Aussie coach says Syria game could be his last
SOCCEROOS coach Ange Postecoglou admitted today’s crunch World Cup playoff against Syria (at 4pm Cambodian time) could be his last in charge, but the Australian doesn’t plan for it to work out that way.
Australia go into the game at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium fired up after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Malaysia last week, with a controversial late penalty decision against them eroding their advantage.
The winner of today’s match will face a two-legged clash with the fourth-placed team from the CONCACAF federation – currently Panama – and Postecoglou knows his time will likely be up if Australia don’t go through.
“I won’t be going into it with a different mindset because it’s an absolute privilege and honour to coach your country. I’ve coached my nation for 11 years, more than club football,” he said at his pre-match press conference yesterday.
“Every game is special, I treat every game as if it’s my last. If it is tomorrow night, so be it. But that’s not the plan.”
Australia are banking on vocal home support to get them over the line, but also the likes of veteran Tim Cahill, Celtic star Tom Rogic and midfielder Mark Milligan to weave their magic.
Cahill played no part i n Malaysia and Rogic only took the field briefly, in what Postecoglou said was all part of a wider plan.
“We obviously kept a few back the other night. It’s the way we’ve charted our course through the qualifying process, with different formations and players at different times,” he said.
“Tim’s one of those who didn’t play the other night and is raring to go. But there are a few we can look to in terms of selection.”
He added that Rogic was “a good weapon to have”.
“I expect him to become a more and more important player to us,” he said of the midfielder, who has matured under Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.
Milligan, who is expected to captain the side if Cahill does not start, said confidence among the squad was “very strong”.
“I think looking back on the game from Thursday night and analysing it and having things pointed out, I think our shortfallings in the last 30 minutes really show us that when we do things right, we get the right results for it,” he said.
“So if any doubt ever does creep in, we are fortunate that we can look back at recent performances and the way that we do things and we are right back on track.”
US poised to seal Russia spot
Australia, who joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, are attempting to reach their fourth straight World Cup and fifth overall.
Meanwhile, t he Unit e d States will be looking to finish the job and seal World Cup qualification against Trinidad and Tobago today (at 7am Wednesday morning Cambodian time) after an emphatic rout of Panama that has transformed American fortunes.
Friday’s exhilarating attacking display against Panama, where Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic excelled in a 4-0 thrashing of Los Canaleros, has left Arena’s side on the brink of a place in next year’s finals in Russia.
Heading into the final round of games, the US sit third in the standings with 12 points, two points clear of Panama and Honduras, their only rivals for the final automatic qualifying berth from CONCACAF.
A win over Trinidad today would guarantee that the US extend a proud record of qualifying for every World Cup since 1990. And with a sizeable advantage in goal difference of plus five, compared to Panama (-2) and Honduras (-7), a draw at Trinidad’s tiny 10,000seater Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva will almost certainly be enough.
With the US in control of their destiny, Panama will aim to bounce back in their home game against Costa Rica. Panama will secure fourth place, and a playoff against either Syria or Australia, if they match or better Honduras’s result against Mexico in the day’s other game.