The second match on the road to Russia sees Australia taking on minnows Bangladesh in Perth on Thursday night. Ange Postecoglu has selected one of the best squads possible out of the available players, but a result is not guaranteed given the struggles faced against Kyrgyzstan in the opening match of the group.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle in front of the Socceroos on Thursday night will be their attitude towards an opponent which they should comfortably defeat. In the old Oceania days, more often than not they put up massive scores against opponents that were severely overmatched. Playing in front of what should be a vocal Perth crowd, excited for their first Socceroos game in a decade, they should be trying to put on a show. On the other side, Bangladesh will be coming out desperate for any sort of result and will be trying their hardest. Even with the mismatch of skills the Socceroos are not immune to an upset if they come out flat and as such, they need to make sure that they are focused and treating their opponents with a certain level of respect.
Socceroos Team News
On Friday, the Socceroos announced three changes to their squad brought about by injury. Mile Jedinak injured his hamstring in a Capital One Cup tie and is replaced by free agent midfielder Luke Brattan, who Postecoglu rates highly as a deep-lying playmaker. Brattan comes in behind Mark Milligan and Matt McKay and is in competition with Aaron Mooy and Jackson Irvine to be the third choice deep midfielder. It is unlikely that Postecoglu will play more than one defensive minded player at home so if he does make it on the field, it will be purely in a substitute capacity to close out the game late on.
Robbie Kruse and Tomi Juric are staying with their clubs in Europe to continue recovery from pre-existing injuries. In a more competitive match, someone like Kruse may have been risked, but with the long-haul flights and the opportunity to give other players a chance to impress, the risks involved make this probably the smartest decision. In comes attacking midfielder Chris Ikonomidis and pacey winger Ben Halloran to fill out the squad. Like Brattan, Ikonomidis won’t be coming in to start, instead providing a capable body for training and an option off the bench if his skills are needed. Halloran meanwhile will be operating in a supporting category behind Matthew Leckie and Tommy Oar, as well as Nathan Burns who can be shifted to the wing if needed. His pace is a valuable asset but not at its most potent against a Bangladesh side that will set up as compact as possible and restrict the open space for Halloran to gallop into. The timing of his inclusion is lucky as he is able to come into camp with the rest of the squad and press his case for a starting opportunity.
One late change to the squad sees Eugene Galekovic come in as a replacement for the injured Mat Ryan who was a certain starter in goals. Based on the comments from Postecoglu, he is not expecting him to be a starter and instead is included simply because he is the best locally based goalkeeper. Look for Adam Federici to get the opportunity to start ahead of Alex Cisak due to his established reputation and the desire to put out the team most likely to come out and get three points.
Potential Starting XI
Player to Watch – Tom Rogic
The skilful midfielder has only just started getting regular playing time at Celtic, but his raw talent makes him an automatic selection whenever fit. His two goals for Celtic in recent weeks highlight his best qualities, exquisite technique and the confidence to dribble past players – both of which will be needed to unlock what will be a packed Bangladesh defence.
Prediction
Despite some key players missing through injury, the quality at Ange’s disposal, in addition to what should be a perfect football pitch, should see the Socceroos continue their winning start on the road to Russia.
Socceroos 4 Bangladesh 0
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No room for Timmy Cahill in your Starting XI????