Expert
The Socceroos fought out a frustrating and fruitless draw against Honduras, but have put themselves in position to qualify for the world cup on Wednesday.
Final score
Honduras 0
Socceroos 0
Honduras and the Socceroos meet in the first leg of the final stage of their World Cup odysseys in the race for Russia 2018. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 9am (AEDT).
Well this is it folks. Tonight places the Socceroos one step closer to qualifying for next year’s World Cup or on the brink of disaster and elimination.
The final result of this two-legged match-up will not be known today, however, much will be read from the game and the patterns that emerge.
Honduras look like the absolute worst case scenario for the Socceroos and their ability to counter and break quickly with athleticism and speed will test the Australian back three all night long.
With defensive solidarity being a major issue for the visitors, the Hondurans will be happy to sit and soak up a lot of Australia’s possession before seeking to exploit their defensive frailties.
For the Socceroos it is simply a case of finding a way through the home team and, in turn, a goal. With recent fixtures resulting in a weight of possession yet little to show for time on the ball, the Socceroos may need to call on ‘you know who’ one more time to nab that elusive away goal.
How attacking and bold both of the teams are prepared to be will be fascinating to watch. Surely a cagey start for both.
The Hondurans might feel they need a win at home to set up a chance in the return leg in Sydney next week and the Australians might be well pleased with a draw which will make for an interesting contrast in approaches.
Alternatively, Ange Postecoglou might do the unthinkable and attack the Hondurans at their own game and put it all on the line.
Either way, it is time and the next two hours will go a long way towards deciding the fate of the two teams and their potential participation in Russia 2018.
Prediction
Such a difficult task to predict an outcome when allegiances are so strongly prevalent for a tipster, however my head says that the Hondurans will score and the Australians will also find a way to goal. I have been torn between a 1-1 or 2-1 result and sadly I have decided to go with a narrow Honduran win.
Honduras 2, Australia 1
Catch all the action on The Roar live coverage from 9am (AEDT).