Socceroos hammer Asian champions in statement win
Ian Chadband |
The Socceroos have enjoyed one of their most emphatic outings under Tony Popovic, outclassing woeful Asian Cup holders Qatar 3-0 with a statement win in front of the champions’ home fans in Doha.
Goals from Riley McGree, Tete Yengi and Nestory Irankunda in a dominant first-half display put the one-sided friendly to bed by the break on Friday (Saturday AEDT) with the help of dreadful defending from the back-to-back continental champions.
The fare did get totally disjointed after the break amid a bewildering raft of personnel changes, as subs Eli Adams, Sam Klein, Kasey Bos and Diesel Herrington all earned their Socceroos debuts, but Australia remained in complete control with the hosts only firing their first tame shot after 72 minutes.
Relieved that they won’t have to travel to Amman for their second Middle East match next Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) and that Asian Cup finalists Jordan will come to Doha to face them, Popovic’s men seemed relaxed and confident from the start.
And it certainly helped when in the fifth minute, the new Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada had a complete brain-fade, attempting a short pass to his central defenders only to deliver it straight to a grateful Riley McGree, who slotted home left-footed into an unguarded net.
It was the Middlesbrough midfielder’s second international goal, a gift four years after his first, and McGree continued to run the show early on, also firing over narrowly with a 17th minute volley as Julen Lopetegui’s hosts already looked out of energy and ideas.
There felt no surprise when another aimless clearance from the hapless Abunada ended with Connor Metcalfe pouncing and putting Yengi in the clear to finish comfortably just after the half-hour.
Irankunda had a ball on the left flank tormenting the Qatari defence and as the Socceroos began to threaten with every attack, another neat bit of midfield thieving and distribution from Metcalfe enabled him to free the Sporting Lisbon tyro to smash home his eighth international goal.
It was the first time in five years that the Socceroos had scored three goals in an overseas international, and they could actually have been six-up at the break, such was their dominance.
With nothing to trouble them from a curiously flat and ineffective Qatari side, Popovic began to ring the changes in abundance after the break.
Kusini Yengi replaced his younger brother at the break, while on 65 minutes, Popovic began to dish out his new caps, with Bos joining his absent older sibling Jordy as a full-fledged Socceroo.
To keep the theme of brotherly love going, Diesel replaced Lucas Herrington, who’d had an armchair ride all match, after a hug in the final 10 minutes.
With Qatar replacing half their side too, it all descended into a bit of a messy and pointless exercise.
Yet Popovic, while looking frustrated on the bench that his side hadn’t kicked on with more goals, was left happy at a fine night’s work after 14 Australian shots on goal against only three conceded. Not to mention a clean sheet.
Qatar did find the net in the 88th minute but it was clearly offside and the Socceroos can face Jordan, confident of another victory and perhaps just a little miffed they won’t be back in the Middle East in January for the Asian Cup, which has been rescheduled to December.
AAP