Juric’s ready to run Syrians out of town
THERE won’t be any great secret to the Socceroos’ game plan tomorrow night.
With qualification for the World Cup in the balance, Australia aim to run Syria to distraction and secure a place in the final playoff next month.
With Ange Postecoglou ready to scroll through his attacking reinforcements, striker Tomi Juric promised a highoctane occasion from the beginning. Scotching the idea that Australia should be patient, Juric predicted that Syria would wilt under the pressure of a second game in five days.
Juric himself played 83 minutes in the first leg last Thursday, hitting the post twice, but insisted he was ready to back up again tomorrow night at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, despite Postecoglou’s temptation to start Tim Cahill.
Asked what would be key to the outcome of game, Juric said Australia’s ability to exhaust Syria would be decisive.
“The key, what do you call the key?” Juric said? “The key is to win and score. I don’t think that patience is the most important thing. I think the most important thing for us is to keep that ball moving. Tire them out.
“We have some fresh legs coming in now. In my opinion, they ( Syria) are going to struggle to deal with that and I don’t think they have the depth in the squad that we do.
“I think our subs will come on also and make a difference for us. For us the second half will be crucial and I think that’s where, if not before, the game will be decided.”
Postecoglou is weighing up who out of Cahill and Juric to start, with the other to add firepower later in the game and the latter made his case to be in the starting XI.
“I’m feeling good, he said. “I don’t see why I can’t ( start again). It’s been good for me because I’ve been doing it regularly at my club, so I am pretty confident I can. With the medical staff and everyone we have involved it helps a lot.
“We have the best in the business, so I am confident I can. Any niggles I’ve got are the normal No. 9 injuries you get after a game. It’s nothing new, I’m used to that stuff.”