Much was made of the paucity of goals before the tournament, but scoring against Belgium and Japan is far harder than against Kuwait and Oman. Nevertheless, the release of pressure and anxiety was palpable. And captain Mile Jedinak showed the Australian public the resolve needed as captain of a Premier League team. Should a penalty be needed to settle bigger games, hopefully the biggest game, Australia knows we have the man for the job. This may become very important in time. There was a perfect symmetry to who scored the goals as the team seeks to emerge from the gargantuan shadow of Timmy Cahill. True to form and stature, Timmy dragged us back from the brink again. Then there was a visible passing of the baton: Cahill to Massimo Luongo. The team needed inspiration. They were labouring to break down a deep Kuwaiti defence who surprised Australia with an aggressive start and then, predictably, sat back to counter-attack. Luongo provided the moment. A run, dribble and perfect cutback to the boss, Timmy, and the game was on. As an exclamation, Massimo would later rise with a beautiful header, with Cahill only millimetres behind him and already stooping to put that famous forehead on the cross.

It was like eating from the plate of the king. As if to say, 'Thanks Tim, but I'll take it from here.' Credit to Ange Postecoglou for his mentorship of the 22-year-old, who was selected very early in his tenure and supported throughout. Having Luongo perform with such distinction is the direct result of the belief of his coach. Few attacking midfielders can head the ball with such quality. Luongo became the star of the game, and now Postecoglou will be reminding him the real trick is to do so again and again and again. Like Timmy. With such a desire for the Socceroos to do well, this result will drive a positive and energising atmosphere for ensuing matches. Coming from behind also gives confidence, and ensures crowds in Sydney and Brisbane will push the team all the way, despite how the games might unfold against Oman and South Korea. This makes playing Australia at home very difficult – most away teams rely on home crowds becoming nervous or agitated. Here they will support regardless, providing critical energy for a team growing game by game.

The public also loves, and arguably needs, a new star or a number of new stars. Luongo took the focus in match one, another player will do so in match two, and these stories will drive greater interest and media support for the journey. Tournaments are fascinating because the most important games now will feature Oman, South Korea, Japan and Iran. All of us will be watching intently to assess key players, tactical approaches, strengths and weaknesses and how they match up against Australia. The lesson from Brazil 2014 was that Postecoglou and his staff are capable of breaking down the opposition and formulating an effective plan. That is part of the evolution of Australian coaching, a key feature of A-League games every week, and a pivotal factor in this Asia Cup. We will see what our opponents have to offer, the Australian coaching staff have time to evaluate and strategise, and make decisions match by match to progress. Of course, the opposite is also true. This was part of the anxiety of the first game. Much was unknown and had to be dealt with during the match. The Socceroos did so commendably, and now move to step two, where each match becomes harder, analysis becomes a major weapon and opponents' capabilities become clearer with each game.

The second step, hopefully, of six.