- Socceroos meet Iraq in the first final round of World Cup qualifiers on Thursday in Perth
- Postecoglou has named a strong side
- Australia to face the UAE away five days later
The Socceroos embark on their final journey on the road to the 2018 World Cup in Russia on Thursday night, squaring off against Iraq in Perth.
Australia finished top of Group B in the second round of World Cup qualifiers with seven overall wins and no losses, while Iraq came second in Group F, also remaining unbeaten but winning just three games.
The game will be played at nib Stadium in Perth with kick off scheduled for 8.30pm AEST (6.30pm local time). It will be broadcast live on Fox Sports in Australia, with live streaming coverage also available online (geo restrictions may apply).
Match Preview
Getting off to a perfect start is critical for the Socceroos as the final piece of the Asian World Cup 2018 puzzle starts to be formed.
With a pair of tough games on the horizon in the space of six days in October (Saudi Arabia away and Japan at home), the Socceroos must give themselves a handy buffer so there’s not as much pressure to pick up six points from those aforementioned games.
Starting with Iraq in Perth on Thursday and then facing the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi five days later, the Socceroos have the opportunity to post six points on the board and gain the early ascendancy in what is a difficult group.
Australia have been superb on home soil in recent times, capturing their first ever Asian Cup last year and remaining unbeaten through qualifying so far. The Socceroos have also had Iraq’s number in their last few meetings, winning the last three matches between the sides.
Realistically, Australia and Japan should be battling for the top spot (with the top two teams automatically qualifying for Russia), but get off to a poor start, and they could find themselves in a battle with the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE for second and third spot - and a potential play-off against the other third-placed Asian team and then a further sudden-death clash with a CONCACAF nation in November next year.
Ange Postecoglou has named a strong squad to face Iraq, spearheaded by new Melbourne City recruit and Socceroos legend Tim Cahill. Aaron Mooy returns down under with increased expectations after playing a starring role for Huddersfield in their early charge to the top of the Championship ladder.
Postecoglou will again expect his side to be switched on from the get-go, playing a possession-based style with crisp passes and utilising Cahill’s prowess in the air and Mooy’s creativity from the centre of midfield.
Iraq, former Asian Cup champions before Australia, were held to a 2-2 draw by Perth Glory on the weekend as they finalised their preparations for this clash. They finished second in their group in the last qualifying round behind Thailand, who are also in this group for the final round of qualifiers.
Iraq are a solid side and could very well be challenging for the top three spots deep into the competition. However at home and with several players in great form for their respective clubs, the Socceroos should prove too strong and register a relatively straightforward victory.
Australia Squad
Nathan Burns, Tim Cahill, Milos Degenek, Adam Federici, Alex Gersbach, Apostolos Giannou, Chris Ikonomidis, Jackson Irvine, Mile Jedinak, Tomi Juric, Robbie Kruse, Mitchell Langerak, Mathew Leckie, Massimo Luongo, Ryan McGowan, Mark Milligan, Aaron Mooy, Josh Risdon, Tom Rogic, Mathew Ryan, Trent Sainsbury, Brad Smith, Matthew Spiranovic.
Iraq Squad
Jalal Hassan, Mohammed Kasid, Mohammed Hamed, Alaa Mahawi, Ahmed Ibrahim, Saad Natiq, Karrar Mohammed, Ali Latif, Samal Saeed, Ali Adnan, Dhargham Ismail, Ali Faiz, Saad Abdul-Amir, Mahdi Kamil, Ali Husni, Ahmed Yasin, Amjad Walid, Yaser Kasim, Ali Abbas, Justin Meran, Alaa Abdul-Zahra, Jassim Mohammed, Mohammed Jabar Shukan, Mohammed Abdul-Rahim.
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