Australia Prevail 2-0, One Foot In South Africa

Myself and Bobas were at this one, classic game for australia. Seemed like it could be a dud at half time but Jesus bailed us out as usual. You know who to have faith in..

Anyway If Qatar and Bahrain draw tonight, we are the first team qualified for South Africa 2010. I'm staying up, it will finish ~3am sydney time. Check this space... There will be a post if we're through.

The Formula, How We Can Qualify Next Wednesday

This isn't a very likely scenario, but still possible. Any way you look at it we're in a great position with three wins and a draw from four matches, but we can be the first team to qualify for the 2010 world cup finals with a win against the Uzbeks next Wednesday.

Everyone else is playing this weekend so all we need is for the Uzbeks to beat Qatar at home and then for for Japan to beat Bahrain away. Then on Wednesday if we beat the Uzbeks in Sydney and then Bahrain draw with Qatar a few hours later we will secure our place in the South African based WC Finals.

Although we require a bit of luck it shows how close we are with so many games yet to play.

Schwarzter, Bresciano & Kennedy steal win

The Socceroos came into the match against Bahrain full of confidence. This vanished however after kick off and the Socceroos were completely out played. Bahrain had plenty of chances all game, some of them the were very unlucky to score from. Jaycee John their 23 year old Nigerian born striker was causing havoc for Schwartzer all game. The Socceroos for much of the game didn't give themselves any chances, Harry Kewell sprayed a header wide shortly after half time from a David Carney cross. Everyone thought by the 90min mark this game was going to be a lucky nil all draw for the Socceroos. But two and a half minutes into the three minutes of stoppage time a long ball was played by Schwartzer and headed on from Kennedy manage to catch the defense of guard and put Bresciano through the offside trap. Bresciano seemed to dribble slowly and hesitate as the defense and keeper was catching up on him. He calmly placed the over the keeper into the top of the net from just inside the box and celebrated the goal with his patented Spartacus celebration.

Australia was lucky this game, but they did keep Bahrain scoreless and when you do that you can win a lot more easily. What are your thoughts?

Group A		P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Australia	3	3	0	0	6	0	6	9
2	Japan	3	2	1	0	7	3	4	7
3	Qatar	4	1	1	2	4	8	-4	4
4	Bahrain	3	0	1	2	3	5	-2	1
5	Uzbekistan	3	0	1	2	1	5	-4	1

The Bahrain Tactics

What strategy do you think PIM VERBEEK will employ?

Everyone knows Bahrain is playing for 3 points, they are sitting equal last on 1 point on the bottom of group A and is going to throw everything at us.

Pim really has three choices in terms of tactics: defend, attack or counter attack (defend then hit them on the break).

A bad coach would say, "they are going to attack, we will 'Defend', they will become angry and score an own goal or we will get the draw, if we defend well enough that is", Pim will not do this (i hope). Its really a dumb negative move.

The coach of the Gamba Osaka against Adelaide United in the final of the ACL went into the game with a 3-0 home leg victory, played 'Attack' and got the away goals needed to make victory certain. Pim could do this, however this is not a two legged knock out or final. This is a round robin pool match.

From the players available and according to the media Pim is far more likely to 'Counter Attack' & play like he did against the Uzbeks last time around. Harry Kewell up front, with Bresciano, Cahill (according to him he's fit to play) and Holman just behind. Culina and Valerie in defensive midfield and Carny (left fullback), Coyne (left centreback), Neill (right centreback) and Wilkshire (right fullback) making up the back 4.

My main problem with this is apart from Harry Kewell, we are missing geniune counter attacking footballers, without Chipperfeild and Emerton (we had them last time) we lack pace and width to run around them. Unless Sterjovski starts this tactic seems like it wont work as effectively as last time.

I would prefer we play with the same tactics as our demolition of Qatar, get some away goals and prove we can do it away from home as well as at home. Like i previously posted start with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kennedy up front, Kewell (left), Cahill (centre) and Sterjovski (right) behind, Culina (right of middle) and Bresciano (left of middle) in defensive midfielder roles and the same back 4 as above.

We've proven we have a team that can play beautifully, so why not play beautifully. I don't want to stay up at 2am and watch us wait for the other team to miss a shot to try and score. I want to see the Socceroos showing that beating Holland wasn't a fluke and that we can and will do it again.

What are your thoughts?

The Socceroos Smash them like Air Qatars

Austalia Four, Qatar Zero.

(i think we get to name their country now)

Emerton got a double,

Kennedy got a double assist and a header,

Cahill scored the opener and a drew a foul in the box.

Could this game have been any better.

