Arnold More Confident Of Australian Play-off Win

Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold is more confident that Australia can end its long wait for only its second appearance at a World Cup finals, after watching the Uruguay and Argentina match live in Montevideo earlier this morning (aest).

Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold is more confident that Australia can end its long wait for only its second appearance at a World Cup finals, after watching the Uruguay and Argentina match live in Montevideo earlier this morning (aest).

While acknowledging that Uruguay will still be a tough opponent, he came away from the game confident that over the two legs, Australia would exact revenge for the events of four years ago.

“Make no mistake, they (Uruguay) are a very, very good side,” Arnold said from his hotel room in Montevideo. “We-re going to have to be at our best to beat them over the two games.

“But I am really, really glad that I came over and saw the game live, because there is definitely some things there - which I won-t go into - that we-ve taken out of the game that we can benefit from.

“I have a lot of faith in our players and where we-re going and I think that after tonight, I-m coming away from it a little more comfortable than not having watched it.”

The former striker believes Uruguay represented a better proposition than that of Colombia, but admitted they would have much rather played Chile.   "This is a better option than having to go to Colombia," Arnold said. "We probably would have preferred Chile, but I prefer Uruguay to Colombia definitely.”   "When you talk about Colombia, you talk about Barranquilla, going there in 40 degree heat and 100 percent humidity, which our players wouldn't have been able to handle.   “The other bonus that we have talked about is that the whole Uruguayan side basically play their club football in Europe and they will have to fly back to South America like us and then onto Australia.   "Seventy-five percent of the Colombian team are based in Colombia so they would not have had to travel as much."

Arnold was surprised by the system used by the Uruguay in the defeat of Argentina and has no reason to doubt they will use it against us in the first leg on November 12.

“They basically played with a front four and six defenders,” Arnold added.

“One thing that struck me tonight, was the difference of the style of play from what they played four years ago. They played a lot of long balls into (Richard) Morales and the other guys Recoba, Zalayeta and Forlan fed off him.

“Morales was a real thorn in Argentina-s side, but I think we have the ammunition to handle him more than Argentina, because we have got bigger guys at the back than what Argentina have.

“I think what we saw tonight, is what we will get in the first leg and so I think they will play exactly the same style and they will go all out for a big win here at home.”

Arnold also does not believe the events of four years ago, which saw the Australians jostled and spat at upon arriving in Uruguay will have any negative impact on the players and that the players will be keen for revenge.   "The positives out of it are, some of the players were in their early-mid 20-s and hadn-t experienced that type of atmosphere before.   “But now they have got that under there belt; they no exactly what to expect when they get here; they know the stadium we are going to be playing in.    "I think the players are looking forward to it because they'd like revenge. Sometimes its better to go to the known than the unknown and this is a known.

“I think they are a much more mature group and they are much more ready than four years ago.”