Final thoughts
Well that’s half the job done for the Socceroos, although only fans with the shortest of memories will take a home win for granted considering how they laboured to victory over Thailand and Syria. There’s no doubt the Socceroos could - and probably should - have won today but, as usual, they’re just lacking that clinical edge. Oh for a truly world-class striker. But now’s not the time to be too cynical as the Socceroos finally have a foot in the World Cup door. Let’s hope they barge through it when they get to Sydney. Anyway, that’s enough waffle from me. Time to start eyeing up flights to Moscow. Catch you next time.
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I thought it was fantastic (performance) considering everything; the conditions, the whole crowd behind them, I told the boys at half-time they could hear my instructions - that’s how dominant we were... we’re just missing that clinical edge, but overall I couldn’t be happier ... I thought we were really solid defensively. On a difficult pitch we held our line really well apart from that chance at the end. Mile (Jedinak) helped there from an organisational point of view. The only thing missing was a goal ... They (Honduras) were spent on the end as well. We’ve got some fresh legs, we’ll go hard, we’ll put the pedal down and go as hard as we can for 90 (in Sydney) - they’ll find it hard to keep up with us.
Ange Postecoglou
With the crowd behind us, we can put them [Honduras] away. With the crowd in Sydney and the pitch and everyone behind us and our travel regime is on point, they’ll find it difficult. It’s difficult (to travel) and we’re used to it.
Massimo Luongo
Read the full report from Jonathan Howcroft.
“We must take it as a positive [the result]. In any other game, I think we win the game, we had the chances... but we take a lot of heart from it. It was always going to be a difficult game in difficult conditions ... it seems like in this World Cup qualifying campaign we’ve had to deal with that a lot and tonight was no different. We must now focus on recovery and getting back to our home crowd ... I can’t express how proud I am tonight and what a relief it was to get back in time for this game. It means the world to the me.
Mile Jedinak
“Whichever of these teams triumphs will truly make WC2018 a true carnival of football. #winnerasalways”
Kevin via email
The problem with emails is you can never tell when people are being sarcastic...
Full-time: Honduras 0-0 Australia
Thar she blows! A very good result for the Socceroos on the back of a solid display. Honduras barely had a sniff of goal. Now all eyes turn on the second leg - let’s just hope the Socceroos have found their shooting boots.
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90+2 mins: Martinez in the book for a challenge on Mooy. That looked nasty but he’s bounced back up.
90 mins: Almost there. The pessimist in me is already worrying about Honduras improving for the second leg and getting a crucial away goal.
88 mins: It’s whipped into the near post ... but a toe on the end of it sends the ball flying over the bar. Somehow the Socceroos get a free-kick anyway. Juric comes off for Rukavytsya.
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87 mins: Luongo gives away a free-kick in a dangerous position. Late twist?
With a likely 0-0 draw, the stage is set for us to come home & have another 87 unsuccessful shots on goal #HONvAUS
— Andrew Barker (@AndrewBarker21) November 10, 2017
I can seriously see this happening.
85 mins: Signs of sluggishness in the Socceroos defence - first the keeper with a delayed clearance, then a half-hearted pass out of defence almost leads to trouble. Surely it’s kitchen sink time for the hosts?
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84 mins: Risdon off for Degenek. The clock is ticking away.
82 mins: Ryan with a sharp save from Costly. It was a fierce effort with plenty of pace. Great stop from the keeper ... although if he’d squared the ball instead of shooting, there was a man completely unmarked in the box.
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80 mins: Sainsbury goes down with an elbow to the face during an aerial challenge from Costly. Not malicious, but painful nonetheless.
78 mins: The way this is going, I think the Socceroos’ biggest danger will be complacency in the second leg. They’ve largely been untroubled in what, on paper, should have been a very tricky tie. If it stays 0-0, there might be assumptions in Australia that they’ll walk the second leg. Claros in the book for a foul on Mooy.
