Tim Cahill says he and his Australian team-mates are taking this Friday’s friendly match against the UAE “very seriously” in the warm-up to their Asian Cup campaign.
The Australians arrived in Abu Dhabi at the weekend and have been training at Arabian Gulf League side Al Wahda’s academy ahead of the game with the hosts on Friday at Al Jazira’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
The Socceroos’ record goalscorer is in tune with football in the Middle East, having travelled to the region during his time with Everton, and he is impressed with the rapid growth of the game here in recent years.
“I feel football is really growing (in the UAE),” said Cahill. “People are really behind it and are passionate and these are the keys to being successful as a nation.”
The New York Red Bulls attacker believes Middle Eastern teams are “doing their countries proud” as football is developing every time he comes here.
“The UAE are a good team, technically very good. We respect them first as a country and team, but most importantly we respect them as footballers.
“We know they’re technically very gifted and they’ve got a great squad that plays great football.”
The 34-year-old, who scored two goals at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil – including one of the strikes of the tournament with a sensational volley against the Netherlands – as Australia impressed in a group that also contained Chile and Spain, said the Socceroos are using the UAE friendly, and another against Qatar next Tuesday, as serious tests before they host the Asian Cup in January 2015.
“For us, it’s about implementing what we’re going to do in the Asian Cup. It’s important for us to get as much out of it as possible," said Cahill.
“We’re taking this game really seriously because there’s only so many weeks that we’re together before the Asian Cup, and these sorts of games are vital in terms of our preparation for that competition.”
Cahill described next year’s Asian Cup as “potentially one of the biggest moments for Australian football” and believes Asia and the Middle East are now at the forefront of world football.
“That’s why we’re playing against the UAE and Qatar because that competition is what we’re going to come up against and it’s not going to be an easy task.”
Sydney native Cahill moved to Major League Soccer in America in 2012 after a stellar career in England, most notably the eight years he spent on the blue half of Merseyside with Everton, where he became a talismanic figure, scoring 56 goals in 226 appearances.
Cahill also spoke of his passion for playing for his country and his ambitions to keep playing for years to come, but refused to be drawn on events closer to home in New York where it’s been a tough week for the ex-Toffees star.
He received the first red card of his MLS career against Houston Dynamo on Sunday, while rumours also abound that his commitment to the Socceroos, and time spent away with the national team, is causing a rift between Cahill and his Red Bulls coach Mike Petke.
“I’m very proud (about playing for Australia),” Cahill said. “It took a while for me to play for my country but now I’m taking every chance I can.”
Cahill has 15 goals in 65 games for Red Bulls since his move stateside, but has completed 90 minutes just once in the Red Bulls’ last nine games.
He missed four games in May and June as Australia prepared for the World Cup, while he has scored 10 goals in 17 games for his country in 2014.
“You have to appreciate every moment. When I retire in years to come, I can look back on this and not regret any decision that I’ve ever made. You retire when you’re ready to and I’m not ready yet.”
