“This was a match we came to play and learn from,” said Morgan. “Japan were better in the penalty areas, but apart from that I’m very proud of my boys. We tried to continue playing good football, but Japan executed and got the victory, good for them. 

“My team had 55 percent possession and an equal number of shots to Japan. But at the beginning of the match, there were some nerves and we made some mistakes and we were punished.”

A campaign which began in Qarshi saw Australia topping Group B with two wins and a draw before defeating Turkmenistan 1-0 in the quarter-finals. The semi-final against Saudi Arabia, however, proved a bridge too far as they fell to a 2-0 defeat.  

There were no regrets for Morgan though as he said the six matches Australia played can only benefit the growth of his players. 

“There’s a different type of learning when you play match after match. There’s not so much coaching on the pitch, but rather learning from situations. And because of the diversity of Asia, the lessons drawn (from each match) were different. You’re trying to maintain your character and style of play, but have to overcome different challenges everyday."

“It has been intense and the players will need some time to relax and reflect, then set their goals on how they can make the senior national team. 

“I was asked yesterday (Friday) which opponents were difficult to play against, but there are learnings from each one. You have to solve a problem every time. Today was an excellent test for us, these are the sorts of matches we want to play more of, so we can improve piece by piece.”