Final thoughts
It wasn’t a vintage performance by any means but Australia were worthy 2-0 winners. If Iraq had been awarded a decent penalty shout in the first half it could have been awkward but the home side’s class eventually told later on.
“Patience and persistence are key,” skipper Mile Jedinak said afterwards, and you’d think this is the template for home fixtures for the Socceroos this campaign. Away sides pressing hard and playing for a clean sheet, Australia huffing and puffing but requiring patience before they can blow the house down.
Postecoglou’s surprise selections were justified with Tomi Juric scoring and assisting, and Mark Milligan complementing Trent Sainsbury in defence.
Attention now turns to Wednesday night and the second group match away to the UAE. Incredibly the UAE head into the fixture off the back of defeating Japan 2-1 in Saitama. Also, in case you were wondering, it’s 42 degrees in Abu Dhabi right now, so expect a few changes to tonight’s starting XI.
Anyhow, thanks for your company tonight, always nice to start a qualifying campaign off with a win. See you next time.
Full match report here:
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Australia 2-0 Iraq
The final whistle blows and it’s three points for Australia.
The perfect start. #AUSvIRQ #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/pi0OE0hdMp
— Caltex Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 1, 2016
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90 + 3 mins: Australia better hope goal difference doesn’t become a factor later on in qualifying as they’ve thrown away a bagful in the last 15 minutes with sloppy final passes.
90 + 1 mins: Kruse isn’t winding down, the substitute relishing the spaces behind the Iraq defence, but a couple of poor decisions mean he failed to play the early ball to Apostolos Giannou, nor did he pick out a gold shirt with his subsequent cross.
90 mins: This one’s winding down now, three points in the bag for Australia.
88 mins: Maybe we’ve just seen the start of the post-Cahill era. A 2-0 lead with only a few minutes remaining and all three substitutes have been made without the Melbourne City marquee amongst the 14 to feature.
85 mins: Elsewhere in Group B, UAE are ten minutes away from beating Japan, in Japan.
Apostolos Giannou replaces Matt Leckie.
Almost 20,000 in the stadium, decent chunk of Iraqis as well, good pitch, keeper chants aside good showing by Perth #AUSvIRQ
— The Football Sack (@TheFootballSack) September 1, 2016
85 mins: Mooy’s seen plenty of the ball tonight. He’s pushed and probed but only rarely shown his star quality. Clearly Australia’s most important player now though and this structure is designed to allow him to shine.
82 mins: It’s fair to say that outside of a couple of decent crosses Brad Smith has had a stinker. His control’s been poor, he was beaten a few times on the outside during the first half, and in the second was deservedly booked. Another heavy touch stymies a decent attack and then a cross fails to beat the first defender.
80 mins: The dangerous Alaa Abdulzahra comes off the bench, but it’s too little too late for Iraq.
78 mins: Another goalscorer substituted with Luongo replaced by Jackson Irvine, Burton Albion’s hotshot striker.
76 mins: All Australia now (no, not the AFL awards ceremony on the other channel) with breakaways every time the home side take possession. The final ball continues to prove an issue though with Kruse the culprit on a couple of occasions.
73 mins: Mooy’s inswinging corners are causing Iraq all sorts. Another dangerous right footed delivery causes problems that result in Tom Rogic testing Mohammed Hamed’s reflexes.
71 mins: The pace of Kruse and Leckie really stretching the Iraq defence now. Rogic finding more time and space too between lines to provide those weighted passes. Much happier times at Perth Rectangular Stadium.
68 mins: Yellow card to Brad Smith for a crude challenge on the edge of his own box. Abbas goes for goal from the free kick but it dips harmlessly over Ryan’s bar.
Back to Martin Turnbull (20:30) #Neverindoubt - “Regulation win coming up, just as I thought.”
66 mins: Juric is immediately substituted for Robbie Kruse. He put in a good shift tonight Juric. Worked hard and featured in all of Australia’s best attacking moments. A little more poise and he could have bagged a hat-trick.
GOAL! Australia 2-0 Iraq (Juric 65)
Just like with his previous miss, Juric makes up for his mistake immediately, tapping in a Milligan flick on from Mooy’s corner to give Australia a commanding position.
