Oar says Australia not taking UAE lightly ahead of friendly in Abu Dhabi

Utrecht midfielder says he knows what to expect against Emiratis, having faced them at youth and senior levels

Australia midfielder Tommy Oar speaks during an interview at the Yas Viceroy Hotel in Abu Dhabi on October 7, 2014. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // Tommy Oar, the Australian national team midfielder, said this week’s match against the UAE is integral to preparations for the 2015 Asian Cup.

The Australians, hosts of the continent competition in January, take on Mahdi Ali’s side at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Friday, the first of two friendlies during a 10-day camp in the Middle East. They then face Qatar in Doha on Tuesday.

Despite being ranked by Fifa as the ninth-best team in Asia, Australia are seen as one of the favourites for the Asian Cup, placed in Group A alongside Kuwait, Oman and South Korea. The top two teams in each group progress to the quarter-finals.

Having performed well last month in friendlies with Belgium and Saudi Arabia – losing one and winning the other – Australia are intent on continuing their recent fine form with an accomplished display against the UAE.

Ange Postecoglou, the Australia coach, has emphasised as much this week.

“These games are very important and ones we’re not taking lightly,” said Oar, who plays for Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie. “There are not that many opportunities left before the Asian Cup, so any chance you have to impress, either as a player or team, is vital.

“We put in two pretty good performances during our last camp and now the focus is to keep improving on that same trend.

“Not only are these two matches a chance to keep working on the tactical and technical sides of the team, but also to get used to playing opponents we’ll be up against in the Asian Cup. It’s really important we make the most of this.”

Buoyed by their relative success at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil – Australia lost all three group matches but acquitted themselves admirably against Chile, Spain and the Netherlands – they will go into the Asian Cup determined to lift the trophy.

At the last tournament, in Qatar in 2011, Australia narrowly missed out on winning a first continental title, losing 1-0 in extra time to Japan.

"Our performances at the World Cup made everyone more determined for success; we took huge confidence from that," said Oar, a regular starter in Brazil. "It also showed success was a lot more achievable, so there's a real driving motivation. It's a really healthy competitive environment. Nobody's taking their place in the team for granted.

“Looking at January, we obviously want to have a very good tournament and do the best we can, and that means winning it. From that perspective, all friendlies are really important for our preparation and, on a personal level, you need to impress as much as you can to give yourself the best opportunity to make the final selection.”

Oar, who knows the UAE well, having competed against them at youth and senior levels, sees the Emirates as a serious threat not only on Friday, but in January, too.

“There’s a lot of strong teams and teams who have good form going into the Asian Cup,” he said. “But we’re not really too concerned about them. We have our own style and the focus will be on ourselves.

"However, we know for sure there will be quality teams, and the UAE are another side with brilliant individual players who are technically very strong. But our priority is on what we can do."

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