Ange vows to attack wounded Spain

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A "HEARTBROKEN" Ange Postecoglou insists the Socceroos will go out to attack the deposed world champions Spain in their final World cup match, despite knowing that Australia's heroic defeat to Holland means they will be leaving Brazil next week.

The Australian players were left devastated after giving up a lead against the Dutch and missing chances to have sealed a historic win, despite seeing Tim Cahill score a candidate for the goal of the World Cup.

Mile Jedinak's penalty had given Australia a second-half lead but Holland stole the win when goal-keeper Mat Ryan let a speculative shot go past him late in the second half.

With Spain then losing 2-0 to Chile, it means Holland and Chile go through to the knockout stages, with Spain and Australia playing a dead rubber on Tuesday (AEST) before both depart Brazil early.

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Postecoglou will have to make do against Spain without Cahill, the hero yesterday but whose yellow card means he has played in his last World Cup for his country.

But despite admitting his pain at the result, Postecoglou was adamant that his team would continue to play in the way he has rapidly reshaped them since being appointed last October.

"We will try and win it," Postecoglou said of facing Spain. "Timmy is out but all along I have made mention of players who have missed out.

"We didn't come here today talking about the players who are missing, we talked about the players we put out there.

"We're not going to make any excuses. Timmy is out, somebody else will come in and we'll go at it again and we're going to measure ourselves against the very best in the world.

"Spain are an outstanding team and we want to come off the pitch knowing how far we have come and where we're at.

"So our approach won't change, we want to again go into that game and prove to people that we can play good football against the best in the world."

Ange Postecoglou consoles Tim Cahill after the Socceroos' loss to the Netherlands. Picture: Cameron Spencer. Source: Getty Images

While Cahill's goal — a superlative volley from Ryan McGowan's deep cross — was hailed around the world, Postecoglou was as keen to give credit for his team's overall performance, facing a side that had just thrashed Spain but was itself made to look pedestrian.

"I just wanted the players to get a reward for the way they went about things today," he said. "I put a lot of pressure on the players and the staff that we're going to be a certain type of team.

"They did it today but didn't get a reward which is heartbreaking for them. I'm massively disappointed.

"We came to this World Cup and we are playing against three of the best nations in the world. People were saying we weren't going to score a goal and we would just try and survive and I think in both games we have taken it to the opposition."

In just two games the Socceroos have witnessed key individuals lift their game to unparalleled levels, including Mathew Leckie and Matthew Spiranovic.

Though Cahill wants to play on to January's Asian Cup, most of the side will form the core for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

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"We have only just started, I firmly believe that," Postecoglou said. "We have only just started on this journey.

"The goal is to come back in four years' time, that they fear us before we get on the pitch as much as they fear us on the pitch now. Because there is no doubt now both Chile and the Dutch know they have been in a game and I think respect the way we have gone about our football."

Describing Cahill as "outstanding", the Australian coach reflected on the cruel moments for two of the younger players: Leckie in missing a golden chance at 2-2, and Ryan for conceding the winner.

"Most of these games are decided on moments and we had our moment where we could have gone 3-2 up," he said. "And we really had momentum at that time of the game.

"So where do you draw the line of whose fault? It's nobody's fault. We win as a team, we lose as a team.

"Maty is very, very disappointed at the moment and he's distraught. But again, he's only a young man, he's starting his journey as a goal-keeper and give me one goal-keeper in the world that doesn't have a moment he's disappointed in."

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