Australia's World Cup Qualifying

[Dougie]

Kewell lights up for Socceroos
June 01, 2008

HARRY Kewell's five-star performance and second-half winner steered Australia to a 1-0 win over Iraq and within sight of the next stage of World Cup qualifying.

Club-less Kewell was at his electrifying best for his country, heading home from a Brett Emerton cross in the 47th minute to give his side victory in their Asian Group A clash at Suncorp Stadium.

The former Liverpool midfielder played as a striker and was in everything as Australia consolidated top spot in the group.

But the Socceroos weathered plenty of nervous moments against the Asian champions.

Two important Mark Schwarzer saves were vital – the second denying Hawar Mulla Mohammed an equaliser with seven minutes left.

Iraq had the better of the opening 45 minutes but missed three golden opportunities to score and silence the near-50,000 crowd.

Midfielder Emad Mohammed hit the crossbar after just four minutes, then forced goalkeeper Schwarzer into a block with his legs from close range on 27 minutes.

Iraq's star striker Younis Mahmoud had the best chance of the half – fluffing an open header and putting it wide when unmarked after 36 minutes.

Kewell made the Iraqis pay for their wastefulness two minutes after half-time when he arrived to meet Emerton's cross from the right.

The only blemish on Kewell's night was missing a close-range sitter in the 66th minute and he left the field to a deserved standing ovation with 15 minutes remaining.

But as Kewell departed and Australia moved into defensive mode, Iraq lifted a gear with several late chances to square.

Hawar's chance was the best, but a clearance that bounced off Mahmoud's knee and just wide in the 82nd minute was also too close for comfort.

The Socceroos also had to endure the tiresome efforts of two pitch invaders inside the final minutes; they were embarrassingly able to remain on the field for a couple of minutes before security managed to remove them.

Australia now have seven points from three matches and need to finish top two in the group to move to the next stage of Asian qualifying later this year.

That could be secured as early as their next qualifier against Iraq in Dubai on Saturday.

[Dougie]

June 08, 2008

AUSTRALIA'S lead atop of their World Cup qualifying group evaporated in the desert heat with Iraq pinching a 1-0 win in their Group 1 match at Rashid Stadium.

Striker Emad Mohammed's 28th minute long-range shot decided the issue and lifted Iraq back into contention to qualify in the top two of the group and advance to the next stage of Asian World Cup qualifying.

The Socceroos' defeat means they are now joined by Qatar, who beat China 1-0 in Tianjin in the other Group 1 match on Sunday, on seven points at the head of a group which has tightened considerably.

Iraq have four points and China three with two matches remaining - all teams still having a chance of progressing.

The 30-metre lofted strike from Emad - which split opinion as to whether it was a shot or a lucky cross - wrong-footed goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and curled into the top corner of the net.

But Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek, whose unbeaten record at the national team's helm vanished, refused to blame his keeper.

"For 94 minutes he did very well and two seconds he is out of position," Verbeek said of Schwarzer. "Mark has saved us several times and for many years.

"I think the player (who scored) does the same thing 100 times, 99 times it goes everywhere but in the goal.

"That's football. Nobody expected that ball, and especially not Mark, to end up in the goal.

"An unlucky moment for him and absolutely no blame from our side towards him."

Despite being charged up to 20 times more than Iraqi fans to attend the match under the Iraq Football Association's controversial two-tiered pricing policy, a hardy band of around 400 Socceroos supporters paid up to cheer their side on.

Verbeek deployed Harry Kewell as a lone striker and played a back three with wing-backs and two defensive midfielders, clearly chasing a draw but hoping to sneak a goal on the counter-attack.

That plan went out the window when Emad struck but Australia's best chance came to equalise went begging in the 59th minute when substitute Brett Holman was put through on goal but shot weakly.

The Socceroos also had a last-gasp chance to grab a point through David Carney, but his shot was cleared off the line by full-back Bassan Abbas in injury-time.

Australia play Qatar in Doha next Saturday - a match that could decide who tops the group and seals a berth in the next qualifying stage.

But the Socceroos will be without midfield enforcer Vince Grella, who was booked for the second time in the group stage and receives an automatic one-match ban which will rule him out of the Qatar match.

