Miller finds redemption, new drive with maiden Socceroos goal
For Lewis Miller, his maiden goal for the Socceroos in their World Cup qualification win over China didn’t just represent a vital equaliser. Taking the field in Green and Gold for the first game since the Asian Cup, it was the start of what he describes as his redemption, as well as a platform for better things to come.
Rising to meet a Craig Goodwin free kick, Miller headed beyond Wang Dalei to out Xie Wenneng’s 20th-minute opener in Thursday night’s fixture at the Adelaide Oval, setting the stage for the hosts to kick on in the second half and secure a desperately needed 3-1 win thanks to goals from Goodwin and Nishan Velupillay.
Mobbed by jubilant teammates as he celebrated, the moment carried a starkly different feeling for Miller than the last time he took the field for the national team; giving away the penalty and free kick that allowed South Korea to equalise with the Socceroos with only moments to go in regular time and then overhaul them in extra time of their Asian Cup quarterfinal.
Though his teammates rallied around him after the game amidst a wave of vile social media abuse, Miller took that game to heart, feeling that he’d let the nation down. He hadn’t, of course, far from it. Corrupt politicians let their nation down. Profiteers or war criminals do. Not footballers who make a mistake in a game. But that’s how he felt.
The 24-year-old had been in squads since that fixture but under new coach Tony Popovic, Thursday was the first time that he’d taken the field and, afforded his chance, he seized it with both hands: scoring a goal that, in the broader context of qualification, could be one of the most important netted for the Socceroos in a while.
“It didn't go the way that I wanted to go in the Asian Cup,” he reflected following the game .”I took that to heart. I was let down by who I let down, the country and stuff.
“But at the end of the day, football is football, right? It's a game of emotions, the best and the worst emotions. That's why we play the game, for the thrill.
“This is the start of the redemption and I'm keen to keep going on and on and on.
“New manager, a few new players. I think it's a great environment for me to show what I can do. I'm keen for the future.”
In the first game of the Popovic era, Miller started on the right side of a back five against China, bombing up and down the touchline as winger Craig Goodwin opened up space in front of him by drifting into the half spaces between midfield and attack.
While there’s no guarantee that this will be the approach that the new boss of Australia’s men adopts long-term, it’s a role that the Hibernian defender feels suits his game and one that’s potential use going forward excites him.
And with the right-back position of the Socceroos having been in a near state of constant flux for several years now, with the likes of Fran Karačić, Nathaniel Atkinson, Gethin Jones, and Ryan Strain all unable to stay healthy and/or nail down the spot, the former Central Coast Mariner is hopeful he can make it his own.
“It's a great role for me,” he said. “I like getting up and down. That's kind of what I thrive at.
“I think we were very comfortable in the first half. [China’s] goal kind of came out of nowhere. But I thought we grabbed the hold of the game. My goal helped push the momentum and in the second half, it showed we were clinical. We put our foot on the pedal and we attacked him with a quality second half. And luckily enough, we got another two goals.
“Yes it's a new system, today was the first game we've kind of played under that system but the fact that we got a great result and we played some great football is just a positive sign.
“Imagine what's to come in the next few months, when we've got a grip on this philosophy and the players are going to adapt. Very excited for the future.”