News Analysis: Australia exorcises its demons with historic Asian Cup win

Two poetic turns from Massimo Luongo and Tomi Juric, one which resulted in a rifled shot into the bottom corner, the other in a squared ball for James Troisi, have proved enough for Australia to lift their first ever Asian Cup on home soil on Saturday night.

A 2-1 victory over South Korea in extra time may have proved a more nerve-inducing Asian Cup final than the sold out 76,385-strong crowd in Sydney had hoped for, but it meant claiming that elusive piece of international silverware was all the more rewarding after 120 minutes of grueling football.

Luongo and Juric entered the tournament as relative unknowns, plying their trade in England's League One and Australia's A-League respectively. But they'll leave having etched their names in the history books.

They also depart having perfectly encapsulated the changing approach of manager Ange Postecoglou. Picked on merit, not reputation, both are hungry and fit youngsters focusing more on the collective than the individual.

For all of the pre-match hype regarding Australia's favoritism ahead of the final, the majority of Socceroos fans would have entered the Sydney Olympic Stadium still feeling slightly tentative about their team's chances.

Over the last decade, despite the talk of a golden generation, the Socceroos have still held a niggling habit of falling on the cusp of greatness. Be it in the 2006 World Cup round of 16 or the 2011 Asian Cup final, it is the final hurdle that has often been the one hardest to overcome.

As South Korea notched an equalizing goal in the 91st minute, it again looked as though Australia would live to rue a glaring missed opportunity.

For long passages in the first half of Saturday evening's encounter in particular, it appeared as though history would repeat. A stern South Korean defence, which went past 10 straight hours without conceding, limited a usually potent Australian front three to barely a chance in the first 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, at the other end, South Korea was beginning to gain the upper hand. Kwak Tae-Hwi directed a free header wide, while Son Heung-Min's influence was quickly growing.

He hit a sweet first-time volley just over the bar, before seeing a deflected shot loop agonizingly over following Cha Du-Ri's powerful run to the byline.

But, just as Australia was beginning to look towards the clock in anticipated of the much-needed half-time whistle, Luongo produced a moment of magic that would lodge itself into the memory of Socceroos fans across the country.

With a swift and intelligent first touch that saw the 22-year-old evade the attentions of his marker, Luongo lashed a pinpoint and powerful 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.

For the first time in 622 long minutes, South Korea's defence had been breached. But it was a strike worthy of ending such an imposing record.

Despite already weather one storm prior to the break, Australia was bound to be forced to hold off another South Korean surge. But a defence that barely six months ago conceded three goals in each game of their World Cup campaign was now resolute.

The determination was clear to see from the outset, with captain Mile Jedinak giving a signal of his intent with a bruising challenge on Son just seconds into the match.

It had stamped Australia's authority on the contest.

Following waves of speculation in the build-up to the match regarding rumours of a push to have the Socceroos evicted from the AFC, in addition to the natural pressures facing a host nation in a final, it was a sign that Australia would not be bullied.

It was also a sign that Australia wasn't about to let the aforementioned demons from previous tournaments haunt them this time around.

Their defeat in the 2011 Asian Cup final to Japan had been blamed on a lack of preparation, both in terms of fitness and mentality. That same criticism cannot be leveled at Postecoglou's side in 2015.

Even Son's unerring stoppage-time equalizer, which had the potential to deflate a massive home crowd, would not deter the Socceroos.

They continued to push forward and, on the stroke of half time in extra time, reclaimed the lead. Juric was strong, turning his marker on the byline and squaring for Troisi, who again lifted the proverbial roof off the Sydney Olympic Stadium with a simple finish.

It meant that perhaps that same criticism from past Australian teams could be aimed at Uli Stielike's side. Unlike Australia, they continued their dismal record in the latter stages of major international tournaments.

South Korea has now lost four Asian Cup finals and finished third on a further three occasions from their last 12 attempts. Meanwhile, they have only qualified from the group stages of the World Cup twice in the last nine tournaments.

On Saturday evening, despite being downcast, they could hardly complain that they weren't beaten by a squad of younger, more inexperienced and less renowned players that proved that they were hungrier and more focused than their predecessors.

Postecoglou will know that this is only the start of what he is trying to build with the Australian national team. But it's a promising one at that. And on home soil, there's no better way to begin the Postecoglou era in earnest than with the country's first piece of major international silverware. Endi