[Morgan]

Their goal was a fluke, nothing Australia could have done about it.
Would have been nice to snatch a draw away but we are still tied for first in our group which isnt too bad. Need to beat Qatar.

[Dougie]

June 22, 2008

AUSTRALIA coach Pim Verbeek felt his young side had let down an ANZ stadium crowd of more than 70,000 after losing 1-0 to China in a World Cup qualifying dead rubber.

With Australia having already reached the next stage of qualification and China out of contention, coach Pim Verbeek rested key senior players and fielded a side dominated by under-23s players ahead of August's Beijing Games.

China, eager to restore national pride, fielded a strong senior squad and it paid dividends with defender Sun Xiang scoring a stunning 20-metre goal in the 12th minute for the win.

The Socceroos failed to make the most of their chances and their inexperience was evident at times in defence, although Verbeek still took plenty out of positives from the loss.

But he was more disappointed at not being able to entertain a huge crowd that had turned up for a game that essentially didn't mean a thing.

“If there were no fans in the stand I literally would be very happy with this game,” Verbeek said.

“But we have 70,000 people in the stands and they want to see more chances, they want us to score goals.

“They want to see at least a result and that is what we didn't show.”

The Chinese could have won 2-0 and thought they had in the 77th minute, when Charlton midfielder Zheng Zhi converted a soft penalty called on Socceroos right back Ruben Zadkovich.

But the referee ordered a retake for early encroachment in the box and Zheng fired his second shot wide, much to the enjoyment of the 70,054 fans.

The Socceroos had their fair share of chances with captain Harry Kewell again in fine touch in his last match before deciding his club future, with a move to Italian giants Roma reportedly on the cards.

Kewell, who denied links to Roma, made no excuses for the loss, saying he knew what his young teammates were capable of having trained up close.

But with qualification sealed, he turned his attention to the next phase starting September, with the draw to be announced in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

“It's going to be tough but we're prepared for that,” Kewell said.

“I'm looking forward to it and the draw to know who we're playing again and I'm pretty sure we'll have a strong squad out there and things will be different (from this result).”

Verbeek said he expected to have Tim Cahill and possibly striker Mark Viduka back in his squad at some point during the next phase.

There were no real chances before Xiang stunned the crowd when he controlled a failed Zadkovich clearance and unleashed an unstoppable curling drive which sailed in the top left of the net.

Australia had a handful of chances to equalise, with Bruce Djite, Carl Valeri and Mile Jedinak all going close on several occasions, but they were never able to turn a good share of possession into a lead.

Danish-based striker David Williams earned his first cap as a substitute, with Neil Kilkenny and Kristian Sarkies also subbed on late in the match.

Australia are still almost certain to top the qualifying group on goal difference, with either Iraq or Qatar also set to progress after they play overnight.

China coach Vladomir Petrovic, after his final match as coach, was blunt about the importance of the win but expected Australia to do well in the next phase.

“This victory is not very important to us because already lost in qualification for the World Cup,” the Serb said.

[Dougie]

Socceroos set to face Japan
June 27, 2008

AFTER surviving the group of death, Australia became a serious live chance of qualifying for their second successive World Cup finals.

Asia's No.2 ranked team Japan, dark horses Uzbekistan and two teams ranked outside the world's top 70 - Bahrain and Qatar - stand between the Socceroos and a spot at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa after the draw for the final stage of Asian qualifying.

It was a draw that could have been far worse.

The Socceroos dodged Iran - their 1997 nemesis in World Cup qualifying - and regular World Cup finalists Saudi Arabia in their five-team group.

As No.1 seeds, Australia also avoided being drawn against second-seeded South Korea, leaving the Socceroos' Group A an easier group on paper than Group B which the other three Asian powerhouses find themselves in.

Only the top two teams in each group qualify automatically as Asia's representatives for the World Cup finals.

Uzbekistan, who impressed in the previous stage of qualifying, will be Australia's opening match opponents away on September 10 - most likely in that nation's capital Tashkent.

Australia will have the luxury of playing three of their final four group matches at home, with Football Federation Australia yet to decide where the home games will be played.

But the Socceroos' final match will be at home to Japan on June 17 - a blockbuster against a team they beat in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany and a match which could have a huge bearing on both teams' qualifying hopes.

