Well that was a walk in the park for the Socceroos and it’s hard to know what they will have gained from it, apart from the three points that is. They simply weren’t tested. Bangladesh failed to build any pressure, they lost possession as soon as they gained it, and their only shot I can recall was a long-range pot shot that would have missed the world’s largest barn door.
For all that, the Socceroos played well enough but, again, the quality of the opposition makes it difficult to judge. What the game did provide was goals to Leckie and Rogic, two men who have been waiting to add to, and open, their respective tallies for some time. We also got a look at Ikonomidis and Irvine and they couldn’t have done much more in their short time on the pitch. Perhaps best was Australia’s right side, with Elrich, Luongo and Leckie combining nicely on a number of occasions.
And that’s me done. Thanks for your emails and tweets and I hope to see you next time. Cheers.
Full-time: Australia 5-0 Bangladesh
And mercifully that’s it.
FULL TIME: It's all over at @nibStadium! 5-0 win for @Socceroos. Thoughts on the game? #GoSocceroos #AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/BWaHIWCZ9E
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 3, 2015
Updated
90 min + 4: Ikonomidis goes close again, sliding in to poke home a Luongo cross but Alam gets enough on it to deny him.
90 min + 2: Could have been six there! Ikonomidis ghosts in on the right and shoots powerfully on his left. It was headed for the top right but Alam makes an excellent save and turns it around the post.
90 min: This really has petered out. Even Australia’s attempts at goal suddenly seem half-hearted.
88 min: Cahill knocks over Alam while contesting a cross and for a moment it seems Alam might stay down. Perhaps forever. But realising how close we are to the end he gets up. He doesn’t want time added on. None of us do, Alam.
84 min: So close for second-capper Jackson Irvine who glances a lovely header from a right side cross; it beats Alam but not the left post. Haven’t seen much of Irvine, I must admit. Can I say he has the eyelashes of a camel? Long, lustrous, sand-defying. He’s like a prettier David Beckham.
81 min: A throw in for Bangladesh just near Australia’s byline! It’s lobbed it as far as the six-yard box but Australia thump it away. Bangladesh try to hold on to it when it comes down but they just panic whenever a Socceroo gets near them and the turnover is inevitable.
79 min: A flurry of action in Bangladesh’s goal mouth but no-one can get the final telling touch; now Burns just misses with a bunt of a header. Yes, bunt. It’s a baseball term.
76 min: Another sub for the Socceroos: Milligan hits the showers, Jackson Irvine gets a guernsey.
Seconds later, Davidson crosses for Cahill and he leaps high enough to head the ball out of Alam’s hands and across the face. Under pressure, Burns snaps off a shot but he can’t keep it down with the goal at his mercy.
74 min: Postecoglou looks extremely relaxed on the touchline as you’d expect. I wonder how close he got to playing? You’ll recall that tonight’s game is being played out amid a pay dispute between the PFA and the FFA, and luckily for us the players refrained from going on strike (which isn’t to say they intended to). I recall strike action at newspapers I’ve worked at in the past when management stepped in to fill the breach when staff downed typing fingers. What if that had happened here? Postecoglou knocks it long to David Gallop, anyone? How’s Gallop’s touch for a big man? Crouch-like?
71 min: In case you’re in any doubt there is zero tension to this game. Not even any niggle. Looks like Bangladesh aren’t the kind of team that if they are losing on the scoreboard attempts to win the fight. Fair play to them for that.
Cahill attempts a right foot shot whilst skidding but it’s saved easily enough and he looks annoyed. There’s goals to be had and Cahill being Cahill doesn’t plan on missing out.
69 min: A full-house in Perth, just shy of 20,000.
67 min: Meantime, Australia’s great rivals, Japan, have got themselves three points in their Group E clash.
LIVE: FT Japan 3-0 Cambodia #JPN make it 4pts from 2 games in #WCQ Grp E #JPNCAM #WorldCup http://t.co/Yb0TDZzmW9 pic.twitter.com/AanlVX94Gn
— FIFAWorldCup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 3, 2015
65 min: Cahill gets a cheer when he wins a header a long way from goal. Australia pounce on the loose ball and again probe for another. And it almost comes from the new man, Ikonomidis. He hits the bar with a powerful header from Davidson’s cross.
63 min: Subs time for Australia: Cahill comes on for Leckie, Ikonomidis for Rogic. The subbed men will be delighted to have got on the scoresheet. Can Cahill now give the crowd what it wants?
Updated
GOAL! Australia 5-0 Bangladesh (Mooy 62)
That miss hardly matters now for moments later Mooy turns smartly outside the area and whacks a half volley past Alam and into the roof of the net. That was travelling.
