MELBOURNE, Australia -- A night which began so poorly for the Socceroos ended in a respectable 1-1 draw with Japan in front of 48,460 fans at Etihad Stadium.
Australia trailed just five minutes in after Genki Haraguchi fired the Japanese in front, but a second-half Mile Jedinak penalty ensured the Socceroos would remain unbeaten in qualification for the 2018 World Cup.
Here are five things we learned from the first meeting between the nations since 2014:
1. Gone are Tim Cahill's starting days
It probably came as no surprise that Australia's greatest ever goal-scorer was on the bench. The now 36-year-old, who has been a dominant force for the green and gold for over a decade, came into the clash under a fitness cloud, meaning a start was just about out of the question. However, even a fully-fit Cahill would struggle for a starting role these days with an abundance of 20-something attacking talent, including Tomi Juric, Apostolos Giannou, Mathew Leckie, and even Robbie Kruse screaming out for international minutes.
Nevertheless, Cahill, as he has done so often in his career, can be a weapon off the bench for Ange Postecoglou in the lead into the 2018 World Cup.
2. Australia lack creativity and patience
An opening goal in the fifth minute for Japan, and the intentions become clear; park the bus and maintain the lead. With 85 minutes to work with, the majority of possession, and a home crowd eager to erupt, the Socceroos failed to create many meaningful chances: a very concerning sign. Just one shot on target up until Mile Jedinak's 52nd minute penalty is inexcusable.
Too often the ball was played around in midfield before an eventual disappointing long pass was hoisted aimlessly at goalkeeper Nishikawa Shusaku, or worse still, turned over in midfield allowing the Japanese to counter attack. Even skipper Jedinak was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply throughout the night. The Socceroos need to develop patience when attacking, especially when they find themselves trailing, otherwise more defensively sound teams will become unbeatable.
3. Ange Postecoglou is exactly what Australia need
It may seem like an odd assessment after a lacklustre draw, but Postecoglou demonstrated yet again why he's the right man to lead Australia to footballing success. The Socceroos manager did everything in his power to win the match -- highlighted by the attack-minded substitutions of Tim Cahill and Robbie Kruse.
The five years he spent managing in the A-League before taking over as Socceroos' coach in 2013 have proved invaluable as he knows better than anyone how to extract talent out of players applying their trade Down Under -- something in which his predecessors Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck struggled with.
What's more is that Postecoglou's been able to develop a winning culture and mentality among the Australian squad. He may not have reached the lofty heights of Guus Hiddink in 2006, but Postecoglou has the potential to build an Australian footballing dynasty that very few have before him.
4. Aaron Mooy is set for stardom
The 26-year-old may not be a household name just yet, but don't be surprised if he's the player to eventually take over the Socceroos' captaincy from Mile Jedinak. Mooy, who's currently on loan at Huddersfield Town from Manchester City, demonstrated his midfield quality yet again on Tuesday night with his exquisite vision, superb ball control and clever passing in what was just his 20th appearance for Australia. His work from set pieces continually challenged the Japanese defence, and he can consider himself unlucky not to have an assist or two next to his name.
Mooy has excelled this season and played a major role in helping Huddersfield Town to the summit of the English second tier; if he can continue to bring that same quality and feistiness to the Socceroos, then expectations will continue to rise.
5. Etihad Stadium trumps the MCG
If there was one thing which became clear on Tuesday night, it was that Etihad Stadium must host Melbourne's international football matches until such time as the sporting capital of the world has a 50,000 capacity rectangular arena. While it wasn't exactly an electric atmosphere, especially after Japan's early goal, the size is perfect for football, and offers fans a viewing opportunity that the Melbourne Cricket Ground simply cannot.
There was a lot of criticism directed at the International Champions Cup organisers earlier in the year when the MCG was selected to host three preseason round robin matches. The emptiness and distance to the pitch created a hollow atmosphere, and a significant let down for fans. There's no doubt that it's time for Docklands to become Melbourne's home of international football.