Australia’s dominance against Korea Republic was on full display when taking even the briefest of glances at the stats sheet.
The Caltex Socceroos had 22 shots on goal to Korea Republic’s four but needed stoppage time to produce an equaliser through Massimo Luongo in Saturday evening’s 1-1 draw.
Read on for the key findings from Opta’s stats after the Suncorp Stadium clash!
Shot-happy Aussies
The 22 efforts on goal from the Caltex Socceroos was their highest since producing 25 in a 2-1 win (after extra time) over Syria in October 2017.
Of those 22, 13 came from outside the box, showing Graham Arnold’s men did not hold back in trying to score from long-range on Saturday. Nine of the 22 efforts were on target.
Midfielder Tom Rogic was the most prolific in terms of shot attempts, producing six, while Massimo Luongo also had four shots on goal.
Leckie thriving under Arnold
Attacker Mathew Leckie spoke in the build-up of being excited about his role in Arnold’s new-look side.
Central to that excitement was the chance to play more minutes up front, but it was Leckie’s creativity that shone in the Queensland capital.
He created three scoring chances - the most of any player - and the most he has contributed in a match since creating five against Syria on the aforementioned 2017 evening in Sydney.
Skipper plays a key role
He might not be playing in the midfield for the Caltex Socceroos anymore, but new captain Mark Milligan is still central to his side’s performances.
Milligan, who has always been comfortable on the ball, showcased his ability by making 87 passes in Brisbane at an accuracy level of 87.4 per cent.
No player on the pitch passed the ball more than Milligan, who was important in setting up attacks and feeding the ball to the likes of Aaron Mooy and Luongo.
Korea Republic only had two players pass the ball more than 50 times, in Hwang In-Boem (75 passes) and Kim Young-Gwon (55).
But Australia had four, with Milligan joined by Mooy (71), Luongo and Trent Sainsbury (both 70).