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65 mins: Juric has another golden opportunity after good work from Mooy. He ends up one on one just inside the box but the keeper was out smartly to smother.
Interesting news elsewhere in the group with the UAE 2-1 up against Japan, in Japan!
63 mins: This game has opened right out in the last 10 minutes. Australia are getting behind the Iraq defence at will now, but Iraq’s counterattacks are causing problems for the Socceroos. Postecoglou might want to just tighten this up a little for a few minutes now the lead has ben established.
62 mins: Substitution for Iraq with Yaser Kasim replacing Ali Adnan.
60 mins: Sighs of relief all round after a frenetic few minutes that could have seen goals at both ends. Credit to Tomi Juric, his miss a few minutes ago was a shocker but he recovered composure to tee up Luongo.
GOAL! Australia 1-0 Iraq (Luongo 57)
Not that it matters as Juric squares for Luongo to tap in at the far post from another good Australian attack.
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56 mins: Mooy hits the bar! The best passing move of the match for Australia with Jedinak staring a chain that ends with Mooy striking a right footed shot from the edge of the D that cannons into the crossbar. Mooy was stretching and almost sliding as he hit it. Better from the Socceroos.
Iraq go down the other end straight away and Abbas forces a good save from Ryan.
In the next passage Leckie gets in behind Iraq’s defence, squares the ball to Juric and - oh dear me - that’s an instant social media “HOW DID HE MISS?” classic.
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55 mins: Australia’s front two of Juric and Leckie are running noticeably wider patterns this half, but both have miscontrolled in promising situations.
53 mins: Ali Abbas has been booked, for something, not sure what yet.
The pattern of the game is much the same as the first half, Australia with lots of possession but not really looking threatening, Iraq scrapping to disrupt everything. I’d expect a change of personnel and structure soon.
49 mins: Not much to report at the start of the second half until Mooy goes down on the edge of the box under a high ball but the ref’s not interested. Hmmm, on replay that’s in the box, and a definite push. The quintessential “You’ve seen them given”.
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46 mins: No changes at half time for either side. And we’re off again.
Old Mate Martin Turnbull (20:30) has changed his tune... “Right, rowing back from my hope of a regulation win. More than happy with the jammiest goal of all time. Socceroos struggling here.”
I reckon you’re not alone there Martin. Something to cling to, in their last five matches against Iraq, Australia have only scored two first half goals. Most strikes tend to come in the final quarter, so go easy on those nails.
While you’re off stirring yourself a Milo, or single malt, or whatever keeps you warm at night, keep thinking about this final stage of qualifying’s theme song.
One idea - if diplomatic tensions with Russia continue to rise, the 2018 World Cup might not even happen in that part of the world. So...
Half Time: Australia 0-0 Iraq
Not the first half Australia would have wanted. Iraq stuck to their task from the opening whistle and pressed the Socceroos into a catalogue of mistakes. Leckie’s header against the post was the big moment but Iraq probably should have had a penalty at the other end.
Plenty for Postecoglou to ponder. I’ll see you in a few minutes for the second half.
HALF TIME | It's all square at the break. Who has impressed in the opening 45? #GoSocceroos #AUSvIRQ pic.twitter.com/HEPR65fDT5
— Caltex Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 1, 2016
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45 mins: Australia close the half out on attack with a couple of corners in quick succession from Aaron Mooy, but the delivery doesn’t threaten to generate the opener.
43 mins: Oooooh. Best chance of the half for Iraq. A lovely flowing move from left to right through midfield ended with a golden opportunity on the edge of the box that Yasin fires wide. This is veering off script for the home side.
40 mins: A feature of this half has been the volume of unforced errors by Australia. Short passes going astray, longer ones aimed at players under duress. The ball hasn’t moved with the fluidity we’ve come to expect from a Postecoglou outfit.
37 mins: A couple of Iraq’s players have gone down in the past few minutes, and they’re in no hurry to get back up again. The longer this is 0-0 the more frustrating those stoppages are going to get.
34 mins: Couple of nice moments for Australia with Luongo’s dancing feet almost creating a chance in the box before Juric is felled just outside the penalty area. This could be a chance for Aaron Mooy... And he does wallop one towards goal but it clips the wall and spins out for a corner.
