AUSTRALIA blow Qatar away with three first-half goals at Telstra Dome to win the World Cup qualifying match convincingly, getting new coach Pim Verbeek off to a triumphant start.
Read below for a blow-by-blow account of the game. User comments were submitted via the author of the blog.
FULL-TIME. AUSTRALIA 3-0 QATAR
From Andrew Rihs: "Watching from St Petersberg Russia. It’s great to see our lads scoring goals - gone are the days on depending on Harry n Dukes! It has to come down to the talent Aus has playing abroad in tougher leagues and gaining valuable experience in front of goals and being held accountable!"
From Deanne Kebblewhite: "Mate, Deane here in Tokyo, Japan. Good to see the Aussie boys give it to ‘em. No offence to Qatar, but this is what we should do to a team of this stature. Just got the Japan v Thai game starting here. Keepin an eye on some possible future competition. Lets hope our boys can get a couple more!!"
From Rusty Thorpe in London: "Been a pleasure, not a lot of work done, but felt like I was at home the last 90 minutes.. and in the company of aussies all over the planet… may we all meet in SA in a couple of years time !!! see you next time."
From Mike Newman in Melbourne: "Go Aussies… Give this nation another round ball thrill, they need it."
From Anthony Micallef: "Great reporting scotty, we’re cheering the socceroos home from malta. and a sweet start for Mighty Pim!"
From Adam Daniell in London: "Let me let you congratulate all the Aussie staff members here at Chelsea Football Club that have been following this with some pleasure this morning. Forget the last 100 mins or so we’ll catch up with our work this arvo. Well done Kane, Vic and my housemate Paul. True heroes."
From Josh: "Following the game from London. Seems to be a lot of chances going begging, this might come back to haunt us against stronger oppositions." Very good point, but let’s bask in the satisfaction of a deserved and exciting win for now.
From Jordan McCarthy: "From all the boys in london, just wanted to give lucas a shout for aussie day at temple, walkabout. For a player of his calibre to still come, mix it up & shout us a few beers, he truly is a champion."
90th minute: Two minutes of added time. Holman receives the ball on the run inside the box but overruns it and squanders a chance to add to the tally. The whistle then blows and it’s game over. A job expertly done by the Socceroos, who blew the opposition away in the first half and absorbed qatar’s newfound urgency in the second. China here we come. From Raymond Yuen: "Hi Scott, Who do think is the Man of the Match this evening match?" I’d go with Emerton, just ahead of Bresciano, Cahill and Culina.
87th minute: Valeri concedes an obvious free kick just past the halfway line, but Australia have the move covered. The sting is well and truly out of the game now and Australia are content to knock the ball around and, crucially, keep a clean sheet.
84th minute: A fourth goal looks booked in, with Aloisi unmarked in the box and on the end of a superb Culina ball from distance, but the substitute scuffs his shot and the ball dribbles to the goalkeeper. very Un-Aloisi.
81st minute: Culina mops up again and finds a teammate. As just pointed out, he has had a fine game in that holding midfield position. Not much has got past him. From Russell Murphy: "Watching this unfold from LA…what is the deal with kennedy, anything serious?" Not sure yet. Will keep you posted. Don’t think it was serious. Think he copped an angry boot on his leg.
78th minute: A substitution for each team. Moore goes off for Australia with Holman the man on. Walid Jassem on for Qatar, replacing Talal Al Bloushi. Abdullah’s looping strike from distance is straight at Schwarzer, who collects with no fuss.
76th minute: Free kick for Australia 30 metres from goal deep on the left wing. Carney’s lofted cross is ineffective but earns a corner. Aloisi and Neill both get their head on the ball but a fourth goal goes begging.
73rd minute: Corner from Wilkshire from the right goes nowhere. Wilkshire is then duped by Rizik’s fancy footwork and brings the Qatar player down, conceding a free kick.
71st minute: Kennedy is now subbed off, clearly injured. John Aloisi takes his place up front. Carney takes the ball inside his own half but sloppy ball control from his teammates turn the possession over. Emerton mops up in defence. From Gary Courtis: "Lovin the coverage Scotty Heinrich Manoveure! Shattered it’s not on the TV over here in London. Full house there? Need a 4th to put it outta the Qataris reach. Guus who? Pim is king! Will I be glassed if I claim that Scotty McDonald is overrated?" Yes, you will be.
