SYDNEY — A resurgent Saudi Arabia could take a major step toward ending its decade-long exile from the World Cup Finals if it can beat Asian champion Australia in a crunch qualifier at Adelaide Oval Thursday.
The Green Falcons played at four successive World Cups from 1994 to 2006, a run that ended when Australia switched to the Asian confederation and grabbed one of the continent’s precious berths for the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.
Joint top of Group B, from which two teams qualify automatically for Russia next year, the Saudis will move six points clear of the Socceroos with two matches remaining if they can prevail at the famous cricket ground.
«We’re ahead of them in the table,» winger Yahya Al-Shehri told FIFA.com this week.
«We have to play them on their home turf, but we’ll go there to win and to hold on to top spot. We want to keep winning and qualify for the World Cup.»
The Socceroos will be desperate for a second successive win after a run of four draws to rein in the Saudis and avoid the precarious playoff route to Russia open to the third-placed team in the group.
Ange Postecoglou’s reliance on captain Mile Jedinak’s accuracy from the penalty spot, and the continued presence in the squad of 37-year-old Tim Cahill, though, are indicative of the struggles of his side to score goals.
Cahill’s tally of 48 goals in 96 internationals would take some beating in any team but younger Australian forwards such as Tomi Juric and Mathew Leckie are not coming anywhere close to that strike rate.
Saudi Arabia coach Bert van Marwijk, who led his native Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup Finals, has built an impressively solid team that always seems capable of creating chances, though they be without suspended playmaker Nawaf Al-Abed in Adelaide.
Group B co-leader Japan, takes on Iraq in Iran Tuesday.
Australia heads to Russia after the Saudi match for the Confederations Cup and Postecoglou would dearly love a victory over the Saudis Thursday to get a firmer grasp on a ticket back there for the World Cup next year.
«We knew the back half this year is where we need to be at our best,» Postecoglou said on Wednesday.
«And we wanted to be in a position where our fate is in our own hands and that is exactly where we’re at. We know if we finish the qualification period off strongly, we will achieve the objective.»
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.
Setback for Japan
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.
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 Thursday as planned, despite Wednesday’s deadly terror attacks in Iran’s capital.
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 equalized after 59 minutes, Inter Milan left-back Yuto Nagatomo squaring for Yasuyuki Konno to apply a simple finish from point-blank range. — Reuters