75 mins: A heavy first touch by Rogic... although again I think it bobbled just before it got to him. I think it would arguably be quicker for anyone reading this blog to assume the ball has bobbled whenever I describe a pass or touch. I’ll point out when it doesn’t happen.
73 mins: Rogic makes an appearance. Irvine the man to make way.
72 mins: As 0-0 games go, it’s been pretty entertaining so far. Not a classic by any means - it was never going to be on this cow paddock - but at the minute it feels like the Socceroos are winning. Bit of a break in play as Lozano goes down. The Socceroos will be glad of the rest. It looks like the Hondurans’ veteran striker Carlo Costly is coming on shortly. Off Lozano goes.
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“I admit to being slightly disappointed in the Honduran display so far. They lack any sort of coherent game plan other than hoping to get a free kick near the penalty area. I really hoped for better from them.”
Phil Withall via email
I’ll admit they were a bit of an unknown quantity to me until a couple of weeks ago but, yes, they’ve been very disappointing, especially considering how much they have riding on this first leg. I was expecting fire and thunder, instead it’s been hit and hope.
66 mins: Honduras shaking things up, another substitution with Lopez the man making way this time. They needed to do something. I’m just surprised it’s taken so long. Will it make a difference? A long punt forward goes straight to Ryan... so early signs suggest ‘no’.
64 mins: Good punch from the Honduras keeper ... and sub Chirinos is set on his way. He balloons his effort though under pressure from two Socceroos defenders. He looked miles offside.
62 mins: Shades of Thailand as a low ball across the face of goal evades all of the Socceroos attack. Let’s hope it’s not one of those games. They’re still very much on top at the minute, if not quite dominating.
59 mins: Well as we approach the hour mark, Ange Postecoglou must be rubbing his hands with glee. Or at least looking slightly less disgruntled than usual. While it’s 0-0 though, they’ll always be a few nerves. If they get the first goal, they could kill this tie off before we even get to Sydney - especially with Honduras having a slight reputation for letting their heads drop.
56 mins: Well this is all very comfortable for the Socceroos. Very un-Socceroos like. Honduras still struggling to make any inroads. Their main danger seems to be winning free-kicks in good positions. They’ve got one now.
54 mins: Juric with a header that the keeper scrambles to tip over the bar. He arguably should have done better. Great cross from Risdon.
53 mins: Luongo with a tame effort straight into the hands of Escober. If nothing else, it’s taken the vuvuzela volume down a notch.
52 mins: It’s as you were for the Socceroos. They’ll be thrilled. A slightly worrying sign as Ryan comes charging out of his area by quite a distance to boot the ball to safety. Hopefully I’m wrong, but he’s looked a little nervy with his first couple of touches this half.
50 mins: I thought Honduras might come out all guns blazing this half but there’s been none of that so far. They’ve had a little more of the ball in the opening five minutes without really threatening too much.
48 mins: Now Sainsbury goes into the book for going in over the top of the ball on Claros. Pretty clear yellow card.
Second half
46 mins: Peeeeep! Away we go again. Another 45 minutes like that would be perfect for Australia. Maybe even a sneaky goal. It’ll be interesting to see if Honduras adapt their plan because they really need a result here. Jurman gets a booking for a challenge on Lozano.
“So frustrating that we cant watch the game in the UK!!!”
Liz Wood via email
You’re missing a good one Liz. Intriguing is the word I’d use - and encouraging for Socceroos fans.
HALF TIME. 0-0 at the break for the @Socceroos . Another 45 minutes coming up! #HONvAUS #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/p6XF7dr5ak
— Caltex Australia (@CaltexAustralia) November 10, 2017
Half-time: Honduras 0-0 Australia
And that’s it for the half... although it looked like there were still a few seconds to play before the 45 was up. The players looked confused too. Anyway, I’ll catch you in 15.
44 mins: Just another couple of minutes and it’s half the job done for the Socceroos. Or quarter of the job done depending on how you look at it. They’ve been solid rather than inspiring - but that’ll certainly do in these conditions.