70th minute: Qatar work the ball around in their own half, devising a plan to attack. Australia’s intensity has dropped, but after such a first half that is entirely understandable.
66th minute: Cahill is subbed off after a job well done, with Carl Valeri the man to come on.
64th minute: YELLOW CARD x 2 (Australia, Moore; Qatar, Koni) Moore is cautioned for a raised arm in a challenge before, in a separate incident, Koni lashes out with his feet at Kennedy in the box and is also yellow-carded. Kennedy is in pain and leaves the ground for treatment.
59th minute: Another chance for Qatar goes begging as Afif shoots low from the left, forcing a good save from Schwarzer - his first of the match. Australia look to have eased off a bit here, and Qatar are upping the pace. Qatar then win their first corner of the game.
57th minute: Qatar make a mess of a genuine chance to pul one back. Qatar advance on the counter-attack as Afif beats his minder and feeds Hamad, who has Schwarzer defeated with an open goal in view - only to tangle his legs and side-foot the ball wide of the post. A wake-up call for Australia.
54th minute: Another devilishly good cross from Emerton finds Cahill and his dangerous head six metres out, but the Everton star cannot convert. Moments later, Bresciano is fed by Wilkshire but his shot on goal is held by the keeper.
49th minute: Wilkshire finds space just inside the penalty box, firing a dangerous shot from the right that forces a good save from the keeper. Qatar attack again. They seem to have more intent in the early stages of this half. From Warren Cassel: "Warren, an Aussie working in Switzerland keeping a very close watch on the live updates via Foxsports. Well done on the coverage. Go Timmy Cahill and co, doing us proud again on the world stage. What was the crowd atmosphere like at the ground during the first half?" Good atmos, Warren, good atmos.
46th minute: Australia start the second half as they ended the first - on the attack. Cahill, however, slips just as he is about to cross from the right. Two changes from Qatar at half-time: Rizik on for Majdi Abdulla and Mesaad Al Hamad on for Sattam.
From Jan Wicher in Laos: "Working here in the mine in Laos but following this closely on the net. 3-0 is a fantastic 1st half lets hope the boys don’t take the foot of the paddle as this group might go down to goal differences."
From Simon Vutich: "Finally Australia have stepped up and done a job that simply needed to be done to have any chance of qualifying for the next World Cup. What a great way to start a Wednesday morning at work in London…I wont be doing anything work related for at least the next 50 minutes. Good first half lads..3 more in the next one Cmon Aussies!"
From Damian Gilmour: "How good is this… foxtel is down due to rain but the minute by minute is going crazy just got the page sitting up n the goals goin in…lets go aussie."
From James Kritzfeld: "Loving life in Brussels. Foxsports is my lifeline and hanging on to every word. GO Australia!!! Were on the bus and it ain’t stopping until South Africa."
From Brooke Warren in Reading, England: "Hey! Reading from London, currently at work on a miserable day, so 3 - 0 is just the news I need. Go the Soccoroos!"
From Shaun in Qatar: "As an Aussie living in Qatar – there is quite a buzz here – the Qatari people love their soccer (football) – I am sitting next to my distinguished Qatari counterpart and he is not happy!!"
From David Fletcher in Wagga: "Scott, who’s wearing the skipper’s armband for Oz? Thanks in advance." That’d be Lucas Neill.
From Scott Gilbert: "Hi Scott, Just got into work here in York and have logged on to see how the boys are going? Good to see the three early goals! England v Switzerland tonight at Wembley, who cares!"
Half-time: A great 45 minutes of football from Australia laced with authority and purpose. They got three but could have had six. No passengers out there, but Bresciano, Cahill and Emerton are the best of a very good lot.
45th minute. One minute of added time. Qatar are reduced to taking a shot at goal from a free kick 40-plus metres out.
43rd minute: Australia are getting a bit fancy now. The latest attacking move sees Wilkshire and McDonald swap industry for showmanship, and the move expires. From the next play, another scramble in the goalmouth sees Cahill almost get on the end of another chance, but he is outmuscled.
38th minute: Long ball from Qatar finds Ibrahim one-on-one with Moore, who outmuscles his opponent inside the box and wins the ball. Could easily have conceded a penalty, but no dice. From Richard Coco: "Sup Gang, Just want to let you all know here at iPrimus Tech Support Department in Melbourne, were going CRAZY with the goal by goal scenario happening thus far. No T.V, so webcast the only go. We won’t miss a minute. South Africa, here we come!!! C’MON AUSSIE C’MON!!!!"
