DOHA, Qatar -- If it wasn't apparent on the faces of the Australian players that trudged through the mixed zone in the aftermath of their 2-1 loss to South Korea at the Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday night, eliminating them from the Asian Cup, then it was in the stiff, dejected body language or the waves of emotion that radiated off those that weren't too devastated to stop to talk.
It was unmistakable, a sense of dejection and despair, of regret and a protective sense of numbness. Of an internal monologue attempting to figure out if there was any kind of bargain or meditation that could erase this moment from existence or, better yet, turn back the clock to try again. "It hurts," said Jackson Irvine.
For the majority of the 90 minutes against Korea, Australia had gotten things right. They'd gotten their approach right. They'd gotten the tactics right. They'd gotten the sense of occasion and their emotional state right. They were compact, disciplined, and determined in their defensive shape, pressing when they needed to and not allowing their opponents any easy opportunities to get the ball forward.
When Korea did get the ball forward, they were packing the penalty area and playing with desperation; restricting the Taeguk Warriors to just two shots on target across the 90 minutes. Aziz Behich was immense, as was Nathaniel Atkinson on the opposite defensive flank.
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And up the other end, they were creating chances on the break, especially with Korea, for the opening 45 minutes, not matching Australia's intensity and purpose when out of possession. In the 42nd minute, Connor Metcalfe picked out Atkinson with a superbly placed pass, then a cross to Craig Goodwin at the back post. It felt like the ball hung in the air an age before Goodwin deposited it into the goal of Jo Hyeon-woo, giving Australia a lead that drew no kind of cursory correlation with the possession or territory stats, but based on the actual game itself, felt entirely deserved.
This was a contest seemingly purely distilled for the philosophy of coach Graham Arnold to thrive. Against a technically superior foe, the Socceroos weren't embracing the ball but revelled in the grind and the defending, transition, spirit, and running that comes with it. It was the same theoretical underpinning that had made the games during the group stage and round of 16 wherein they did have the ball such a punish, when they were forced to figure out a way to unlock lower-ranked sides and more often than not ended up chaosing or bashing their way through.
But against a side like Korea, a unit loaded with some of the finest players not just in Asia, but the world, highlighted by Tottenham superstar Son Hueung-Min, it was working wonders.
At least it was. That's perhaps why there was so much post-game devastation. Not only had Australia just been eliminated but they'd been shown the exit after a game in which they'd been unable to apply the necessary coup de grace on an opponent christened as playing 'Zombie Football' by its fans -- of refusing to ever know when they're dead and shuffling on right to the bitter end.
In the 19th minute, the ball had fallen to Metcalfe after Goodwin had forced Jo to parry an effort right into his path. The resulting shot from just about the penalty spot went wide. Shortly after the break, the ball floated onto the head of Martin Boyle, who sent his headed effort right at the feet of Jo and then wasn't able to get the ball beyond him when the pair dived for the rebound. The ball ricocheted out to Mitch Duke, who swung his leg around to volley an effort over the bar.
In the 74th minute, with their last real chance in transition, the ball was worked from right to left and swung onto the head of a rapidly arriving Duke at the back post. This was a moment seemingly tailor-made for the striker's skillset, only this time, his headed effort sailed wide.
If any of those chances fall then the Socceroos likely win the game. Korea was finishing with a wet sail and hurling everything at them but there was no sense that even as they retreated into their shell, Jürgen Klinsmann's side would have been able to find two goals inside 90 minutes. That's what made the pain so great. Australia did enough to win but couldn't take their chances. The cursed conclusion, one that needs to be treated with a layer of nuance to ensure it doesn't justify an already emergent pile-on, is that as Korea triumphed, their win had just as much, if not more, to do with what Australia didn't do than what they did.
"We were up 1-0, we had chances to [make it] 2-0, 3-0," said Arnold. "And if you don't take your chances, that's I guess down to the individual to put the ball in the back of the net. And if you don't take those chances you get punished."
Australia was punished but not just for wayward finishing. Increasingly withdrawing as the game went on, their opponents in red began to attack with almost impunity: getting forward time and time and time again. There still wasn't an avalanche of shots but Maty Ryan had to make a series of spectacular saves. Forebodingly, Korean players were beginning to increasingly penetrate the penalty area and the channels alongside it despite the wall of gold shirts before them, searching for cutbacks and opportunities that began to feel like they would inevitably produce a goal.
In hindsight, it's difficult to come to any conclusion that Arnold got it wrong in these last exchanges. Even acknowledging his reasoning for bringing off players like Goodwin and Atkinson because they were exhausted -- "they were cooked" -- there's a nagging sense that by moving into such an ultra-defensive shape alongside the changes, shifting to a back-five, and almost inviting the Koreans forward, they made things harder on themselves than needed.
With no real danger of being caught in transition, Korea was able to pin their ears back and, with just about a minute remaining, their zombie bit. In extra-time, it only felt like there was going to be one winner. And Son made sure of that.
Substitute Lewis Miller, who likely wouldn't have been out there had Gethin Jones been considered fit enough, will carry the penalty and the free kicks won and converted by Son and Hwang Hee-Chan from with him for the rest of his career. There is a line involved in criticising but it can't be ignored that he's made two massive errors that have turned things. But given that nobody is probably being harder on Miller right now than Miller, that's all that needs to be said.
Instead, perhaps the focus turns to Arnold. He's the coach, after all. He set the team up. There's probably a part of him that would prefer focus was on him over Miller or Duke, anyway. Plenty of praise and affection were gladly absorbed after the World Cup, now here's the flip side: a third-straight exit in the last eight of the Asian Cup and a tournament defined by strengths and weaknesses all well-known coming in.
Arnold likely feels like he didn't have a choice about what he did on Friday, football is a game of opinions and his have made him very successful. He would probably do similarly again if given the chance because he's committed to who he is. But from the outside, there's a sense that his pragmatism and conservatism in the final moments have cost his side, that his desire to protect a lead overrode what provided it in the first place with somewhat inevitable results.
None of this should be a surprise, though. Therein lies the rub. Australia, and more importantly Football Australia, knew what they were getting before this tournament. Arnold deserves respect but also a sober analysis of his approach; strengths playing out at the Al Janoub before limitations emerged.
In three straight quarterfinal exits at the Asian Cup, there have been moments where it all could have changed, and 2007, 2019, and 2023 each carry their own story, but there is also a pattern. Football Australia is aware of this and made this approach their national team's North Star when they went all-in following the World Cup.
Arnold highlighted his young and inexperienced side on numerous occasions in Doha and is already planning for the Paris Olympics and the 2026 World Cup. A statement from chief executive James Johnson made clear that he will be backed. New players will be brought in to supplement the young core, and several veterans, as Arnold hinted at, will likely move on.
And it all continues in World Cup qualifying against Lebanon in Western Sydney next month. The Socceroos go again. There will be highs and there will be lows. And we'll probably see them coming, hoping for the former. Being ready for the latter.