Cahill survives qualifiers ‘cut’

MELBOURNE, March 14, (Agencies): Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has dismissed concerns about Tim Cahill’s lack of match fitness and selected the veteran striker in his final 23-man squad for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

The 37-year-old Cahill was overlooked for the qualifier against Thailand in November and has spent little time on the pitch at club level for Melbourne City in the past month but he remains the nation’s goto man when the pressure is on.

Australia’s disappointing 2-2 draw in Bangkok saw them slip to third behind in Asia’s Group B behind Saudi Arabia and Japan, outside the top two spots that guarantee automatic qualification for next year’s global showpiece in Russia.

The Socceroos will hope to revive their campaign with victory over Iraq in Tehran on March 23 before United Arab Emirates visit in Sydney on March 28, the first of three home matches which round out their qualifying campaign.

Squad: Mustafa Amini, Aziz Behich, Tim Cahill, Milos Degenek, Rhyan Grant, Jackson Irvine, Mile Jedinak, James Jeggo, Tomi Juric, Robbie Kruse, Mitch Langerak, Mathew Leckie, Massimo Luongo, Riley McGree, Mark Milligan, Aaron Mooy, Mathew Ryan, Trent Sainsbury, Brad Smith, James Troisi, Danny Vukovic, Rhys Williams, Bailey Wright.

Cahill