Fulltime: Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Cakewalk, piece of cake – pick your sweet superlative as Australia dominated Bangladesh 5-0 from Perth.
Goals to Mathew Leckie, Tom Rogic, Nathan Burns and Aaron Mooy sealed the result, with the major damage coming in the first half, as Australia put on three in the first 20 minutes.
Only a spirited defensive effort from the Tigers in the second half spared them further embarrassment, but not before Mooy scored the goal of the match from outside the penalty area past hapless goalkeeper Shahidul Alam.
One may question the value of such a one-sided performance ahead of a crunch trip to Tajikistan on Tuesday for Matchday 3, but Australia did the job they were charged with.
Match preview
The Socceroos return to the west coast for the first time in a decade, as the 2018 AFC World Cup qualifiers continue from Perth where Australia meet Bangladesh. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 8:45pm (AEST).
A meeting of might versus minnow – that is the reality for the Bangladesh football team. At their zenith, the Bengal Tigers were ranked 110, compared to Australia’s lowest ever ranking of 102.
While the Socceroos currently sit at a lowly 61st, that is still towering above Bangladesh’s current standing of 170.
Does that all add up to Socceroos’ dominance? It didn’t against Kyrgyzstan.
Bangladesh should take heart from their fellow Group B competitors, who dominated against the Socceroos in Bishkek in June. All bar the result went Kyrgyzstan’s way, in a game where Australia impressed few of their fans, and even fewer of the Bishkek faithful.
Yet ahead of a sizably tougher challenge next week against Tajikistan in Dushanbe, a home meeting against Bangladesh should serve as a soft landing for the Socceroos, even if the visitors park the bus for 90-plus minutes.
Ange Postecoglou has decisions to make, as captain Mile Jedinak, and forwards Robbie Kruse and Tomi Juric are missing. Postecoglou’s focus will be to adopt an all-out attacking formation against a likely defensive Bangladesh, while not being exposed to any counterattacking threat.
With this in mind, Postecoglou may choose to start both Tim Cahill and Mathew Leckie as a front two, with resurgent Celtic forward Tom Rogic in behind. Alternatively, the pacier option of Tommy Oar could be considered to break the defence.
Australia will enjoy the return of Massimo Luongo following his absence in Kyrgyzstan, while Mark Milligan is likely to deputise in Jedinak’s holding midfield role. At the back will stand Mat Ryan, fresh from his groundbreaking move to Valencia in Spain.
Bangladesh’s coach Lodewijk de Kruif has gone to painstaking effort to assure his squad is fully professional, even if he has also pledged to play as many bodies as deep as possible. Entirely based in the local Bangladesh Premier League, the Bengal Tigers will hope for a better performance than the last time they faced an Asian heavyweight, losing 8-1 to Japan in 1993.
The main threat will arrive from 27-year-old Jahid Hasan Ameli, who will win his 62nd cap in Perth, and has 15 goals to show for his international career. It is otherwise a sufficiently experienced side, with five of their number having won more than 20 caps.
Their likeliest hope of any points is to park three in their central midfield, with two behind protecting a back four, and Ameli the sole attacking option. It sounds obvious, but no one from Dhaka or Chittagong will bemoan a boring 0-0 draw with the Asian champions.
On this count, Australia are overwhelming favourites, and so long as they can breach the Bangladesh defence, should count on three points before their arduous journey to Dushanbe.
JR Salazar
Guest
Warmup match for Tajikistan.
bryan
Guest
I was at the game--great to see the Socceroos! As the game wore on,however,I started to feel like a schoolyard bully,as the hapless Tigers were totally out of their depth. I caught myself hoping for Bangladesh to score,to make things a bit less one sided.
144
Roar Guru
Boring second half, would've liked to see them push for six but great show.
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
FULLTIME: Australia 5-0 Bangladesh Job done for Australia, no more, no less. Clinical and professional is how you will describe it from the Socceroos. Bangladesh improved in the second half, but they were soundly dominated and decimated by their better opponents. Thanks for your company. Join me again on Tuesday night from 10.45pm as Australia faces Tajikistan from Dushanbe. At fulltime in Perth, it finished Australia 5-0 Bangladesh. Good night!
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'90+3: Excellent save! Ikonomides finds space in the box to touch and then shoot from 10 yards, and it's a strong save by Alam to deny the sixth! And now Cahill heads wide! Perhaps this sixth goal isn't meant to be? Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'90+2: Stretcher once again comes out as Jewel Rana is taken off. Bangladesh may end the game with 10 men. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'90+1: Four minutes added on in Perth. Australia's dominance has not abated at all this evening. You cannot expect it to be this easy in Dushanbe, when Australia has to face the Central Asians Tajikistan on their artificial surface. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
jamesb
Guest
Pretty good effort crowd wise.
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'84: Australia have a series of corners and chances, but can't direct the ball goalwards. Better performance by Banglaesh in the second half. As I say that, Irvine with a free header hits the post! He should have scored this, as he beats the keeper to his right post. Corner taken, and once again, Irvine has a shot at goal that is ballooned off target! Now the goalkeeper is down for the count. Bangladesh have their third change handy in Abdul Baten Mojumdar Komal replacing Enamil Hoque. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'80: 10 minutes to go, and Australia looking to finish this off with more goals, Bangladesh want to avoid any more damage. Bangladesh return to their friendly climes in Dhaka to meet Jordan, while Australia, as mentioned before, are in Dushanbe facing Tajikistan. The Tajiks actually have a bye in Matchday 2, so have extra days to prepare for what is shaping as a crucial game in Group B. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'78: Australia threatening six, but can't get it! Another Davidson cross finds Cahill, with the ball going completely through the attempted catch of Alam, and the captain heads it down for Burns, who can't dig out the half volley from underneath him, and balloons it over the crossbar! It was a sitter to be honest. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'76: Final change ready for Australia - Jackson Irvine about to enter, and enter he does, as Mark Milligan puts in a solid shift as Irvine comes on. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'69: Another ones bites the dust for Bangladesh, as Yeasin Khan now on the turf. You wonder how much of this is fitness - Bangladesh's players probably never had a tougher footballing test than this. Khan back on his feet. Official crowd is just short of 20,000 - good effort for a midweek game against Bangladesh. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Stevo
Roar Rookie
That's our boy!!!!!
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'67: Lovely cross from Davidson finds the head of Ikonomides - timing was good, direction was good, but it is just over the target, and grazes the upright before going over. It was nearly too easy there for Australia's sixth. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
jamesb
Guest
Your not wrong!
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
Hey James, if we're not careful, Australia could be 5/0 in Bangladesh soon, given the batting performance in England. The cricketers are touring there next.
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'65: Corner taken, and Spiranovic heads it wide, as the goalkeeper loses his footing, and it could have been six there. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
GOAL - AUSTRALIA It's five, and this is the pick of them! Aaron Mooy receives the ball from midfield, turns beautifully and unleashes a curling drive that finds the roof of the net, and it's a superb goal worthy of applause. It's five, and here are Australia's changes. Chris Ikonomides wears the number 9 and replaces Tom Rogic, but more importantly, Mathew Leckie is off, and on comes the peerless Tim Cahill, who takes the armband as well. Free kick now to Bangladesh, after Spiranovic was climbing all over Amali, and the free kick was on target, straight at Federici. The follow up play involves Cahill immediately, who earns a corner. Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
'60: Free kick won by Elrich on the right, and Mooy's free kick is floated into the box, and it fell to Spiranovic, who can't keep his shot at goal on target, as it balloons over! Australia preparing for changes now, possibly two of them. Australia 4-0 Bangladesh