The Socceroos demolished Jordan on Tuesday night in a clinical display at Allianz Stadium.
The result sees Ange Postecoglou’s men secure passage to the third round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Tim Cahill’s brace and goals to Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic ensuring victory for the hosts.
These are the top performers from the match.
Which players shone brightest for the Green and Gold?
Aaron Mooy
The Melbourne City playmaker put in a sublime performance on Tuesday night, his chemistry with Kruse and Rogic obvious from the opening minute. An early cross found Mathew Leckie’s forehead, but the Ingolstadt winger could not direct it into the net. Mooy continued to probe through Jordan’s defence before adding a goal of his own in the 39th minute to double Australia’s advantage. A well earned rest came in the 64th, with the damage well and truly done.
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Robbie Kruse
After taking a back seat while a wayward Leckie gave the crowd plenty to catch, Kruse found Tim Cahill with a superb low cross for Australia’s opener in the 24th. Just 15 minutes later, he flicked the ball out to an unmanned Aaron Mooy for the second, and waited just five more to deliver a perfectly weighted cross to Cahill for a regulation header. With the job done, Kruse was replaced by Nathan Burns in the 72nd minute, concluding a remarkable return to the Socceroos’ starting XI for the Bayer Leverkusen winger.
Tom Rogic
After a sensational, match-winning strike for Celtic against Kilmarnock followed by a brace off the bench against Tajikistan, Rogic came to Sydney brimming with confidence, and his performance reflected his mindset. With Australia keen to set the physical tone of the game early, Rogic used his imposing frame to push through Jordan’s midfield, creating the space to work in tandem with Mooy. He was denied an opener in the 17th, but eventually made his mark on the scoresheet shortly after the break. Postecoglou will be buoyed by his performance alongside Mooy and later, an energetic Massimo Luongo.
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