Adelaide: Australia whipped Tajikistan 7-0 in their 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifying match at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
Nathan Burns and Tom Rogic each registered a double while Mile Jedinak and Mark Milligan converted their penalties in a game dominated by the AFC Asian Cup holders.
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Massimo Luongo gave the hosts an early lead with a fizzing drive barely two minutes into the game before the Socceroos had a chance to extend the lead as Nathan Burns charged to meet a corner but his bouncing header missed the far post.
Ten minutes later, Jedinak converted from the spot to make it 2-0 and his 12th goal for his country after a speeding Apostolos Giannou was upended by Tajik goalkeeper Alisher Tuychiev.
Giannou won another penalty 11 minutes after the break after being hauled down by Davronjon Ergashev and Milligan dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner, with Tuychiev guessing correctly this time, going down low but the ball was beyond his reach.
The Aussies’ tally was extended to 4-0 on 67 minutes as an Aaron Mooy sublime build-up connected with Burns who coolly poked it home.
Rogic made it 5-0 for the home side on 70 minutes and stunned again with the outside of his left foot with his second and nation’s sixth in the game just two minutes later.
A great cross from Ryan McGowan then found Burns who headed home his second of the night to make it 7-0 for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.
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