43 mins: Honduras finishing with a flourish. They win another corner to gee the crowd up ... but it’s too close to Ryan who plucks it from the air comfortably.
41 mins: A corner for Honduras leads to a short spell of pressure. Sainsbury is rock solid for the Socceroos though, heading away the danger from two crosses. It’d be cruel if they conceded this late in the half.
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39 mins: It’s a vicious curler into the sweet spot but Palacios is there with a strong header to clear the danger. Risdon goes in the book for a challenge that stops Honduras from counter-attacking.
38 mins: Palacios with a late tackle on Luongo... and he quite rightly goes in the book. Mooy to deliver the free-kick. Can the Socceroos sneak a goal before half-time?
36 mins: You can see the confidence growing in the Socceroos. They’re finishing the half as the stronger side. Figueroa clears a through ball before it can reach the danger area as the Hondurans find themselves on the back foot.
34 mins: Juric skews a shot wide from a great position, charging in on goal. In his defence, there was a huge bobble just as he was about to put his foot through it.
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32 mins: We’re past the half hour mark and so far so good for the Socceroos. A couple of openings at either end but nothing hugely troubling. Not exactly thrilling for the neutral though.
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“It seriously looks like plush pile carpet”
Daniel via email
For the record, Daniel is referring to the pitch rather than Jedinak’s beard.
30 mins: Irvine with a flash at goal but he couldn’t get over the top of it and the ball sails high over the bar. Still a good move by the Socceroos. Encouraging signs.
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Watching this game on mute because the crowd sound like a heard of mosquitoes. #HONvAUS
— Andy Pan (@Rewster7) November 10, 2017
27 mins: Lanza with a header near the back post that trickles wide. A dangerous situation although Ryan would have got it had it been on target. Just a reminder for the Socceroos not to get too comfortable.
25 mins: I really can’t stress enough how poor this pitch is. I keep expecting a herd of cows to wander through.
23 mins: The Socceroos have the upper hand at the minute. Honduras look a little nervous, although you get the feeling they could break through at any moment. Good work from Australia though. They’ll be happy with how things are panning out.
21 mins: Mooy swings in a free-kick from out wide, it’s cleared... but when it comes back in there’s some argy bargy in the box and the ref points to the spot! Then he changes his mind after a chat with his assistant and gives Honduras a free-kick. Odd. Very odd.
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19 mins: Despite a couple of scares, the Socceroos have started off solidly. Honduras would have been keen for an early goal, especially with the vuvuzela buzz behind them, but Australia are looking more confident as the game goes on. Beckeles in the book for a foul on Behich.
16 mins: Some poor passing from both sides... although that comes with the caveat that the pitch looks like a shocker. Honduras seem to be bypassing that issue with dinked balls out wide.
13 mins: I get the feeling this is going to be an open one. The Socceroos are a little more defensive than usual but they’re still creating openings at the other end. Angled balls to the wings are causing them some trouble in defence but Honduras are yet to make the most of them.
11mins: Ooo, Luongo with the Socceroos’ first sight of goal. Barging through the defence but he was off-balance for the final shot and the keeper palms it away. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
They've got in behind our defence too easily. 3 times now. Desperately need to fix that. #HONvAUS
— 👕Raffaele Murdaca👕 (@MrSydneyFC) November 10, 2017
9 mins: A few early warning signs for the Socceroos, the Hondurans’ reputation for quick, pace-led attacks is clearly well-founded. They’ve given the ball away a little too easily at times though.
6 mins: Good start from Honduras, although the Socceroos have just about kept their heads above water - that Sainsbury tackle was crucial. The home crowd are cheering and howling for every little knock.
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4 mins: Sainsbury with a fantastic last-ditch tackle to keep Honduras at bay! Well played that man. Had to be perfect timing otherwise it would have been a dead-set penalty.
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Kick-off
1 min: Peeeep! And we’re off. A fast start from Honduras... but in the wrong direction, initially moving it swiftly up the pitch, then bringing it back all the way to the keeper just as fast.