VIDEO: Watch @AaronMooy's unstoppable drive from distance here | http://t.co/1DYxzFoGPC #AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/KhgJZiUIy2
— FOX SPORTS Football (@FOXFootballLive) September 3, 2015
Updated
59 min: Andrew Benton suggests the two teams have a rematch afterwards... a different kind of match, that is: “After the (presumable) drubbing, Bangladesh could challenge the Aussies to a game of Kabbadi - its their national game apparently, they should be in with a chance. Or, maybe they’ve a Kabbadi history between them already.”
Not sure about that, Andrew, but I’ve just seen Spiranovic miss from 3 yards, scooping a loose ball over the bar.
57 min: There’s not a single Bangladesh player in Australia’s half to pressure four Socceroos players. You’d think they’d at least give the men in a gold a hurry up, perhaps cause a turnover. Are they trying to protect their, ah, deficit?
56 min: Mooy steps up and misses by some margin; high and wide.
55 min: Mooy, Burns and Wright triangulate some passes with leisurely ease and moments later Rogic is cut down by Khan 30 yards out, just off centre.
52 min: Another long punt forward by Bangladesh sails out without getting another touch. Australia take the throw and push forward, overdue their fifth goal. But a cross from the right is intercepted and sent packing.
49 min: A close-up of Davidson reveals a top knot. I thought it was just a rugby league/union thing but, like coldsores, it’s catching.
Mooy, after a lovely backheel from Rogic, thrashes a first time shot from the left but, like that girl you pined after like a fool all those years ago, it just keeps sliding inexorably further and further away until it’s out of sight.
46 min: Little to report, here, though I did just see four consecutive passes from Bangladesh following a goal-kick which Alam declined to kick straight to the Australians.
Peeeep!
The Socceroos start us off for the final 45 minutes which, for Bangladesh, will seem like 145.
These stats don’t make good reading for Bangladesh. The question is, what will Australia do now? Step it up and pile on the pain or coast home, their legs off the pedals, the wind in their hair?
That’s my second mention of wind in the hair tonight. It could be because I have so little of it. Hair, that is. Not wind. Got plenty of that, thanks.
HT Stats | The @Socceroos dominating here in Perth! What will be the final score line? #WC2018 #AC2019 pic.twitter.com/izOkD3qzgZ
— AFC Asian Cup (@afcasiancup) September 3, 2015
Chin up, Tigers fans. Some light relief for you while I water the horses. Horse. Okay, Shetland.
Half-time: Australia 4-0 Bangladesh
And with some sense of relief, the ref calls “oranges!”
44 min: A reminder that some teams have had it worse than Bangladesh tonight. Remember the World Cup?
@PFConnolly Germany were up 5-0 against Brazil at this point so it's not all doom and gloom.
— Aarony Zade (@aaronyzade) September 3, 2015
41 min: Burns takes a nice touch to tee up a half volley but his resulting shot whistles by the ball like an old man heading down the street to put in his Lotto numbers.
An email from Bangladeshi fan, Siam Sadaf Nil. He suggests Bangladesh need to hit the weights to match Australia’s physicality. He then ends rather hopefully, which is the spirit: “ In future Bangladesh is the best team in the world I hope....”
Updated
40 min: Mooy curls it around the wall but he finds Alam’s breadbasket. Or should that be roti-basket? What I mean to say, is that it hits him in the guts.
39 min: Australia are just stroking it around and Bangladesh can do very little to stop them —although here’s your man, Barman, crashing into Leckie clumsily giving the Socceroos a free kick from the left corner of the box.
38 min: You have a point, Daniel...
@PFConnolly Andy Harper seems to be laying it on pretty thick for the 170th best team in the world. Not sure what he was expecting #AUSvBAN
— Daniel Barnett (@danieltbarnett) September 3, 2015
36 min: Bangladesh are about to make a sub. Final words from the coach? “Five quick goals, son, and you start next week!”
And here comes the change: Biswas off, Raju on. No pressure, Raju.
Updated
33 min: Leckie nearly scores with a powerful low header that Alam does very well to keep out.
32 min: Barman, who’s been prominent, like a flasher in a park, gets another highlight. He tries a 35 yard shot and if you quickly duck outside you’ll see it passing overhead like a satellite.
GOAL! Australia 4-0 Bangladesh (Burns 29)
I think we’ll all need a hot shower after this. Yep, another goal. And another drought is broken. After Davidson crosses, Leckie forces a fine diving save from Alam, but the ball drops at the feet of Burns and he smacks it home.
29' GOAL for the @Socceroos! Burns makes it 4-0! #WC2018 #AC2019 pic.twitter.com/qjPkSqgv9j
— AFC Asian Cup (@afcasiancup) September 3, 2015
Updated
28 min: This really is men against boys. Not quite like this, but close enough:
Kagawa and Hiyotaki vs 55 kids! lol pic.twitter.com/txLxWBEL9n
— Football Fights (@FootbalIFights) August 7, 2015
25 min: Simon Hill on Fox Sports calls it a training drill for Australia and he’s right, I’m afraid. It would be great to see Bangladesh step it up and give Australia a fright but I can’t see it happening. Harper says Australia would be tested more by training cones. Ouch.
