Learning process for Socceroos

Qantas Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has described his team's 3-1 defeat by South Korea on Saturday as an education process for both himself and the Australian team.

Qantas Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has described his team's 3-1 defeat by South Korea on Saturday as an education process for both himself and the Australian team.

While the result was not what the national coach would have desired against a team he formally coached, Verbeek used the match as a chance to test out his options nine months out from the World Cup.

"I learned a lot but I think my players did also, so that's why we play games like this," Verbeek said after the game. "Korea deserved to win this game. If they are better than us, like they were today, especially in the first half, then they deserve to win this game."

"For me the most important thing is the performance and that I learn from my team what they can do and what they can't."

Verbeek was without several of his first-choice players, including Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell, Luke Wilkshire and captain Lucas Neill, and he said that lack of experience was telling.

"We had a totally different team and we had a lack of experience in the back-line, and you need a little bit more experience with somebody who can organise in the back-line,'' Verbeek said.

"I have to be fair it was not only the back-line it was the whole team."

"Defensive organisation was not good. The second half was much better but the first half was definitely not good."

Verbeek said the focus ahead of the World Cup would be to ensure the team puts in a consistent 90-minute performance.

"You cannot start like this. If you do this at the World Cup you better stay at home. We have to change that," he said.