Australia ended the tournament in last place after losing 4-3 to China on Sunday.
Australia head coach Holger Osieck insists the East Asian Cup was a valuable experience for his young squad after they ended the tournament in last place.
The Socceroos were beaten 4-3 by China in their final match at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium on Sunday meaning they head home with just a point to show for their efforts following the fortunate goalless draw with host nation South Korea in the opening game.
A 3-2 loss to Japan last Thursday was sandwiched between the aforementioned results with Osieck often seeing his side found wanting against their regional rivals, but the 64-year-old German feels the players have been taught an invaluable lesson and are now wiser to the rigours of international football.
“Well, we came to this tournament with a developmental team so if you see the line up today, one player, [Matt] McKay, has more caps than the rest of the team together,” he told Four Four Two.
“We lacked experience as a group but [to come here and gain experience] was the plan. [We played against] Asian teams that are in full swing, in the middle of their season.
“Many [of our] players never played at this level with the national team. I think it was a very good experience for all of us to see where they stand and how much work is left for them [to be ready for the regular national team].”
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