It will add to the nations' growing rivalry within Asia, as the Japanese avenged their defeat in Germany by knocking the Socceroos out of last year's Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage.

More comforting for the Socceroos will be home and away showdowns with Qatar, whom they twice beat convincingly in the previous qualifying stage to finish top of what had been dubbed the "group of death".

The Socceroos also have recent experience against Bahrain, beating them during 2007 Asian Cup qualifying.

Uzbekistan, who scored 15 goals in the previous six-match qualifying stage and impressed most Asian football watchers, loom as the major stumbling block to a Socceroos' top two finish.

The Uzbeks have won six of their past seven internationals - their 4-0 loss earlier this month to Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifying dead rubber coming with most of their best players missing.

The teams that finish third in each group get another chance to make the World Cup finals, playing off over two legs with the winner to play the Oceania champion for a spot in South Africa.

The first match day is on September 6, but the top-seeded Socceroos will get a bye before starting their campaign four days later.

North Korea and the United Arab Emirates join South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia in Group B.


2008

Sept 6: Bahrain v Japan, Qatar v Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia v Iran, UAE v North Korea
Sept 10: Uzbekistan v Australia, Qatar v Bahrain, North Korea v South Korea, UAE v Saudi Arabia
Oct 15: Australia v Qatar, Japan v Uzbekistan, South Korea v UAE, Iran v North Korea
Nov 19: Qatar v Japan, Bahrain v Australia, UAE v Iran, Saudi Arabia v South Korea

2009

Feb 11: Uzbekistan v Bahrain, Japan v Australia, North Korea v Saudi Arabia, Iran v South Korea
March 28: Japan v Bahrain, Uzbekistan v Qatar, Iran v Saudi Arabia, North Korea v UAE
April 1: Australia v Uzbekistan, Bahrain v Qatar, South Korea v North Korea, Saudi Arabia v UAE
June 6: Qatar v Australia, Uzbekistan v Japan, UAE v South Korea, North Korea v Iran
June 10: Japan v Qatar, Australia v Bahrain, Iran v UAE, South Korea v Saudi Arabia
June 17: Bahrain v Uzbekistan, Australia v Japan, Saudi Arabia v North Korea, South Korea v Iran

[Dougie]

September 11, 2008

AUSTRALIA plunged Uzbekistan further into the World Cup abyss with a 1-0 win to successfully launch their final Asian qualifying campaign for South Africa 2010.

FC Basel defender Scott Chipperfield's 26th-minute header grabbed all the points in Australia's first senior international with the Uzbeks, controlling the match through their experienced European brigade.
The loss heaped more pressure on Uzbekistan, who remain pointless after two games following their demoralising 3-0 loss to Qatar in Doha last weekend.

The Uzbeks' survival now hinges on their crucial away match against Japan in Saitama on October 15, while Australia’s next assignment is a home match against Qatar in Brisbane on the same night.

Chipperfield, playing in only his second international for 19 months, scored the winner with a free header in the 26th minute after a cross from right-back Luke Wilkshire.

He had the freedom to steer his downward header past goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov from just outside the six-yard box.

“The goal came at a good time for us and Bresciano also had a great chance to make it 2-0 before half-time, but in the end we got the three important points,'' Chipperfield said.

“You always want to get off to a good start in your first qualifying game so we are going to be confident heading into our next few qualifying games and it will be difficult for Uzbekistan now with two losses.''

Coach Pim Verbeek was delighted with the commitment of his Australian players in the intimidating atmosphere of the Pakhtakor stadium.

“Football-wise we have played better games, but if you look for the commitment and attitude of the boys and the way they worked hard for each other, I think they did a great job,'' Verbeek said.

The Uzbeks were largely disjointed throughout the match and well bossed by the Australian defence marshalled by West Ham United defender Lucas Neill.

Australia, attempting to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals through Asia for the first time, had a wonderful opportunity to double their lead in first half injury time through Palmero's Mark Bresciano.

Bresciano, sent clear on goal by Harry Kewell, could not hit the target in his one-on-one on Nesterov's goal with a chance that would have killed off the match.

Grosseto holding midfielder Carl Valeri picked up his second yellow card of the qualifying campaign to force him out of Australia's next World Cup game against Qatar.

