“I think Pim Verbeek did a great job with his team selection, especially after such a difficult lead in.

“Irrespective of the penalty – which I don't believe it was – Pim did a great job in getting a point and putting us on top of the group,” Merrick told au.fourfourtwo.com after the match in Kunming.

Verbeek was robbed of around eight first choice players prior to the game – including Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton and Josh Kennedy.

Add to that the late withdrawal of talisman Harry Kewell, the high altitude conditions in the logistically difficult destination in southern China and the 0-0 draw perhaps now proves the FFA were right in appointing the Dutchman.

“Getting a point, away from home at altitude speaks volumes for Australian football. Going in with one recognised striker who had to leave the pitch after six minutes and still get a result just shows you how good he is and the team,” said Merrick, himself an A-League grand final and premiers plate winner.

“We [the Socceroos] virtually had three defensive midfielders playing a 3-4-3, with Grella and Valeri with Culina just in front are all good possession players and they dominated possession. And our strikers were really just attacking midfielders, too.”

However, Merrick was critical of China's lack of belief and invention, saying pressure on the team boss Vlad Petrovic may have rubbed off on his players.

“China didn't have a lot of options going forward because the Chinese played a very negative game. And I'm quite sure with the pressure he's been under, he'd have been happy with a draw.”

Coincidentally, an understrength Melbourne Victory played the full Chinese national team in Hong Kong last year in a friendly only losing 1-0.

“When a coach is under pressure like that, enormous pressure to get something out of the game unfortunately it reflects onto the players.

“Unfortunately when that situation occurs, they didn't venture forward very much to play even a counter-attacking game, which they even struggled doing.”

Merrick, however, was concerned about the injury to Archie Thompson.

Victory matches up with J-League powerhouse Gamba Osaka in the Asian Champions League on April 9 in Melbourne and Merrick is sweating on a Socceroo medical report on his star forward who limped off inside the first ten minutes.