22 min: Rogic lashes a right foot shot from 25 yards out but it curls wide of the keeper’s left post.
It’s 202-46 passes to Australia now, and Andy Harper is lamenting Bangladesh’s ineptness on the ball.
GOAL! Australia 3-0 Bangladesh (Rogic -possibly- 20)
And that’s another for Rogic, though he barely celebrates. I dare say that will be put down as an own goal. The goal, in any case, had its birth on the left when Milligan shuttled the ball out to Davidson overlapping. His first-time cross was met by Rogic’s swinging left peg but his firm shot took a stark deflection off Barman to beat Alam.
19 min: Don’t forget, operators here are standing by waiting for your emails and tweets. Hold that thought...
17 min: Australia are working the right wing like Alan Jones. Leckie, Elrich and Luongo have combined half a dozen times to good effect. And here’s Luongo going for a snap shot from outside the box, but his boots slide out from under him. His shot is still on target, mind, but easily snaffled by Alam.
15 min: Joy for Bangladesh! They win a free kick when Spiranovic is deemed to have been too physical in winning a header. What does Barman do with it? Kicks it straight to Federici. Oh dear.
13 min: As Leckie climbs salmon-like for a Davidson cross and only just heads over the bar, I can tell you that moments ago the pass count was Australia 59-9. Sounds like a recent Ashes score. If only this were cricket, Bangladesh.
Updated
10 min: I am aware of course that I’ve yet to describe those goals so I better hurry before there’s another. My descriptions will be banking up like buses in the wet.
Okay, Leckie’s goal. Rogic from the centre slid a ball to Elrich on the right. Elrich, in turn, found Luongo overlapping. From the edge of the box he squared to Leckie who, from the edge of the 6 yard box, clipped the ball past the keepers’ right.
The second started with a Mooy cross from the left. Leckie headed behind him to Elrich who squared to Rogic standing at the top of the box. He took a touch and hit a low shot into the right corner. It may have taken a deflection, but it hardly matters does it? This could get ugly.
GOAL! Australia 2-0 Bangladesh (Rogic 8)
And now Rogic gets in on the action to score his first Socceroos goal!
GOAL! Australia 1-0 Bangladesh (Leckie 6)
What was I saying about Leckie?! That was far too easy, not that Leckie will give a hoot.
Updated
4 min: A short period of possession for Bangladesh, but it’s all in their own half and Australia are all over them like cling film. The Tigers will do well to hold on to the ball long enough to make it sing.
3 min: Now Elrich crosses in from the right but Alam, in goal for the Tigers, punches it away. Just a jab, really. He could be a southpaw.
1 min: Simon Hill and Andy Harper are waxing lyrical about the surface. They are smitten. Meantime, Leckie tries a cross from the right but it poses no danger for the Tigers.
Peeeeep!
And Bangladesh kick off and turn the ball over within 15 seconds.
Quick note on the subs: Lazio’s Chris Ikonomidis could play his first Socceroos game on home soil, while Luke Brattan awaits his first cap, as does Jackson Irvine, a defensive midfielder for Ross County in Scottish Premiership.
About to start!
Looking good out there:
Teams & @SocceroosActive before ko @nibStadium fr @Socceroos #AUSvBAN WCQ road to @russia2018_en @myfootballtoday pic.twitter.com/DUFTqAousf
— Pablo Bateson (@PabloFootball) September 3, 2015
The teams are in the tunnel. They’ll be led out by the officials, all four of whom are from Vietnam. Referee Vo Minh Tri grabs the match ball from the plinth (when did that become a thing? Must remember to do it for my next five-a-side) and we’re lining up for the anthems. Or rather, they are.
The Tigers, in light green shirts, red shorts and red socks, stand with their hands over their hearts as their anthem rings out:
And you know Australia’s well enough:
What of the Socceroos? Well, it’s a pretty handy team they’ve put out tonight. And considering the absence of Mile Jedinak, Mat Ryan, Mitch Langerak, Robbie Kruse and Tomi Juric (three of whom would be certain starters, you’d figure), that’s a sign that Australian football is in a good place right now.
Browsing through the line-up, it’s odd to see Tim Cahill on the bench given he’s captain and has spent the past week in Perth signing everything in sight. Tantalisingly, Asian Cup standout Massimo Luongo is joined in midfield by Tom Rogic. The Celtic midfielder missed both the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Asian Cup with injury so he’s got a chance here to impress his credentials and I can see their combo being a good one. Not quite bacon and eggs but pretty tasty all the same.