36th minute: Oh so very nearly a fourth goal for Australia as Emerton’s cross from the right finds Cahill unmarked and right in front of goal, but he takes the chance quite low down and can only find the keeper’s gloves. Relentlessly attacking stuff from the Socceroos. Palpably, there are some Qatar players out there who look intimidated and wishing they were elsewhere.
33rd minute: GOAL (Australia, Bresciano). McDonald finds himself in space on the right wing, on the corner of the penalty box, spots Bresciano’s run from midfield, holds up the ball and finds his man with precise ball that bisects the laughable Qatar defence. Bresciano slots home with assurance from 10 metres. Qatar’s numerous defenders were ball-watching and doing precious little else.
28th minute: A nice bit of double play between Bresciano and Kennedy inside the box very nearly ends up in a second goal for Kennedy, but the keeper’s outstretched right leg keeps the score at 2-0. Soon after, Wilkshire appears to have a clear shot on goal from about 10 metres, but the off-side flag goes up. Australia have been in Qatar’s penalty box 21 times. Qatar have ventured into Australia’s just five.
25th minute: Qatar’s first meaningful shot on goal is sent high over the crossbar by Khalfan Ibrahim. At the other end of the park, McDonald, the pride of Celtic (or so we’re told), mishits a cross into the box. From Huy Vo: "Hi Scott… Still stuck here at work and reading and refreshing the page like a mad man hanging on your every word… just wanting to know if the aussie european players are looking sluggish at all from their trip?" They look pretty spritely, but there’s still a way to go in the match.
21st minute: Another heart-stopping moment for Qatar as Bresciano directs a cross from the left inside the box, but no goal this time. Qatar are under seige here, unable to hold possession and bereft of ideas in their, or Australia’s, half. An attacking move started by Ibrahim goes nowhere. From Fernando in Brazil: "HI, MY NAME IS FERNANDO AND I AM FROM BRAZIL, TONIGHT AUSTRALIA IS BRAZIL, ALL BRAZILIANS GOT THEIR ENERGY IN FAVOR OF AUSTRALIA, AUSSIE IN THE WORLD CUP AND THE FINAL WILL BE BRAZIL AGAINST AUSTRALIA AND I DON’T KNOW WHICH ONE I AM GOING TO SUPPORT, I GUESS I WILL BE HAPPY ANYWAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI !!!!!!!" I’ll be going for Australia in that particular match-up, my friend.
18th minute: GOAL (Australia, Cahill) Another corner for the Socceroos and a truly wonderful headed goal from Tim Cahill. Acrobatic and energetic, Cahill arches back in front of a taller defender and glances the ball into the bottom right corner. Great goal from a great player. Qatar are getting murdered in the air, as commentator Simon Hill has just pointed out.
14th minute: More aerial worries for Qatar as Cahill can’t get properly onto a cross and sends the ball over the crossbar. If Cahill was three inches taller, he’d be a world-beater. Energised by the strike, Australia rush forward again. It’s almost 2-0 but Wilkshire’s low shot misses to the right.
11th minute. GOAL (Australia, Kennedy). Great start for the Socceroos as Emerton fires in a long-range cross from the right which the tall Kennedy finds first in front of two defenders and heads expertly into the right corner.
9th minute: Lovely backheel from Afif deep in attack on the right wing confounds Australia, but nothing eventuates. An early warning sign, perhaps. Most possession for Australia so far.
6th minute: Australia move the ball speedily at each opportunity. Qatar flood back in the face of the Socceroos’ attacking move. A goalmouth scramble sees the ball land at Cahill’s feet, but he can’t pull the trigger quickly enough and the Qatar keeper staves off the threat.
3rd minute: Free kick for Qatar on the left flank after a free kick conceded by Emerton. Cesar wastes the chance from about 40 metres, sending the ball flying over goal.
1st minute: First attacking move to Australia from the kick-off, but the high ball is easily negotiated by Qatar. Goal kick for Schwarzer.
1932: It’s anthem time, and the Qatar players are, to a man it seems, giving their vocal chords a good old airing. None can sing. Fossati’s just standing there with a conspiratorial look on his face. Now it’s Advance Australia Fair’s turn. The Aussie boys are belting it out. Bresciano claps at the end. Verbeek doesn’t open his mouth, thus failing his first citizenship test. Tut tut.