Striker Maksim Shatskikh, held in check by the Australians, had what appeared a strong penalty appeal turned down by Kuwaiti referee Saad al Fadhli five minutes after half-time when he was brought down by Bresciano.

Uzbekistan put the Australian defence under greater pressure in the second half after a change of tactics and showed more urgency, but the Socceroos weathered the threat to securely see out the match.

Verbeek took off Bresciano for Sheffield United's David Carney in the 73rd minute for some fresh legs.

Carney minutes later missed a great chance to kill off the game on a break engineered by Harry Kewell only to limply run the ball out.

The Australians had a pre-match setback when key PSV Eindhoven midfielder Jason Culina withdrew with a stomach bug and was replaced by Jacob Burns.

[Dougie]

Courtesy of Fox Sports
By Simon Hill
November 19, 2008

WE go one one one with Fox Sports commentator Simon Hill as Australia countdown the hours until their Asian World Cup qualifying showdown with Bahrain.

Has the loss of key players such as Scott McDonald, Brett Emerton and Vince Grella through injury, and the reported problems surrounding Tim Cahill, dampened your enthusiasm for a Socceroos victory this morning?

No, not at all. I’ve never seen Socceroos’ coach Pim Verbeek so relaxed before a qualifier and I think that attitude has rubbed off onto his players. Verbeek is very chilled out at the moment and appears confident his team has the strength and depth to handle a team the calibre of Bahrain. The hosts can’t really be considered in the top tier of sides standing in Australia’s way of reaching the world cup and I think the visitors are confident of making it a winning night over here.

We have a good recent record of playing well in the desert heat in recent times, like Qatar and Iraq? What are the conditions going to be like for this match and do you think the home side will be better suited?

Surprisingly, it’s quite cool in Bahrain at the moment. We were expecting it to be very hot and humid like Dubai, but with the game kicking off at 6pm local time the temperatures are expected to dip to around 20-21 degrees. It will be really comfortable for the Socceroos with Luke Wilshire telling me how happy the Aussies were about the conditions. The only conditional factor the Socceroos will have to deal with is the pitch is a little bit bumpy and bare in patches which will make their passing game difficult. But of course it’s the same for both teams. In terms of environmental factors I don’t think Bahrain will have any advantage at all.

Any last-minute news about possible Socceroos formation. What do you expect the line-up to be (maybe one up front with Harry and Cahill in behind him) and who are going to be the key players?

I think Verbeek will go with his usual 4-3-2-1. There was some speculation earlier this week that the coach may play with two strikers, but I think Pim is going to stick with what he knows best. He’s very pragmatic when it comes to away matches. I think we will see Josh Kennedy at the head, a bank of three in behind, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill playing just off Kennedy with Mark Bresciano playing on the other flank. As Verbeek stated earlier this week, when you look at those four names it will definitely be Bahrain showing more concern than the Socceroos will be over Bahrain’s line-up.

What is your opinion of Bahrain? Is there any sense of optimism in the local press of an upset win?

The local press are hopeful, but I don’t they are confident. Veteran Bahrain coach Milan Macala basically said that Australia are the best team in Asia and that his players would be giving it their best shot. The big problem for Bahrain is the fact they will have four key players missing through suspension. Two of those losses are probably Bahrain’s best players and I think they will struggle without them. There is no doubt Australia are heavy favourites and I think they will win and win well.

In the context of the group standings, how vital is a Socceroos victory tonight, especially with Japan playing straight after against Qatar in nearby Doha an hour later.

I think it’s important because Australia’s next pool game is away to Japan in February which may prove difficult for the Socceroos to field their best team. It’s a single FIFA date with a number of players a realistic chance of missing the tie or at very best flying into Japan without much time for a solid preparation. The law of averages suggest Australia will have at least one slip up in this campaign and that may come in Japan? The mindset of the players is to get this qualification process done and dusted as soon as possible and that means winning the games they are expected to win. A win over Bahrain will solidify the Socceroos position at the top and maybe even give Pim the opportunity to rest some of his players later in the campaign.



Haven't watched much soccer this season looking foward to having a look at this game if i can stay awake. cheers Dougie

[Morgan]

Good luck in the morning wish i couldnt get up and watch but being sick and having to work tomorrow makes it difficult.