'Enormous amount of progress' delights Caltex Socceroos star
Caltex Socceroos goalkeeper Maty Ryan said he was greatly encouraged by what he saw in Saturday evening’s 1-1 friendly draw with Korea Republic.
Graham Arnold’s side controlled the contest but left it late, scoring a stoppage-time equaliser through Massimo Luongo at Suncorp Stadium.
And Ryan said while Australia did not win the match, fans could take “lots of positive signs” from the clash.
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“I think the performance overall was very good,” Ryan told www.socceroos.com.au.
“[We] probably lacked a little bit of composure and cohesion there in the final third, to not put a few more goals away.
“All the statistics demonstrate that we dominated the game and [we conceded] just a little bit of a soft goal and [there are] a few little details that we can clean up to solidify us a little bit more.
“Another enormous amount of progress from the team. We’re creating lots of chances and on the front foot so lots of positive signs.”
Ryan produced an acrobatic second-half save to keep out an excellent Ju Se-Jong free-kick, with the outstanding stop keeping the margin at one goal.
The 26-year-old has been in stunning form with English Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion and said his footwork was behind the super save.
“He obviously struck it well and had a good technique, got it up and over, thankfully my footwork enabled me to get there and keep it out,” he said.
The goalkeeper added that he was regularly watching videos to help him make informed decisions on match day.
“You’re taking advantage of technology and just seeing what players are likely to take free-kicks and what their patterns are,” he said.
The Caltex Socceroos are next in action when they host Lebanon in Sydney on Tuesday evening.
