Socceroos midfielder Dario Vidosic Thursday urged Australian fans not to be disheartened by this week's dour draw with South Africa as the World Cup approaches.
Vidosic said the team had learned a lot from the 1-1 draw in Sydney and that tough fitness work before the game was always likely to weigh on performance.
Australia, the tournament's lowest-ranked team and bracketed in a daunting Group B, came in for criticism after Monday's disjointed display.
"A lot of people have come down hard on us but I don't think they see behind the doors how hard we've been training," he told reporters in Vitoria.
"You would never prepare like that for a game if it was (competitive)... I don't think people have to think too hard about that game, it was good preparation for us."
Tim Cahill's soft goal from a header in the 14th minute was Australia's only score in Sydney, a minute after Ayanda Patosi had exposed the home defence in a rare foray forward.
With bookmakers offering up to 1,500-1 for the Socceroos to lift the World Cup, The Australian newspaper said they left "with the sound of doom and gloom ringing in their ears".
Ange Postecoglou's team, the first to arrive in Brazil, will now build towards their final warm-up against Croatia on June 7 before their World Cup opener against Chile a week later.
And Matt McKay said it suited Australia to fly under the radar in a group including holders Spain and 2010 runners-up the Netherlands, as well as Chile.
"We've got nothing to lose here," the midfielder said. "Everyone's writing us off and we know that if we can shock a few people that will be the best outcome for us."
Source: AFP
