The Socceroos’ lead at the top of their World Cup qualifying group evaporated in the desert heat tonight, with Iraq pinching a 1-0 win in their Group 1 clash at Rashid Stadium.
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Striker Emad Mohammed’s 28th minute long-range shot decided the issue and also 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 tonight, on seven points at the head of a group which has tightened up 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 cross that got lucky – 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 tonight, refused to blame his keeper.
“For 94 minutes he did very well and two seconds he is out of position. Mark has saved us several times and for many years,” Verbeek said.
“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 wingbacks 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 fullback 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 tonight for the second time in the group stage and receives an automatic one-match ban which will rule him out of the Qatar match.
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Midfielder said | June 8th 2008 @ 11:20am | Report comment
Hope the boys can get through against Qtar god I hope it does not come down to the China game
Salvation said | June 8th 2008 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
i felt like i was watching afl thru the second half of this game. If this is the most creative and incisive we can get, then we are playing well below our potential, imo. What i would have given to have wilkshire and holman left out of that game..and played someone like joel griffiths or even a Carle. Relying on the wingbacks has shown their limitations. Pim, you need a plan ‘B’
Midfielder said | June 8th 2008 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Salvation
Agree about the plan B, also Harry up front as a lone hit man. Well most think he is best at left mid, ……. maybe in behind the striker, ……….. BUT the lone striker up front, …………. sorry that lost me. Was Kenndy there I think maybe there is to much overhang and influence from GA.
IMO GA should have gone a long time ago, Pim for your sake ……… get rid of GA and remove his influence totally, even if Pim is not being influenced by GA the preception is there.
Slippery Jim said | June 8th 2008 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
Well, if anyone’s to blame for our loss, it’s Pim, not Schwartzer. Fielding a starting 11 with no front man, parking the team bus in front of goal with a dearth of attacking players, putting Holman on as his first sub, taking off Kewell, leaving it too late to field Jesus or Macca, if playing cautious “let them attack us and soak up the pressure” tactics didn’t work in the Asian Cup, and nearly lost us the game against China, then it was never going to work against away against Iraq.
Interestingly, the zero-striker tactic is becoming more and more the rage in world football, sad to say:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/08/the_end_of_forward_thinking.html
Dave said | June 8th 2008 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
The 3 most creative players in the Socceroos HK, NC and MB played a total of 70 mins between out of possible 270mins if they all played 90 mins. Hence a game in which they created 2 chances barely (one of those in the 93rd min). Tells you everything and they can have no complaints about losing. PV tactics not good enough trying to play for 0-0 draw is 95% of the time going to bring you undone. Why bring Holman on at 1/2 time and leave MB sitting on the bench for entire game? Killed HK by asking him to play impossible role in that heat.
Salvation said | June 8th 2008 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
Well, i knew the game was lost in the first 5 minutes, when i saw the camera on GA on the edge of the tech area. Just a gut feeling. I thought “oh dear, why is GA on his feet??’
Spiro Zavos said | June 10th 2008 @ 8:11pm | Report comment
Did Pim make a tactical mistake in starting off the game in a most defensive fashion, allowing Iraq to take the game to the Socceroos with impunity? Hindsight, of course, but I believe it’s never good tactics to give away a team’s attack and to go completely on the defensive, especially against a team that had to win the match.