Craig Goodwin is encouraging the Socceroos to approach their upcoming World Cup qualification matches with the intensity of competing in four successive cup finals.
Australia's chances of securing an automatic spot in next year's event in North America hinge on a crucial upcoming week.
Tony Popovic’s team will play against Indonesia at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on Thursday evening before traveling to Huangzhou to confront a rejuvenated China on Tuesday, with their qualifying group situation currently delicate.
In the rankings, Australia holds the second position, securing one of the two automatic qualification berths, accumulating seven points with four matches remaining.
Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China are all closely following the Socceroos, who have accumulated six points so far.
The leading team from Group C, Japan, has accumulated 16 points and could secure their spot at next year’s World Cup within the coming week should they emerge victorious.
The Socceroos might encounter a Japan team that has already secured qualification in Perth prior to concluding their campaign with a match against Saudi Arabia away from home.
However, Goodwin is urging the Socceroos to distinguish themselves from their competitors during the March window, aiming to secure direct qualification for next year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, thus avoiding the necessity of relying on the playoff pathway.
"Many of the veteran players understand what it's like in this high-pressure setting," Goodwin said.
This ranks as the pinnacle of significance among all experiences in football, representing your country and striving to secure a spot in the World Cup.
The stakes are high, and there’s no margin for mistakes or missteps.
While it's incredibly thrilling at the same time, these are the instances that allow you to truly shape your legacy as an athlete.
Each match now is like a finale, so when we step onto the field against Indonesia, our aim has to be victory. Similarly, we must head over to China with the intention of winning as well. Failure to do so would put us in quite a challenging spot."
The last time the two teams faced each other in Jakarta back in September, Indonesia presented a difficult challenge.
In spite of playing on an uneven field and facing a raucous hometown audience, Indonesia managed to thwart the Socceroos with a 0-0 tie, ultimately leading to the conclusion of Graham Arnold’s tenure as the Australian team's coach.
Since their previous encounter, Indonesia has bolstered their team by bringing in overseas players and appointed Dutch great Patrick Kluivert as their head coach.
Goodwin mentioned they create tight spaces, closing down options before attempting to strike back with counters.
As the match continues at 0-0, the frustration grows with each passing moment.
It was one of those evenings playing on a rather poor field where we failed to capitalize on the initial opportunities as well as those presented during the match.
That prevented us from expanding their gameplay and enabling them to adopt a broader strategy."
They are becoming more confident and they form a strong team with several talented players.
The match will undoubtedly be challenging, yet our home advantage coupled with a fresh approach and high spirits leaves us brimming with confidence that victory is within reach.