Jedinak has a chance from that corner but his header from just in front of the onrushing goalkeeper flies over the bar.
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31 mins: Good example there of Australia’s problems. Mooy fed a pass through the first line of white to Rogic, who turns, faces Iraq’s goal, and has nobody in space in front of him or outside him. The inevitable hopeful ball forward is blocked. More width and patience required in the final third.
29 mins: Off the post! Smith from villain to hero with a gorgeous left footed cross that’s headed majestically by Leckie from near the penalty spot, but it loops against the post and across the face of goal to safety.
26 mins: Hmmmm, long ball from Iraq escapes the headed contest and skips towards the onrushing Ali Husni. It takes a desperate sliding tackle from Milligan to deny a one on one. A succession of corners follow that Australia aren’t too convincing in clearing.
Shortly after that Iraq are unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after Brad Smith needlessly pulled back his opponent in the box. It was a stonewall spot kick and coach killer.
24 mins: As expected, and hoped for, Mooy is Australia’s metronome. He’s collecting the ball from his defenders, playing those cute round the corner passes further forward, like Paul Scholes in a Voldemort mask. Nothing coming of it so far, largely due to Iraq working so hard to man up around the ground.
Also, Australia are incredibly narrow, as you might expect from a side lacking wingers.
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21 mins: A rare counterattack for Iraq ends with the ball in Mat Ryan’s goal, but the whistle had long blown for a goal kick. A warning for Australia that there’s pace down the visiting flanks.
Back to the celebratory song, JM in Canberra is not happy with Back in the USSR. “Nooooo, not the bloody Beatles. And worse, wc hasn’t been, so can’t go ‘back’ to USSR. Kate Bush, perhaps?”
I’m not overly familiar with the Bush oeuvre. Are we talking about Babooshka?
17 mins: Another half attack from Australia who are finding their grove a little more in the last few minutes, but it’s rushed and edgy stuff. This might be a game of patience for the opening hour or so and taking advantage of Iraq’s inevitable fatigue in the closing stages.
14 mins: Iraq’s midfield and forward lines are defending aggressively high up the field, denying Australia space in front of Mooy and Jedinak. Postecoglou will have to think his way through this little problem.
When that wall is pierced there’s room behind but attacks so far have been brief and wayward.
One for Perth Glory devotees.
The "You fat bastard" chant has made an appearance already, never give us a game again. #GoSocceroos #AUSvIRQ
— Neil Sherwin (@neilsherwin) September 1, 2016
11 mins: Second decent chance of the night for Mass Luongo. He finds space on the edge of the box but his shot leaning back drifted wide of the upright. Good to see Brad Smith getting forward down the left to fashion that opportunity.
9 mins: The atmosphere in Perth has gone flatter than an English pint in a heatwave. A series of stoppages has robbed the game of its early impetus, a sense of disappointment reinforced by the softest of yellow cards handed to Aaron Mooy for breathing a little too heavily on his midfield opponent.
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6 mins: Mark Milligan was one of the more unlikely names in the starting XI but you can see why he’s selected with Australia’s defence resting almost continuously on the halfway line.
Brad Smith has endured a shaky start, losing his touch on a few occasions but conceding nothing of note.
3 mins: Australia have started superbly. After that early burst they’ve controlled possession well in defence and midfield and set their stall out to probe the Lions of Mesopotamia into submission.
Peeeeeeeeepppp!
Underway in Perth and it takes seconds for Tomi Juric to fire the first shot on goal, the follow up headed tamely goalwards by Massimo Luongo. Wooshka! What a start from the home team.
Anthems over and done with (nobody staged a sit down protest) and we’re almost ready for kick off.
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Martin Turnbull’s confident, emailing in: “A regulation two or three goal win would be great. Although wonderful the late one-nil win a few years ago was stressful in the extreme.”
That one-nil win of course that confirmed Australia’s place in Rio and sparked mass renditions of Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio. What will this campaign’s celebratory anthem be? Back in the USSR? Suggestions welcome.
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Some prematch basics for you.
The weather in Perth is a cool 13 degrees. There’s no wind or rain to speak of. The pitch looks like a carpet.
