Midway through the 2014/15 Australian A-League season, the nation came to a standstill as the AFC Asian Cup came to town. After featuring in a 2-0 defeat to Central Coast Mariners for his club side Melbourne City in early January 2015, the then 24-year-old Aaron Mooy took up a bittersweet watching brief for the rest of the month.
He was not selected for the Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup, nor had he really expected to be, with just a few minutes of international action in the years preceding the flagship tournament. Ange Postecoglou ultimately led his side to a first continental title in Asia, with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory against Korea Republic.
You would think after such a historic victory, it would be difficult to secure a place in the Socceroos’ starting line-up, with those Asian Cup heroes holding a distinct advantage. Mooy has defied that expectation. After 20 minutes against Germany in a March 2015 friendly, the midfielder secured a spot in the Australian XI, impressing with his measured playmaking approach and incisive passing. Of the eight FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers on Australia’s road to Russia so far, Mooy has played in seven, scoring twice and setting up six goals. Is that creative spark the reason for his continued inclusion in Postecoglou’s line-ups?
“I like to get on the ball and pass it forwards, try and create chances,” Mooy toldFIFA.com. “That’s what my game is about. I’m playing more games, which builds confidence. I’ve played for a number of years in the A-League and I’m improving.”
Mooy has been back in Australia since late 2012, to be precise, after a spell in the United Kingdom at firstly Bolton Wanderers (where he spent his latter teenage years in the English side’s youth teams), and then in Scotland at St Mirren where he made his professional debut. After his return in 2012, everything seemed to be going right for Mooy, he was playing regularly at hometown club, Western Sydney Wanderers, and scored on his full debut for the national side against Guam in December 2012.
He seemed destined for a spot in the national team for years to come, especially after being part of the Young Socceroos squad at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009, an experience Mooy described as “unbelievable”. The transition seemed seamless. But then he played no part in World Cup qualifying for Brazil, making one start at the 2013 East Asian Football Championship.
Shared philosophy
The midfielder was effusive in his praise for the former Socceroo-turned-coach. “He’s a very good coach,” Mooy said. “The style that he wants to play is the way I like playing as well. I’m happy to be playing under him. He’s intimidating! But the way he wants to play football, I want to play like that as well. I’m enjoying it.”
The Aussies have certainly been easy on the eye on the road to Russia, with no other side in Asia scoring more goals than their 29 in Round 2. They now face Iraq, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and United Arab Emirates in a difficult-looking Round 3 group.
“It’s definitely a tough group,” Mooy said. “There are a few hard nations in there, especially the away games are always difficult. We’re confident the way we’re playing and improving. Each game that I’ve been involved in I’ve seen an improvement in the way we’re playing. Hopefully, by the time the qualifiers come around, we’ll be at the top of our game.”
Mooy will now have time zone differences to contend with when World Cup qualifying resumes in September, after making a move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City from their sister club in Melbourne. Mooy has often drawn comparisons from sections of the Socceroos’ support with one of Guardiola’s proteges, Andres Iniesta.
“He’s obviously a player that I’ve grown up watching,” Mooy grinned, rather sheepishly. “He’s right at the top of the game. He’s a great player, great to watch.”
Upon signing for City, Mooy has been loaned immediately to second-tier outfit Huddersfield Town, and it seems more than likely that he will settle well into the area after his initial sojourn in England. Huddersfield is less than an hour from Bolton and his Scottish fiancée (they met during his St Mirren spell) will also help Mooy feel at ‘home’.
However Mooy gets on with his return to the UK, he will not be taking his spot in any of Postecoglou’s future line-ups for granted. “Anything can happen,” Mooy said. “You could go back to your club, be in bad form and not get picked. I just try and play my way into the team every single time.”
It is that kind of attitude which means Mooy is likely to be front and centre, not watching from the sidelines with the rest of planet football, when the Socceroos next capture the world’s imagination.