Tournament News
Cahill, Moore set for recalls
2008-10-14 08:39
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Australia - Everton midfielder Tim Cahill is expected to be thrust into the World Cup qualifier against Qatar as Australia's lucky charm.
And with Australia manager Pim Verbeek predicting the four automatic Asian places for South Africa 2010 will come down to the last qualifying matches in both groups, he could even recall Craig Moore to bolster his central defence in the ex-Glasgow Rangers and Socceroos skipper's comeback from international retirement.
Australia beat Qatar twice in the third round of Asian qualifying (6-1 on aggregate) but goes into Wednesday's fourth-round match in Brisbane one point behind the Gulf nation, which tops Group A with four points.
"There'll be no underestimating Qatar. We know they're dangerous. They have four points, they could have had six points, more or less they deserved to win both (fourth-round) games," Verbeek said. "We should never think it's an easy game, but it's good to know we can beat them. It's good for the confidence."
Australia will be missing key attacking option Harry Kewell, the former Liverpool winger now with Turkish club Galatasaray, and three other frontline players, but Verbeek is concentrating on who he has at his disposal.
Asked the significance of the return from six months out with a broken foot for Cahill, one of the stars of Australia's 2006 World Cup campaign, Verbeek said his value could not be understated.
"You know how important he is because he always scores goals," Verbeek said. "If I'm a defender and I have to play against Timmy Cahill, I'm sure I'm in for a difficult time. So he will impress the opponent, they know how good he is, they know he always scores goals."
Verbeek said he had settled on a formation but would not release his 18-man squad until the last possible moment. He hinted at a recall for 32-year-old Moore, though.
"It's a luxury to have players like that back in your selection," he said.
Australia had a 1-0 win at Tashkent in its last start, its opening match of the round, ending a long undefeated streak at home for the Uzbeks.
The Socceroos created many more opportunities and will be aiming to be more on target on Wednesday, particularly against a team that would happily settle for an away point despite having an attacking weapon like Sebastian Quintana up front.
New Qatar coach Bruno Metsu, who guided Senegal to an upset over then defending champion France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, hoped Australia would be overconfident.
"Maybe in their mind, it is an easy game for Australia," Metsu said. "Maybe this is good for us ... we try to prepare a surprise."
He is no stranger to guiding an underdog to an upset.
"I'm ready in my mind because I take this job and I know the first game is Australia. I sleep Australia, I dream Australia," he said. "It is the same as when France play Senegal. In my mind, I think every day and every night about this game."
Japan is equal second with Australia after a 3-2 win at Bahrain in its first match of the fourth round. The top two teams from each five-nation group after the home-and-away round get automatic World Cup spots.
Australia and Japan are highly favoured in Group A.
But Japan coach Takeshi Okada said he needs his players to be more ruthless against Uzbekistan after lacking finish in a 1-1 draw with the United Arab Emirates in a friendly last week.
"It is not a problem I can fix. There is no miracle drug," Okada told the Kyodo news agency. "We are creating chances and it is simply just a case of putting them away.
"We have been practicing shooting but you can't think it is OK just to put the ball away in training and you're done. It is something that we have to continue."
Uzbekistan has not scored a goal in its opening two losses this round and went down 3-0 in a friendly at South Korea last week.
"That they have lost two games is neither here nor there, it is about us doing everything we can to win," Okada said.
In Group B, joint leader North Korea travels to Iran and South Korea hosts the UAE, which has lost its opening two matches.
Iran goes into the crucial home match without midfielder Ali Karimi, the 2004 Asian Player of the Year, after the former Bayern Munich midfielder rejected an invitation from coach Ali Daei for a training camp.
Karimi scored 35 goals in 109 national team appearances, but has been on the outer since making comments about the national federation. Daei said it was a waste of time focussing on the issue ahead of the North Korea match.
"A team is not based on one player. We have 11 players in the field and we won't have any problem against (North) Korea," Daei was quoted saying on the Asian Football Confederation's website.