Preview: Qatar vs. Australia

Socceroos Head Coach Pim Verbeek has a virtually full-strength squad to choose from ahead of the crunch World Cup qualifer against Qatar on Saturday.

The few absences include Mark Viduka, who rejected the chance to join up with the squad despite not having played for his country since 2007, with Luke Wilkshire and Michael Beauchamp out through suspension and injury respectively. Brett Emerton is still out, but Verbeek has successfully filled the midfield in the last 3 matches, regardless.

Tim Cahill is a doubt, after suffering a hip injury whilst playing for Everton in last Saturday’s F.A. Cup final defeat to Chelsea. However, reports from Australia suggest that Cahill will indeed be fit to start in the key game.

Scott Chipperfield is also expected to overcome an ankle injury in order to fit in at left-back to form a back four with Jason Culina, filling in for Wilkshire, alongside Lucas Neill and Chris Coyne in the centre. Coyne, who has recently negotiated a release from League One side Colchester United, is expected to start ahead of former national captain Craig Moore, who returned to the starting line-up in the 4-0 victory over Qatar last October after retiring from international football just 8 months earlier.
Coyne himself is keen to secure a new club, and is hoping for a dream move to A-League side Perth Glory, also the town in which he grew up.

Another player wanting to impress is Joshua Kennedy, who is expected to start as a lone striker in Doha. Having been relegated to the German Second Division with side Karlsruhe, he is determined to leave in order to enhance his chances of playing in the World Cup proper, next summer. With that in mind, one should look for him to put in a determined and energetic performance against Qatar.

Joshua Kennedy: Keen to impress potential buyers

According to some projections, Kennedy will start ahead of an attacking midfield trio of Mark Bresciano, who has recently committed himself to Italian side Palermo after previously wanting a move to England, Cahill and the rejuvinated Harry Kewell. They will probably line-up ahead of Blackburn midfielder Vince Grella and Carl Valeri who will fill the holding roles.

This projected line-up is an interesting one in the light of stories in the Australian press in past weeks. Some reports suggested that Verbeek would play some fringe players, resting the major stars ahead of the home qualifiers against Bahrain, and possible top spot decider against Japan later in the month. It seems that Verbeek does not want to take any chances.

The Dutchman has also been criticised for seemingly unappealing football, as noted in a previous blog post.

One of the criticisms has surrounded his use of just one recognised striker away from home, but he is tipped to stick with the policy against Qatar with Kennedy up top, with Scott Macdonald left on the bench.

Verbeek has remained diplomatic in the face of such negativity.

“I think we don’t do that bad,” Verbeek told the official Socceroos website.

“I think (we deserve) a little more respect. But I’m so happy that we live in a country where everyone can have a different opinion. It would be quite boring if they didn’t.”

THE OPPOSITION: QATAR

I will not lie: I do not know much about Qatar’s national side at all. With my unfortunate ignorance in mind, I have done a bit of research and found the Qatar players the Australian sports journalists have earmarked as their key danger men.

Fox Sports have picked out Bilal Mohammed, Sebastian Soria Quintana and Fabio Cesar as the players to watch from the home side. Incidentally, both Quintana and Fabio Cesar are of mixed Qatari-South American descent.

Bilal Mohammed plays for Qatari side Al Gharrafa, and has one goal for the national side, scored against DR Korea in August of last year. He will have a tough task ahead of him, with the attacking prowess of Bresciano, Kewell and Cahill, with the latter looking to let off some of his frustration following Everton’s 2-1 loss at Wembley. Joshua Kennedy’s aforementioned motivation to find a new club team will make him an even more formidable opponent for the 23 year old.

Sebastian Soria Quintana, 25, also played for Al Gharrafa between 2004 and 2005, but is current at rival Qatar SC. Quintana, a forward born in Uruguay, has netted 15 times in 39 appearances for his country.

Fabio Cesar, as you can probably tell from his name, has Brazilian origins, and has had more experience on club level than the other two. At 30, Cesar is nearing veteran status, and has plied his trade at Udinese and Napoli in the past, before settling at Umm Qatar in 2005, where he remains to this day. He has made 14 appearances for Qatar in midfield, and made his debut last year, after having gained elligibility to play for his adpoted country.

FORM/PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Group A of the Fourth Stage of Asian Qualifying for South Africa 2010

Australia have had a brilliant run in this fourth and final stage of the Asian Qualifying campaign. They have not conceded a single goal, and have recorded four wins and a draw, leaving them on the brink of qualification. A win will seal their place in South Africa 2010.

Conversely, Qatar are well out of the running. They lie on the bottom of the Group A table, with just 4 points, having won only one of their games in this qualifying stage.

The two sides have encountered each other a number of times in recent months. They played each other twice in the third qualifying stage, with Australia winning both, 3-1 and 3-0.

The last game between the two came in October last year in Brisbane, with the home side triumphing with a resounding 4-0 rout.

PREDICTION

Judging by recent results, and the last few clashes between the two teams, I cannot see past a win for the Socceroos which will see them become the first team to qualify. They may not slam four past Qatar as they did in the home tie eight months ago, but I can see them scoring a couple.