Australia 4 - 0 India

It's not often that Australia manage to put four goals past an opposition, keep a clean sheet and not have reason for extravagant celebrations. It's not often that such a victory would be the result of an unconvincing performance, either - but that's the reality of what we saw against India.

It was an improvement on the disjointed showing against the UAE - as you would expect with the restoration of the squad's stars to the starting XI - but not the level of football that is likely to carry them through to the final. Unfortunately for Holger Osieck he only has a small period of time to help work the Socceroos into the tournament, as they are due to face heavyweights Korea Republic next in what should decide the winner of the group. It's not likely to be enough time.

Far too often in the match Australia were caught playing unnecessary long balls which, although partly effective against India, won't trouble Korea Republic's more capable defenders. They may not be the giants that Tim Cahill faces in the Premier League but they aren't mugs. Instead, the 'Roos should be focusing on winning the ball in midfield and spreading it wide for dangerous delivery into Cahill and Kewell. Brett Emerton was the man to do it against India and was unsurprisingly Australia's best player along with Cahill.

David Carney, on the other hand, heightened concerns about his vulnerability. This time around it was clear lack of match sharpness which was a worry, more so than any defensive aspects of his game, which are bound to be tested by Korea Republic. Another question mark which needs to be considered is that of Mile Jedinak and Jason Culina's claims to a starting spot. At the very least I would advocate that Matt McKay is a better option to occupy one of the midfield spots than Jedinak, particularly against the mobile South Korean midfielders.

Of course, though, it wasn't all negatives that Australia could or would take from the game. Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell formed a dangerous, determined partnership, the burgeoning defensive pairing of Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski kept another clean sheet and, honestly, you can never be too dissatisfied with a 4-0 victory.

India, for their part, can be pleased with their efforts. They didn't look at all overawed, were willing to put pressure back on the Socceroos by fielding two attackers and 'keeper Pal Subrata was terrific; a proud manner in which to begin a fantastic opportunity for the Indian players. Bob Houghton will be well aware that they still have a way to go to be competitive - particularly in pressuring the opposition when they do not have the ball and staying patient when they do - but they have no reason to be disheartened with their performance.

 

Korea Republic 2 - 1 Bahrain

If there is even the slightest disappointment in Osieck's mind with what the Socceroos managed against India it will have been accentuated having witnessed Korea Republic's display against Bahrain.

It was exactly what we have come to expect from the South Koreans; slick passing, clever movements and neat combinations in possession. A mix of experience in defence and youth in attack is their plan for navigating through a tournament of squads with varying ability and, at least from what we saw in their opening encounter, it is a solid formula.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the side that would rightly be considered favourites at this point. Kwak Tae-Hwi's unfortunate - but not unwarranted - sending off means they will be without a first-choice defensive pairing for the match against Australia.

Another question that coach Cho Kwang-Rae will be pondering is how his side can translate their attacking pressure into goals. Few clear-cut chances didn't represent their dominance over Bahrain. A greatly inexperienced trio of out-and-out strikers may lead to an over-reliance on their talented attacking midfielders to supply the goals, of which Koo Ja-Cheol was the first to step-up with his brace in the opening match.

19-year-old Ji Dong-Won showed promising signs in only his second international appearance although the Taegeuk Warriors substantial movement off the ball often meant they were without a focal point in attack.

All things considered, Korea Republic can be confident of emerging victorious over the Socceroos, who will have to improve if they are to challenge the favourites for top spot in group C.

As for Bahrain - they struggled; I expected more. Keep in mind that this side has troubled Australia before. Perhaps their performance was a reflection of Korea's superiority, perhaps it is a sign that they have regressed since that narrow 1-0 loss to Australia in late 2008 or aren't quite where they should be, either way it is a sign that they will struggle to push for second spot.

They did well to limit the opposition's clear scoring opportunities but will be disappointed with the little they had to offer in attack. You can expect Bahrain to be determined in chasing a positive result against India in order to boost their confidence for a potential crunch fixture against the Socceroos. Naturalised Nigerian Jaycee John is one who can lift his team to stronger displays, and the coaching staff will be looking for him to lead a push for qualification.