Australians wary of Saudi 'games' ahead of crunch World Cup qualifier
HONG KONG: Australia's Connor Metcalfe has warned his teammates to avoid reacting to Saudi Arabia's gamesmanship when the nations face off in Jeddah tomorrow with automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals on the line.
Tony Popovic's outfit go into the meeting at the King Abdullah Sports City with one foot on the plane to North America after a 1-0 win over Japan on Thursday bought the Socceroos breathing room in their quest for a place at the finals.
Despite that advantage, Metcalfe has sought to ensure the Australians do not allow their focus to slip ahead of a crucial 90 minutes that will be played out in front of more than 50,000 fans and in stifling heat.
"There's going to be a lot of diving, a lot of acting, but it's about just blocking the noise out, focusing on ourselves and doing the best we can," said the St. Pauli midfielder.
"You can't get affected by any of it, because if you get affected by any of their little games or noise or whatever it is, then it's just going to affect the game, and they're going to get that little advantage over you."
Australia hold a three point lead over Herve Renard's side and a large enough goal difference to leave the Saudis needing to win by five goals to climb into second and claim the last automatic berth from the current phase of Asian preliminaries.
Japan have already secured top spot in Group C while Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea and Jordan have taken the other berths available to Asian nations at the expanded World Cup from the third phase of qualifying.
A further two spots will be up for grabs from a fourth round of qualifiers to be played in October.
Anything other than a significant win over the Australians would see Saudi Arabia finish third in Group C and enter that next phase, where they would join the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq and Indonesia.
Also battling for a place in the fourth round are Oman and Palestine, with the pair looking to secure either third or fourth place in Group B tomorrow.
The two countries face off against each other in Amman with the Palestinians needing to win to climb above Rashid Jaber's side and keep their World Cup qualification dream alive.
Neither nation has played at the World Cup and Palestine go into the meeting having handed Kuwait a 2-0 defeat on Thursday to stay in the hunt for a spot in the United States, Canada and Mexico. -AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
NBA great Vlade Divac injured in Montenegro motorcycle crash
BELGRADE: Former basketball star and LA Lakers centre Vlade Divac is recovering today after breaking his hip in a motorcycle accident in Montenegro, hospital staff told AFP. The 57-year-old was injured late Thursday after falling from his motorcycle near the coast, said hospital spokeswoman Ljubica Mitrovic. "Divac was immediately brought to the hospital in Risan, where doctors conducted thorough examinations," she said, referring to a town about 47 kilometres (29 miles) west of the capital Podgorica. "Unfortunately, it was confirmed that he had suffered a hip fracture. Surgery was performed." Divac is in a stable condition at the hospital. Drafted into the NBA in 1989 by the Los Angeles Lakers, the towering centre became one of the first European players to make an impact in the league. He played seven seasons for the Lakers before moving on to the Charlotte Hornets then the Sacramento Kings, and eventually finishing his NBA career back with the Lakers. Mentored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, he quickly adapted to the NBA and became the first player born and trained outside the United States to play more than 1,000 games in the league. A silver medallist in Olympic basketball with both Yugoslavia and later Serbia, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. He played 117 games for the national team of Yugoslavia and later Serbia and Montenegro, winning World Championship titles in 1990 and 2002, and was also crowned European champion in 1989, 1991, and 1995. The hospital has asked the public and media to respect Divac's privacy during his recovery. - AFP
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Rachel Arnold reaches Asian Squash final after epic win
KUCHING: National squash ace Rachel Arnold emerged as Malaysia's sole representative to advance to the final of the 23rd Asian Individual Squash Championships after defeating fellow Malaysian Aifa Azman in the women's semi-final at the Sarawak Squash Centre, Petra Jaya, here today. The world No. 19 player overcame Aifa 11-9, 11-2, 8-11, 9-11, 12-10 in a fierce battle that lasted 56 minutes. This victory sees Rachel carrying the nation's hopes into the final, just one step away from clinching her maiden Asian title, after another Malaysian representative, Yee Xin Ying, failed to advance to the final in another semifinal. Yee was defeated by Hong Kong's Ho Tze Lok, who secured a 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6 victory in a match that lasted 45 minutes. Rachel is scheduled to face Ho in tomorrow's final to vie for the title of the 23rd edition of the championships. Following their semi-final losses, Yee and Aifa concluded their campaigns at the tournament by sharing third placing.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
JDT prep for M-League with La Liga action
KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) will play newly promoted La Liga side, Levante UD, in a friendly in Spain next month. Under new head coach Xisco Munoz, the Malaysian champions will do their pre-season training abroad. "More friendly matches in Spain will be announced soon. Levante won the Segunda Division in the 2024-25 season to earn promotion to the Spanish top flight," JDT said on social media on Friday. Among the Levante stars is 21-year-old attacking midfielder Carlos Alvarez, who chalked up seven goals and 11 assists last season. His meteoric rise saw him sign a new deal with a release clause of €25 million (RM127 million). JDT, who aim to be an Asian power, plan to arrange for more matches in Spain, apart from training there.
