Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek now must contemplate the booming headache following the celebration as more logistical hassles beckon ahead of Australia’s next two vital away World Cup qualifiers.
Both Australia’s match against Bahrain in Manama on November 19 and the game which could decide World Cup qualification – the Socceroos’ clash with Japan on February 11 – fall on non-FIFA sanctioned dates.
That means clubs are not obliged to release their players into the Socceroos’ care until 48 hours prior to both matches.
Verbeek dealt with the issue spectacularly in his first outing as Socceroos coach – his hastily assembled side smacking Qatar 3-0 at Melbourne’s Telstra Dome on a similar oily rag preparation.
But the Dutchman admitted having enough bodies for battle was something he felt more comfortable about now the Socceroos appear to have unearthed never-before-seen depth in their ranks.
It would have been unthinkable two years ago for the Socceroos to turn on such a crisp, clinical display as they did in the 4-0 battering of Qatar on Wednesday night without Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano.
“I just hope and pray we can get players on airplanes,” Verbeek said.
“The next game is a non-FIFA date. Players will be playing on the weekend. But we have enough players, we have good players, we have talented players.”
Most at risk of Australia’s key players would appear Tim Cahill, whose English club Everton play their Premier League fixture on Sunday afternoon ahead of a Wednesday night game in Manama.
Flying time from England to Bahrain is seven to eight hours.
Australia’s win at Suncorp Stadium now gives them the inside running for one of the top two spots in Group A after Japan drew with Uzbekistan 1-1 in Saitama on Wednesday.
The Socceroos now hold a two-point buffer atop the group, and the Qatar-Japan match also on November 19 will be pivotal in shaking down the group’s pretenders and contenders for the two direct qualification spots to the 2010 World Cup finals.
Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill admitted the picture looked rosy, but there was plenty more to do.
“Our three points away at Tashkent now look fantastic,” Neill said.
“We’re two from two, we’re leading the group, we’ve got a five-goal difference. We’ve made a statement. It’s looking good.”
In the other Asian qualifying group, South Korea beat the United Arab Emirates 4-1 to lead Group B on goal difference.
Iran beat North Korea 2-1 in Tehran, leaving South Korea, North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia locked on four points each, with the UAE without a point.
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