Australia need to score early against Jordan’
MELBOURNE: Australia need to score early in their World Cup qualifier against Jordan next week, to both prise the Middle Eastern team away from their defensive game and prevent them from engaging in timewasting tactics, according to midfielder Mark Bresciano.
Australia take on Jordan at Melbourne’s Docklands stadium on Tuesday with both teams locked on seven points in Asian qualifying Group B and needing wins in their final two matches to be assured of securing the second automatic berth to next year’s finals.
Japan have already booked their ticket to Brazil by sealing the first automatic spot with a 1-1 home draw against Australia on Tuesday.
Jordan upset Japan 2-1 at home in March to boost their hopes of a maiden World Cup appearance but drew yellow cards for time-wasting as they closed out the match with players griping at the referee and rolling on the turf to feign serious injuries.
Bresciano said he expected little respite from the gamesmanship if Jordan took the upper hand in their match.
“I’m not expecting any better on Tuesday night because I’m thinking if they have the result they want, they’re going to do the same thing, that’s part of their tactics,” the former Serie A playmaker told reporters in Melbourne yesterday.
“We’ve just got to hope that it’s never going to get in that situation. We’re hoping from the whistle that we can hurt them.”
Australia suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Jordan last September in their previous fixture and have been riled by Middle Eastern sides in the final phase of qualifying.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck fumed from the sideline as his team were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Oman in March, and midfielder Tim Cahill complained that the visitors called for the stretcher seven times through the match.
Bresciano said he hoped Jordan’s need for a win would encourage a more enterprising approach, because that would play into the Socceroos’ hands.
“I hope they do come out and play open and not try, like we said, park the bus in front of the goal,” he said.
“As a team, we play better when it’s an open game, where we have teams that come to us and try and play their football and obviously try to attack.” — Reuters