The crowd is a sell-out 20,000 or so.
Australia are in their gold tops, gold shorts, and ghastly green socks. Iraq in monochromatic all-white.
Your referee is Alireza Faghan from Iran.
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What are you most looking forward to tonight? My answer’s easy, I have a huge man crush on Aaron Mooy. He was the best player in the A-League last year (regardless of the trophies Diego Castro was awarded) and he was close to the best the year before. An offseason move to the UK looks to be paying off with a loan stint at Huddersfield Town in England’s second tier starting promisingly.
Mooy is the player Australia will want on the ball as often as possible, setting the tempo, buzzing around the pitch picking up return balls, waiting for the moment to play the killer pass or feed the pace of Leckie.
Any nervous Socceroos supporters out there looking for reassurance, try this on for size. In their last 15 home World Cup qualifiers, Australia have won 13 and drawn twice.
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Don’t forget you can keep me company, and have your voice heard on here if you’re so inclined. Tweet me @JPHowcroft or email me at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@guardian.co.uk.
With kick off still 20 minutes away, there’s plenty of time to check out Paul Connolly’s story on Ali Abbas from earlier in the year.
Iraq Team News
I’ll drop in a graphic as soon as one comes to hand but most of the names John Duerden told us to look out for have been selected. Radhi Shenaishil has gone for a 4-4-2 featuring left back Dhurgham Ismael, Ali Adnan aka “Asia’s Gareth Bale”, and winger Ali Husni. A-League followers will also be familiar with Ali Abbas who gets a start as well.
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Australia Team News
Ange Postecoglou made sure his final training session with the Socceroos was behind closed doors, and here’s why. It’s an attacking line-up with a couple of unexpected faces setting up in a 4-1-3-2 formation.
The game plan will revolve around the creative midfield trio of Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic and Massimo Luongo. Tomi Juric will provide the focus up front with plenty of responsibility on Brad Smith and Milos Degenek to provide width. Mark Milligan starts alongside Trent Sainsbury in the heart of defence.
It’s a bench full of options, including Tim Cahill, Matt Spiranovic and Robbie Kruse, all of whom will be pushing for starting spots for next Wednesday’s trip to the UAE.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is how we begin the road to Russia tonight. #AUSvIRQ pic.twitter.com/38qJ7JVdUt
— Caltex Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 1, 2016
Preamble
Evening all. As Alvin and the Chipmunks sang, it’s been a while but we’re back in style. Well, maybe not in style, but back nonetheless, for Australia’s first match in the final group phase for qualification to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
We’re at the romantically named Perth Rectangular Stadium (aka the equally evocative nib Stadium) for Australia vs Iraq. Kick off is 8.30pm Eastern, and it’s not on free to air TV, so put the kids to bed, and settle in for a relaxing night of questioning FFA’s strategic planning.
This is technically the third round of qualification for the Asian Football Confederation with Australia cruising through the second stage at the top of Group B. The Socceroos are now one of just 12 remaining teams from Asia in the mix with only the top two from two groups of six guaranteed a place in Russia. The two third placed teams face a play-off against each other, before a play-off against the fourth best team from the CONCACAF region. This is an ultramarathon, not a sprint.
In Australia’s group of six, in rank order, are Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, and Thailand. It’s worthy of a ‘Group of Death’ cliche if you’re so inclined, but such is the growing depth of Asian football, there was never going to be a group of easybeats.
Although it’s easy to be fearful of a group like this, I think it plays into Ange Postecoglou’s hands. Rather than the big boys cashing in against minnows and worrying about a dark horse or two nabbing third, every match should be competitive for every team. The likelihood is this will mean every team drops points along the journey, giving Australia, with its greater pedigree, a stronger chance of securing one of the top two spots. We’ll see...
Home advantage will be important, making tonight’s contest more significant than it may appear on paper. This is simply a must win fixture for the Asian Cup winners.
Jonathan will be here shortly so while you’re waiting why not have a quick read of John Duerden’s World Cup qualifying final phase preview, including a few words on the Socceroos’ opponents tonight, Iraq, “that most mercurial of Middle Eastern teams”.
Read the full article here.
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