate Australia for the victory. We are satisfied with our players for their performance, they played with a lot of encouragement and did well in the game,” said head coach Branko Ivankovic.
“We were close to getting a point here. What we should do now is to carry on because our target is always top four so that we can be in the next round. We have to prepare for the coming games and the real fight starts now.”
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