Holger Osiek needs something special from Socceroos tonight Fox Sports' Andy Harper previews the Socceroos World Cup qualifier with Japan. Socceroo stalwart Tim Cahill can still pose plenty of problems for the Japanese defence. OMAN was awful, and Holger Osieck knows he needs a performance against Japan tonight that's a quantum leap from that last World Cup qualifier. He needs it for himself, for his team, for our hopes of making it to Brazil next year. If you were to highlight one overriding issue that needs sorting from our last outing, the inertia and timidity must be reversed handsomely. From the beginning we have to go at them - not in a headless-chicken way as a team, but every man has to impose himself on his opponent. The tone of a game can be set early on, and if it's quickly apparent that we're up for the fight, then it sets Japan a further set of problems. But that aggression has to come within the context of understanding the team's structure. Japan are an excellent side and the Socceroos face an almighty challenge. But I've also been in Japan's shoes, in a team expected to win comfortably. So I'm seeking a performance of attitude and awareness from the green and gold. The team must play as a compact unit, aware of their own job but also of the men around him. The ball must move quickly but accurately, dispatched to men like Luke Wilkshire to put in quality crosses before the Japanese defence can map its ground. We don't want to play nothing but long balls, but equally there's nothing to be ashamed of in having a particular advantage. The aerial power of Josh Kennedy, Tim Cahill and even Alex Brosque can set the Japanese defence a serious threat, given the right service. We nearly scored a number of times the last time we played Japan, especially from the right and from set pieces. The Japanese defence tends to drop deeper and their goalkeeper is hesitant to sweep too enthusiastically behind them. Then our midfield comes into play as Japan clears their lines, and we can shoot from those secondary positions. Our defence, though, will also be under pressure but Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski are content sitting deep, so long as the midfielders maintain their shape and hunt the ball down in packs. I'd like to see Mark Bresciano play, despite his recent injuries and age - he remains comfortably our best passer of the ball and hugely experienced. It shows how difficult Holger has found the process of transition in terms of bringing through fresh talent. The class of 2006 are still there, past their prime yet more experienced and always up for the fight. It's that quality that gives us hope of securing a result to edge us closer to Brazil.