After surviving the group of death, the Socceroos tonight became a serious live chance of qualifying for their second successive World Cup finals.
Which Socceroo will lead the way?
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 Australia and a spot at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa after tonight’s draw for the final stage of Asian qualifying.
Coach Pim Verbeek believes the Socceroos’ two final home matches in June next year will determine Australia’s World Cup fate.
Those will be against Bahrain on June 10, followed by a blockbuster on June 17 against Japan – the team the Socceroos beat in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
Only the top two teams in each of the two five-team groups qualify automatically as Asia’s representatives for the World Cup finals.
But Australia will have the luxury of playing three of their final four group matches at home, though Football Federation Australia yet to decide where the home games will be played.
“We have a very interesting group. We have to work very hard to achieve the final round,” Verbeek said tonight.
“My feeling is the final decision (of who qualifies) will be made in the last two home games.
“And that’s good. We will be ready.”
While Verbeek was publicly saying the group would be difficult to negotiate, 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 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.
North Korea and the United Arab Emirates join South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia in Group B.
Uzbekistan, who scored 15 goals in the previous six-match qualifying stage, loom as the major stumbling block to a Socceroos top two finish.
They will be Australia’s opening match opponents away on September 10 – most likely in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.
The Socceroos’ matches against Japan will add to the growing rivalry sparked at the last World Cup finals and fanned 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.
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 World Cup qualifier match day is on September 6, but the top-seeded Socceroos will get a bye before starting their campaign four days later.
As September 6 and 10 are FIFA-sanctioned dates, Verbeek is likely to be able to get his squad together for at least a week prior to playing Uzbekistan.
In Tokyo, Japan’s coach Takeshi Okada described the draw as “not bad”, AFP reported.
“It is not a bad group in view of our team’s potential,” Okada said in a statement released after the draw in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is also not so bad when you consider travelling, environment and other non-football aspects,” said Okada, noting that Japan had already played Bahrain twice in the previous round and they had “information” on Australia.
But he warned: “There is not a single easy game in World Cup qualifying.”
Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi said, “Australia are strong opponents. But we cannot determine if they are the strongest after seeing their results in the previous round.”
THE SOCCEROOS’ GROUP A OPPONENTS
JAPAN
World ranking: 38
World Cup appearances: 3 (1998, 2002, 2006)
Coach: Takeshi Okada
Player to watch: Shunsuke Nakamura – Gifted playmaking midfielder who is a danger in both open play and with his set-pieces.
Summary: Australia’s 2006 World Cup win sparked a burning rivalry between these two sides. The Socceroos’ toughest opponent in this group.BAHRAIN
World ranking: 72
World Cup appearances: 0
Coach: Milan Macala
Player to watch: A’ala Hubail – Free-scoring striker who netted winner in the Bahrainis’ shock 1-0 win over Japan which helped them qualify.
Summary: Improving side who narrowly missed qualifying for 2006 finals after playoff loss. Will be desperate to make amends.UZBEKISTAN
World ranking: 58
World Cup appearances: 0
Coach: Rauf Inileev
Player to watch: Server Djeparov – Creator and hard-worker in midfield who is barometer of the team.
Summary: Hard-working, mobile, and the dangerous floater low in the draw the Socceroos would have preferred to avoid.QATAR
World ranking: 83
World Cup appearances: 0
Coach: Jorge Fossati
Player to watch: Sebastian Soria Quintana – Strong, mobile striker who tested Socceroos in their clash in previous World Cup stage.
Summary: Another showdown with ex-Uruguay coach Fossati will hold no fears after Australia beat Qatar both home and away in previous qualifying group.
A snapshot of all the big games leading up to the Asian World Cup:
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 Korea2009
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
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