Faithful servants steeled for showdown
THE Socceroos’ two most senior soldiers are ready to put their bodies on the line and drive Australia to a fourth consecutive World Cup.
Captain Mile Jedinak and record goalscorer Tim Cahill are both fit and determined to take the battle to Honduras in the second leg of Australia’s make-or-break World Cup qualifier at ANZ Stadium tomorrow.
Jedinak is ready to back up despite playing 90 minutes in Saturday’s goalless first leg – almost as many minutes as he had been able to play in the previous five months due to groin trouble – while Cahill said playing on his swollen ankle would be a “small sacrifice for such a big return”.
Ready for a showdown in front of a capacity crowd, Cahill insisted the thought of defeat – and of international retirement – hadn’t crossed his mind, while Jedinak told of his relief at returning to the international fold after months of injury concerns.
IT’S the game that could bring an end to a clutch of Socceroos careers, or send them to Russia for another World Cup. Just don’t mention the first of those possibilities to Tim Cahill.
The Socceroos face Honduras tomorrow night knowing a loss would spell the end for Ange Postecoglou, and could bring the curtain down on the international careers of Cahill and captain Mile Jedinak.
But Cahill insisted he had no need to contemplate anything other than the win that would earn Australia a place at a fourth consecutive World Cup.
Confirming he was not just fit to play but desperate to be involved after recovering from an ankle injury, Cahill said he could feel the stars aligning for the Socceroos after their convincing performance in drawing the first leg 0-0 on Saturday.
Though Cahill sat that game out, he insisted no thoughts of failure had crossed his mind.
“I’m not thinking about it, definitely not thinking about it,” Cahill said. “That’s the difference between me and anyone else, I don’t think about the negatives leading into something that’s so important for our country.
“What’s driving me is Wednesday night, the same thing that was driving me against Syria – to be selected.
“It was awesome to train in Honduras and get two sessions in so I feel great. I feel like I’m going to be involved and it’s all about Wednesday night.
“I’ve had the best recuperation possible.
“I’m always wary there’ll be a bit of swelling and bruising in the ankle but I know how big the game is and I can’t wait for the opportunity to be involved.
“Once I’m available for selection, I don’t think about my ankle or anything like that. I just think about the end result of contributing to getting to a fourth consecutive World Cup. After this game all of us have plenty of time to put our bodies back together, it’s a small sacrifice for such a big return.”
Cahill praised the influence of captain Jedinak, who is back in the squad after missing several games with a groin injury.
“Leading into the camp, we were texting about the importance of us being in camp around the boys,” Cahill said.
“With his presence on and off the park, he’s someone I respect a lot as a player and a person.
“I feel that everything is going really well.
“We’re not going to be overconfident.
“We always respect our opponent but from the performance we’ve seen in Honduras, I feel the team is ready to put a good performance out.”
I DON’T THINK ABOUT THE NEGATIVES LEADING INTO SOMETHING THAT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COUNTRY TIM CAHILL