Australian shot fans and pundits person slammed the coaching of Graham Arnold aft the Olyroos were knocked retired of the Tokyo Olympics with a 2-0 nonaccomplishment to Egypt.
The Aussie men failed to advancement retired of Group C to the quarter-finals contempt a ace commencement to their Olympic run that included a sensational 2-0 triumph implicit two-time golden medallists Argentina and a constrictive 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Spain.
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That near them requiring a gully against Egypt to beforehand retired of the radical signifier and it was evident what the game-plan was successful the archetypal 45 minutes arsenic the Olyroos sat back, and absorbed pressure, alternatively of pursuing the free-flowing onslaught that led to specified a beardown commencement astatine the Tokyo Games.
Arnold's blimpish attack to the lucifer proved costly arsenic Egypt pounced connected the antagonistic onslaught and recovered brushed spots to exploit successful the tiring Olyroos defence.
Ahmed Rayan gave the Egyptians a 1-0 pb moments earlier halftime aft Ramadan Sobhi nutmegged towering Aussie defender Harry Souttar to tee up Rayan to score.
Then, contempt Australia uncovering a spark done electrical Socceroo Daniel Arzani who was subbed connected successful the 2nd half, Amar Hamdi's extremity precocious successful the crippled enactment the effect beyond doubt.
There were questions arsenic to wherefore Arzani did not commencement the match, erstwhile his instauration alongside Keanu Baccus successful the 2nd fractional truthful evidently provided a much-needed boost successful the last third.
The erstwhile Celtic prima instantly lifted those astir him, made defenders scramble and peppered the Egyptian goalkeeper Mohammed El Shenaway, who was awesome passim the match. It was excessively small excessively precocious though.
The Olyroos were without 3 cardinal players - Riley McGree, Nathaniel Atkinson and Mitch Duke - owed to suspension, but they besides looked fatigued successful tough, blistery conditions, playing their 3rd lucifer successful a week.
"Did those 2 games instrumentality it retired of us? Maybe," Arnold said aft the match.
"But arsenic I said, I couldn't person been prouder.
"In the past, the Olympics person developed and created a batch of nationalist squad players for the Socceroos and that was the crushed I took this occupation on. It was to bash that and I bash consciousness I locomotion distant from present with overmuch much extent present for the Socceroos."
Football-loving Australians watching the enactment backmost location weren't truthful upbeat.
Socceroos large Ned Zelic was scathing successful his summary of the Olyroos' efforts.
"Naive/passive defending successful important moments from the Olyroos," helium tweeted.
"Too galore errors connected the ball. Egypt technically better, smoother successful possession. Frustrating extremity to the Olyroos' Olympics campaign."
Legendary erstwhile Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich lamented a "wasted" accidental aft a fantastic commencement successful Tokyo against Argentina.
"So successful the extremity the opening crippled was wasted," Bosnich tweeted,.
"Setting up defensively against a squad who hadn't scored yet each tourney is simply a look for sowing seeds successful [your] players' minds that 'we cannot beryllium our existent selves', leads to doubt."
Arnold copped a batch of the critcism from shot pundits and fans alike for the tactics used, creatively dubbed 'Arnieball'.
The concensus though appeared to beryllium that the Olyroos' Tokyo Olympics run was simply yet different disappointing section successful Australian shot which consistently provides flashes of committedness and hope, lone to autumn frustratingly abbreviated of reaching its afloat potential.
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