Yes but only slightly, it could have had Jesus Kennedy healing Kewell and Viduka and Hollman could have got another falcon.

The Goals:

1. Australia had monopolised possession on the sodden surface and had already set alarm bells ringing in the Qatar penalty area on a few occasions before Luke Wilkshire, looking increasingly assured in the right-back role Verbeek has settled him in, combined with Brett Emerton.
Wilkshire took a return pass from the Blackburn utility and flighted a cross into the penalty area, which was headed on by David Carney then touched wide by Josh Kennedy into space where Cahill lashed home in the far corner, giving Qatar's stand-in goalkeeper Abdul Aziz Ali no chance.

2. Australia doubled their advantage eight minutes later, and again Cahill was a central figure in winning a penalty. Emerton's cross was delivered to the far post and as Cahill leapt acrobatically to try and volley, Qatar centre-back Abdullah Koni made contact with the Australian midfielder.
Emerton stepped forward and drove to his left. Aziz guessed the right way and got a hand to the ball but could only deflect it into his own net.

3. The thrid goal came after more possession dominance from Australia, The ball was tapped around beautifully until Australia had an over lap on the right wing, Kennedy laid a perfect ball onto the running Emerton. Emerton approached the ball in the top corner of the goalie-box and slotted it first time into the out streched keeper, who looked to have saved it, but it rolled powerfully spinning back into the left post and into the back of the net.

4. The last goal came after more beautiful play from the Aussies, it looked a similar build up to their last goal, however, the Aussies took the second phase option spread it back first, then down the right wing, then lobbed a cross into Kennedy, who had two defenders on him. At this point for some reason, the Qatar keeper charged to catch the ball. I dont think Kennedy noticed, because he still finished it next to the post. Kennedy looked very pleased and then Cahill jumped on him.

The Australians played very much the formation we expected, 4-5-1, or 4-4-2, depending on whether you view Scott Mcdonald or Cahill as another striker. It was a back 4 (from left to right) of Chipperfeild, Neil, Moore, Wilkshire. Defensive midfeild was Culina, Carney on the left, Emerton on the right, and Cahill and Mcdonald in the Attacking midefielfer and Shaddow Striking roles. And there was of course ozzyfootball's own Jesus Kennedy up front.

The only injury concern was fullback Scott Chipperfield, withdrawn at halftime against Qatar with soreness.

This team played so well you might see Kewell coming off the bench in the future and Viduka definatlty wouldn't be a certain to play if fit.

It was one of the best games I have seen, bar the Japan come from behind after a dubious takle on Schwartzer.

Kennedy is my MOTM, who was yours?

Want to see the goals? check out this sweet youtube!

Viduka for 2010?

With all this talk about Viduka wanting to come back and play for the roos when he's fit, its got me to thinking, what would the team be like if he and everyone else was fit?

Here's my idea.
This sucks for Bresciano, Culina and Grella, I'd really like to have Grella there, but then you have to get rid of someone else. What socceroos team would you like to see play in the future, near or far?

Vidukan't the Socceroos Can!

Injured Socceroo striker Mark Viduka has joined the Australian squad in Brisbane, not that there's any chance of him playing. He was consulting with the Socceroo's medical staff to help overcome a troublesome Achilles injury that has had him sidelined from Newcastle United in the EPL. Although this injury is likely to see him miss up to six months of competitive football, his presence in Brisbane is the strongest indicator yet that the door has not closed on his international career.

The Socceroos play Qatar on Wednesday, a game that if won should put them on top of the standings for the final group of qualifying. Australia are favourites, but Qatar are a different team this time with a new coach and most likely some new ideas.

The make up of our team is becoming more clear Neill, Moore and fellow veterans Scott Chipperfield and Brett Emerton were missing from Monday night’s training session. So it seems that perhaps Moore has pipped Coyne for the starting central defensive role. Carney trained in LMF while Chippers was preferred in the LB in previous sessions. All of this may be irrelevant as it's in Verbeek's interest to keep the opposition guessing as to the make up of his side.

I can't wait to see this one, hopefully a cracking game with lots of goals (for us). A lot will depend on our ability to contain Qatar's main offensive threat Sebastian Soria Quintana. Born in Uruguay, a fact that should add some extra incentive for our boys. Our main threats will be a red hot Cahill and our obvious height advantage in Kennedy. Both of these players scored against Qatar last time we won in Australia, and perhaps could have got a hat full. If we can get crosses/corners and quality balls (thanks Wilkshire) we will put Qatar under all sorts of pressure.

Go the Socceroos! Or as we at Ozzy Football like to call them, Jesus and Pals.