2010 Qualifying: The Socceroos On The Brink Of South Africa

The Socceroos of Australia will qualify for the 2010 Word Cup, barring only the most bizarre set of results.

Australia currently lie on top of Group 1 in the fifth stage of the AFC qualifying campaign, with 13 points.

Harry Kewell leads out the Socceroos as they prepare to face Iraq in the Fourth Stage of the AFC qualifying campaign

Alongside Japan, Pim Veerbeek’s side have a game in hand on their other rivals, and so they would have to lose all their remaining games, with Bahrain winning all of theirs, in order to miss out on next year’s spectacle in South Africa. Even then, goal difference would be the determining factor.

Australia face Bahrain on June 10, but may have wrapped up qualification by then, with an away trip to Qatar producing their next challenge. Having already beaten Qatar away 3-1 in the previous qualifying stage, the Socceroos will be confident of repeating the trick.

The side, featuring a number of players well-known to fans in the West, have yet to concede a goal in this final stage, with a record of 4 wins and a draw. They have had an even easier time than they did in the previous qualifying stage, which they negotiated despite defeats to Iraq and China PR. Their home loss to China, although having already qualified, was their first World Cup Qualifying loss on their own soil in 27 years. They fell prey to a Xiang Sun wonder goal after just 12 minutes.

Since then, the Australians have enjoyed a good run of results, beating Uzbekistan 1-0 in their first Stage 5 game, as well as thrashing Qatar 4-0 in the home leg back in October of last year.

That match saw an inspired performance from Brett Emerton, familiar to Blackburn fans, of course. The midfielder scored twice in the rout, including one penalty, with the other two goals added by Everton favourite Tim Cahill and Joshua Kennedy, respectively.

Mark Bresciano, himself a reported target for a number of Premiership sides, scored a 90th minute winner in his country’s next match away to Bahrain. The home side dominated for much of the game, with Verbeek chastising his side’s poor display.

He told ESPN after the game, ‘We didn’t play well although we tried our best to improve our game in the second half.’

‘The players didn’t give what was expected of them and that gave Bahrain the opportunity to control the game.’

Verbeek’s side did improve somewhat in the next game, earning a hard-fought draw with fellow Asian powerhouses, Japan, to keep themselves on the summit of the Group 1 table.
Australia all but secured qualification with a simple 2-0 home win against Uzbekistan on April 1 2009.

After the game, captain Lucas Neill, was in a confident mood.

‘It was there for us to win but we’ve sent a statement out to the rest of the group now and possibly the world that we might be the first team to qualify for the World Cup,’ he told ESPN.

Despite being on the brink of a second successive World Cup, Verbeek has been criticised domestically, with the suggestion that his side has not been entertaining enough. Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick has leapt to the Dutchman’s defence.

Pim Verbeek – under criticism in some quarters

Merrick, Australia’s most successful domestic manager, told the Herald Sun, ‘It’s nonsense. His job is to qualify and to have a good show (of doing well) at the finals. You can’t do much better than he has.’

Australia’s final three games, away to Qatar, followed by two home games against Bahrain and Japan, take place next month. While they will have probably sealed their seats on the plane to the rainbow nation by then, first spot in the group is by no means guaranteed. With Japan just two points behind them, Verbeek’s side will want to put the icing on the proverbial cake by clinching top spot, by winning as many of their remaining matches as possible.

AFC Qualifying Stage 5: Australia’s results so far

10/09/08: Uzbekistan 0-1 Australia (Chipperfield, 26)
15/10/08: Australia (Cahill, 9; Emerton, 17 (pen), 59; Kennedy, 76) 4-0 Qatar
19/11/08: Bahrain 0-1 Australia (Bresciano, 90)
11/02/09: Japan 0-0 Australia
01/04/09: Australia (Kennedy, 62; Kewell, 73) 2-0 Uzbekistan.