Aussies face Saudis in key qualifier Americans seek breathing space in World Cup push

Japan suffer Kagawa blow in draw with Syria US host Trinidad and Tobago

ADELAIDE, Australia, June 7, (AFP): Australia face a must-win qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Adelaide on Thursday if they are to keep alive their direct qualification hopes for next year’s World Cup finals.

The Socceroos, who have qualified for last three editions, trail the Saudis and group leaders Japan by three points with three games left in Asia Group B.

The top two teams will progress to Russia 2018 with the third-placed nation forced into play-offs.

Both Australia and Saudi Arabia also have to play Japan in the remaining matches, adding a further edge.

It has been a muddling campaign for Ange Postecoglou’s Australians, who are the only unbeaten team in the group but have had four draws among their seven games.

“Saudi Arabia are in a good position on the table and we need to not just draw but win — it’s a must-win,” German-based attacker Mathew Leckie said.

But he added that the team was “very confident” and “very strong at home”.

“We will definitely cause a lot of problems for them and if we play at our best, it will be tough to stop us.”

The Australians were on track for all three points in their away match in Jeddah last October before a 79thminute equaliser from Nassir Al-Shamrani in a 2-2 draw.

Scoring has been an issue for the Socceroos and QPR midfielder Massimo Luongo believed an early goal would be vital to unlock the Saudi game plan of containment in Australia.

“A goal early would ruin their game plan and they’ll be forced to come out and try and score, and that will help us,” Luongo said.

“A draw might be good enough (for the Saudis) but if we get a goal it’s just going to unlock them. They they’ll need to come out and play.”

Dutchman Bert Van Marwijk’s Saudi squad has been together for most of the last month.

The team was in Frankfurt for two weeks, followed by a week in Saudi Arabia before their early arrival into Adelaide to prepare for the qualifier.

Saudi Arabia have not made an appearance at a World Cup since Germany in 2006.

Meanwhile, Japan’s World Cup qualifying preparations were dealt a blow Wednesday when playmaker Shinji Kagawa suffered a shoulder injury in a 1-1 home draw with Syria.

Japan’s Gen Shoji (right), and Syria’s Mardkian vie for the ball during their Kirin Challenge Cup international friendly soccer match in Tokyo on June

7. (AP)

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was stretchered off just nine minutes into the Tokyo friendly clutching his left shoulder after an awkward fall, and could be in doubt for next week’s Asian qualifier against Iraq.

Japan football chief Kozo Tashima insisted the Blue Samurai would fly to neutral Tehran for that game on Thursday as planned, despite Wednesday’s deadly terror attacks in Iran’s capital.

Gunmen and suicide bombers stormed Iran’s parliament and the shrine of its revolutionary leader, killing 12 people in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.

“We will go under the assumption that we will play the game as scheduled,” Tashima told local media.

Syria took a shock lead early in the second half when forward Mardik Mardikian powered home a header after clever work on the right by Amro Jenyat.

Japan equalised after 59 minutes, Inter Milan left-back Yuto Nagatomo squaring for Yasuyuki Konno to apply a simple finish from point-blank range.

Keisuke Honda and Takashi Inui went close as Japan pushed for a winner, but the home side produced little that will strike fear into Iraq when the teams square off in Tehran on Tuesday. LOS ANGELES, June 7, (AFP): The United States will aim to exploit the mile-high mountain air of Colorado on Thursday when they host Trinidad and Tobago in a key 2018 World Cup qualifier in Denver.

After a sluggish start to the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers, the Americans remain just outside the automatic qualifying places with only four points from four games.

Back-to-back opening defeats against Mexico and Costa Rica led to the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann last year and left the Americans with little margin for error in their remaining fixtures.

Three points against Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca Warriors” will be the minimum requirement for Bruce Arena’s men before they depart for a daunting assignment with bitter regional rivals Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday — a game that will also be played at altitude.

The US, who have played in every World Cup finals since 1990, have spent the past fortnight training at altitude in Colorado and Utah, as they chase the points that will vault them into the automatic qualifying positions.

Arena hopes the lengthy preparation will stand his team in good stead.

“The altitude issue is a big issue,” Arena told reporters. “The longer you’re at altitude, the more you’re affected by it.

“If you come up for one or two days, you can get through it because your body still hasn’t (reacted) fully. We’re playing through that a little bit.

“Hopefully by Thursday, we’re going to be a little bit more adjusted and be a little bit better prepared, physically, when we get to Mexico City.”

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Fabian Johnson admitted players had been left gasping during the training camp.

“The first couple of days in warm ups you’re breathing

In this March 24, 2017 file photo, United States’ Christian Pulisic controls the ball during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Honduras in San Jose, California. Pulisic is just 18, only he doesn’t play like he’s just 18. Already the youngest American to win a medal with a European club, Pulisic will now lead the US into an important World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday night, June 8. (AP)

hard,” Johnson said. “That’s why we came here pretty early. It just helps us to close the gap to where we need to be on Thursday. We’re in a pretty good way.”

Denver’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids, has been a happy hunting ground for the US in the past, with the Americans winning both of their previous two games at the venue.

Arena’s men will also be buoyed by recent history — the US routed Trinidad 4-0 in their second round qualifying meeting last September. Overall, the Americans have beaten Thursday’s opponents 13 times in 17 games, with only one defeat.