Australia’s demolition of Asian minnows Tajikistan was a simple case of job done.
Ange Postecoglu’s men dispatched five goals in the second half and with the result, there were a few notable performances at a soggy Adelaide Oval. These are the top three performers from the fixture on Thursday night.
Mass Luongo
Opened the scoring inside two minutes. Having been given a selection lifeline for Queens Park Rangers under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the dynamic midfielder had a field day in the first 45, dribbling and passing his way through Tajikistan with ease. Not only did the goal show how composed he is in front of goal now, but it was a sign of his developing maturity in the green and (mostly) gold. Will remain a permanent fixture in the midfield for the foreseeable future.
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Tom Rogic
Post-match, Ange Postecoglou reminded Fox Sports that Socceroos fans were treated to a lot of goals in the first half against Bangladesh in Perth, but they dried up with the intensity in the West. Thanks to players like Tom Rogic, Tajikistan were put to the sword. His stunning winner for Celtic during the week gave him the platform to come to Adelaide full of confidence and his brace was class personified.
Aaron Mooy
There is not a better Australian player right now. Call us crazy, but the overall contribution of the midfielder is off the charts, contributing assists, passes and dead ball opportunities that other players in the squad cannot replicate. His fingerprints were all over this performance and it is clear for all to see that Melbourne City and the A-League are still incredibly fortunate to have him in the domestic competition.
Notable games for Apo Giannou, a debutant who had a mixed night without bothering the scorers officially, but showed enough to indicate that he has a future. Brad Smith and Ryan McGowan gave a lot of industry out wide while Mile Jedinak’s 45 minutes demonstrate how valuable he is to Postecoglu’s plans.
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