Anyway, enough of my waffling - it’s show time. The Socceroos go in for one final pre-kick-off huddle. That is one noisy stadium.
One of the interesting stat nuggets I pilfered from the many preview pieces for this game was the fact that a lot of international coaches have met their demise shortly after losing at this stadium in recent years. And by ‘demise’ I’m talking about their careers not their mortality. Four coaches have bitten the bullet immediately after losses at the Estadio Olimpico - Rene Simoes (Jamaica), Sven Goran Eriksson (Mexico), and Stephen Hart twice (Trinidad and Tobago, Canada). Whatever the result, it’s highly unlikely Ange would leave before the return leg – although a big loss would certainly be ominous.
There’s been a lot of concern about Jedinak’s match fitness going into this game, but his inability to sing in tune is also pretty worrying. I was just wincing through the anthem.
Naturally a lot of the build up before the game has revolved around Tim Cahill’s ankle injury. Considering his primary contribution to the Socceroos these days is jumping really, really high, it’s obviously a bit of a concern. Just in case you’ve forgotten how crucial he – and his jumping - is to Australia’s cause, here’s a reminder from the Syria game. Would be surprised if he didn’t make a cameo late on ... unless the Socceroos are 4-0 up of course.
A lot has been made in the Aussie press of the state of the pitch, the intimidating atmosphere and the humidity at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano this week – but the Hondurans aren’t exactly blown away by the preparation of the turf at ANZ Stadium in Sydney either. You don’t even need Google Translate to understand what their beef is here.
First things first, here’s how the Socceroos are lining up. Jedinak to start despite the lack of game time.
Honduras v Australia - Izzy starts, Rogic on the bench.
— Adelaide CSC (@AdelaideCSC) November 10, 2017
'mon the Aussies! #HONvAUS pic.twitter.com/BoQ8n2dQms
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Preamble
Morning everyone, break out the bacon and wake the neighbours with your vuvuzelas* because the Socceroos are back on the road to Russia. And just like a cut-price Karl Stefanovic (AKA Lisa Wilkinson), I’ll be here for your early morning entertainment, bringing you all the drama from San Pedro Sula over the next couple of hours.
It’s fair to say it’s been a long and winding road in terms of World Cup qualification for the Socceroos. From Japan to Melbourne to Syria to Honduras, Ange Postecoglou has racked up more air miles in the past 80 days than Phileas Fogg. They’ve experienced a fair bit of turbulence too. From being outclassed in Saitama to coming within a whisker of being taken to penalties by Syria, it’s been white-knuckle stuff.
But, for good or bad, the end is in sight. And despite all their trials and tribulations, the Socceroos now have a 50-50 shot of booking that flight to Moscow, with just one last Honduras-shaped hurdle left to perform a Cahill-esque leap over. Avoiding defeat today would certainly go a huge way to securing that trip, but it won’t be easy against a side that defeated previously unbeaten CONCACAF group winners Mexico in their final qualifier to pip the US to a play-off place. Honduras have a reputation for pace and youth that will almost certainly prove the toughest test of the Socceroos’ defence since that game against Japan back in August, but that could also create more space in midfield and up front for Postecoglou’s side to exploit. Not that they’ve exactly been great at making the most of it. Remember Thailand? Two goals, 45 shots. Enough said. Yet despite their wastefulness in front of goal, the Socceroos have earned this last shot at Russia, and will fancy their chances against a Honduras side lacking in big-game experience with a penchant for letting in late goals.
All that said, it’s still a hugely difficult call to pick a winner. Both sides are fairly evenly matched in terms of ability, yet they offer such vastly different strengths and weaknesses that any result seems possible. So as we head into the final furlong, it’s down to two-horse race on the road to Russia, but who will be Rekindling and who will be Johannes Vermeer? We should have a clearer picture in a couple of hours.
*Now there’s an Oasis-worthy rhyming couplet
Richard will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Ante Jukic with an excellent analysis of how to get the best out of Tom Rogic:
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