Mathew Leckie starts up front, fresh from scoring this belter for FC Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga…
... so tonight represents a good chance for him to add to the solitary goal he’s scored for the Socceroos (in a friendly against Canada in 2014). Indeed, as someone on Fox Sports will surely say tonight (my money is on Robbie Slater), he’ll be looking to “fill his boots”.
Curiously, the FIFA website calls Bangladesh’s no.9, Jahid Hasan Ameli, “Emily”. Far be it for me to go against FIFA, but I think I’ll stick to Ameli in my call.
Ameli, by the way, is equal fifth on the list of his country’s all-time top scorers in ‘A internationals’. His tally? Two goals. Three more and he’ll claim top spot! Actually, to be fair, he has scored 15 goals in total in his 61 games. And he represents the Tigers’ best chance of a goal tonight.
Here he is in action:
By all accounts, it’s a pristine evening in Perth and the playing surface would be good enough for Eddie Charlton to throw his leg over —were Eddie still chalking his cue. Just perfect then for some slick football.
On that note, it seems timely to list tonight’s teams.
Australia:
Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you your Starting XI for the @Socceroos ! #GoSocceroos #AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/jPuCAd1XSy
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 3, 2015
Bangladesh:
And here's the Bangladesh line-up... #AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/Y6IIvjTrcG
— Jack Kerr (@jckkrr) September 3, 2015
For the life of me I couldn’t find Bangladesh’s line-up in a nifty graphic (but good ‘ol Jack Kerr, our man in Perth, came through for us in the nick of time). Perhaps the slight will fire them up, give the Tigers extra tooth, as it were.
23 million fans ... one heartbeat. #GoSocceroos #AUSvBAN pic.twitter.com/yKSq4VbjKO
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) September 3, 2015
Having acknowledged how little weight ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ carry, and that “everything in football can happen”, Australia should win tonight. Handsomely. It’s one thing going to places like Bishkek and face the fired-up locals in their own intimidating backyard (so intimidating, the locals speak another language). It’s another entirely to be the reigning Asian Cup holders whilst playing a football minnow on home soil with the crowd filling your sails.
Bangladesh come here with optimism and, as de Kruif says, they’re “motivated and eager” —but they’re hardly in a rich vein of form, having won just one of their past 10 matches (a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka at home in October last year) stretching back to 2013. Most recently, six days ago in fact, they drew 0-0 with Malaysia in a friendly. Prior to that, in their opening two Group B World Cup qualifiers, they drew 1-1 with Tajikistan and lost 3-1 to Kyrgyzstan, both at home.
By contrast, the Socceroos, ranked 61, have lost just once in their past nine matches (a 1-0 loss to Korea in the group stage of the Asian Cup) and they are brimming with confidence; the confidence that comes not just with good results but in having a structure, a map they can fall back on. And on any long journey a map is a good thing.
Pre-ramble
The journey to the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia is a long one. And as with any long journey there’ll be days when the windows are down and the air rushes in and blows back the hair leaving you exhilarated and emboldened. But on other days there will be breakdowns, spew stops, too many empty calories, and long, boring stretches where you’ll spend more time than is healthy wondering if you could murder your fellow passengers and get away with it.
Right now, however, the Socceroos have barely left the driveway. Two and a half months ago they started their engines with a 2-1 win over Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek. While it was a far from comfortable win, Ange Postecoglou and his men (and the rest of us, for that matter) should now be better able to think of a proper noun that might get us out of a fix next time we’re playing Scrabble and are left with a hand of sharp consonants and just one lonely vowel.
Tonight the Socceroos play their second Group B qualifying fixture, against Bangladesh, in Perth, the first time the Aussies have played on Australian soil since winning the Asian Cup on January 31. January?! Where has the year gone, ay? Bangladesh, the world’s 173rd-ranked team, shouldn’t pose the Socceroos much of a problem tonight, but if you’ve watched football for any length of time you’ll know that ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ carry little weight.
As Bangladesh’s coach Lodewijk de Kruif said this week, “You have to consider that in football everything can happen.”
He’s right too:
Kick-off: 9pm
Paul will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what Richard Parkin thought of Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou’s barely believable backtracking over comments he made about the ugly pay dispute currently tarnishing Australian football:
It’s an unenviable position for the highly respected coach to be placed in; between the rock of contractual obligation and the hard place of players’ conditions – in less than 24 hours the Socceroos boss has migrated from someone who wasn’t taking sides to Team FFA.
But in persuading this popular figure, whose calls for mutual restraint have been echoed by experienced football writers and would have appeared to most football fans as reasonable, to become part of their PR offensive, have FFA done both Ange Postecoglou and themselves a tremendous disservice?
Read the full piece here.