1930: From Rusty Thorpe: "Hi Scott. An ex Triple-Jayer here…. sitting hunched over a hot computer just outside London..There’s so many of us over here - and so many Socceroos in the Uk leagues… I’m sure you’d get a good ‘pay-per-view’ turnout… anyway …. GO SOCCEROOS !!!! Cahill to get one - and Bresciano as well."
1928: Getting close now. Looks like we’ll start on time or close to it. Fox Sports’ boundary reporter Mel ‘lovely’ Mclaughlin says the atmosphere is "electric". From Jeffrey Tippett: "Hi, Why was Harry over looked for this match? Is he injured? Unfit? Out of favor already?" Poor HK. He’s still not quite over his (many) injuries.
1923: The Qatar players are in the stadium, and we have their line-up. Five at the back and two strikers up front, with Fabio Cesar, he of Brazilian birth but whose Qatari passport was rushed through rather recently, to wear the No.10 strip. From Daniel Slater: "On paper the starting 11 look very strong. What do you think of Pim’s selection? I think if all the players play to their potential we could see an Oceania type score line." Overall I like it, Daniel. It’s adventurous and positive. Quite how Wilkshire commands an ongoing place in the team is beyond me, but my surname isn’t Verbeek. Or Hiddink.
1916: From Jason Muller: "I don’t have a favourite Qatari player, the only one that stands out is Fabio Cesar because he doesn’t have "Mohammed" or "al" in his name. One person who I can’t stand is the Qatari coach, Jorge Fossati. Australia to win 3-0. GO SOCCEROOS!" Welcome, Jason. I suspect it won’t be that easy for Australia. I’m tipping a 1-1 draw.
1908: The fact Jorge Fossati coaches Qatar sort of intrigues me. Fossati was in charge of Uruguay that night when John Aloisi’s penalty shootout goal sent Australia to the 2006 World Cup and Uruguay back to, erm, Uruguay. Fossati was duly sacked, and the revenge factor is something sections of the media have latched onto. I doubt Fossati could give more of a hoot than any manager should before a World Cup qualifier, and I doubt Australia will make much of it, but it does add an element of spice. I will be monitoring the Qatar players closely, however, half suspecting that Alvaro Recoba or Diego Forlan could be lurking somewhere on the left wing, incognito, and seeking revenge.
1900: From Benjamin Tansing: "Any idea how I can watch the game from Singapore??" Can’t help you there, Ben. You are stuck with me, you lucky lad.
1855: Who’s your favourite Qatar player? For me, it’s a close call between Satriani and Malmsteen. Kick-off will be delayed a few minutes beyond the scheduled 1930 (EDT) start. Plenty of traffic problems in Melbourne, apparently, and Qatar have been late getting to the ground. Lots of fans already in, though, and we’re looking at an expected crowd of around 55,000.
1848: From Gareth in Sydney: "2 strikers and Tim Cahill in just behind! Sweet! Kudos to Our Pim for coming out with an attacking side. ALso I’m prety sure there’s no extra time tonight." You are spot on, Gareth, there will be no extra time. There will, however, be added time. Always is after the 45 minutes of each half. Enjoy the game.
1840: Verbeek is a diamond geezer, let it be said. The Socceroos will be playing in exactly that formation tonight - with four at the back, Culina the defensive midfielder, Cahill the attacking midfielder just in behind strikers Kennedy and McDonald, with Bresciano and Wilkshire on the wings. Oh, and Schwarzer in goal.
1830: Well, this is what we wanted. A ‘fair’ World Cup qualification process for the Socceroos. And now, as part of the not-so-happy, not-so-functional (read: normal) Asian Football Confederation family, we’ve got it. Time will tell if we, or more specifically the players, actually wanted it at all. Land and deliver is the most appropriate warcry I’ve heard about this contest. Through no fault of their own, Australia’s preparation has been abysmal. Not having proper and just access to their players is nothing new for Australia. But where previously the enormity of the problem was broached, and fudged around, for two important games in every four-year cycle, now it is something the Socceroos must deal with for crucial games on a more regular basis. Pim Verbeek has made it clear that A-League players aren’t good enough, so for the forseeable future - starting tonight, six games spread over four and a half months - Mark Schwarzer and co had better get used to playing in the EPL one day, traversing the globe the next, and playing in a World Cup qualifying match the day after that. Am I being a neg-head? Sorry. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, Oi, Oi.
Source: Pim’s perfect start
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