Mark Schwarzer fears that gung-ho Socceroos could put themselves at risk in playoff with Honduras
SOCCEROOS great Mark Schwarzer wants Australia to hold back in the first qualifier against Honduras — or risk blowing their World Cup dream.
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SOCCEROOS great Mark Schwarzer fears Australia could falter under the oppressive Central American conditions if they go chasing an early kill against Honduras in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier.
Twelve years ago Schwarzer’s penalty saves helped take Australia to the World Cup via an intercontinental playoff, having overcome a 1-0 first-leg defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo.
Ange Postecoglou’s side is braced for a similar all-out attack from Honduras in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on Saturday morning, but Schwarzer — the hero when Australia beat Uruguay in the 2005 return leg — is concerned that too gung-ho a response from the visitors will leave them liable to late concessions.
Revealing why Tim Cahill will be a crucial presence, even with a heavily swollen ankle, Schwarzer said the only focus for the Australian team could be the 90 minutes in the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula.
“It all hinges on the first game,” he said. “My biggest fear is that we try to play a high-pressure 90-minute game to put the opposition under pressure but we will end up succumbing to the hot conditions.
“Thailand (away, drawing 2-2) was a great example of it. They tried to play a high intensity game in the first 90 minutes, which was impossible under those hot conditions. They were lucky to get a result out of that.
“They are now playing against a far better opponent in Honduras so I hope that there is more of a balance to their approach.
“Our biggest problem could be that we falter under the tough weather conditions. It’s going to be really hot, humid and the pitch will probably not be in the best condition. We will need to be careful not to become tired and affected by the conditions as it could open up Honduras to get a couple of goals.
“The players and staff who have experienced these kinds of conditions will need to provide support to those players who are new to this kind of game.”
Key among those will be Cahill, whose experience of the hostility encountered in the first leg against Uruguay in Montevideo can be passed on to the current squad.
“You need to have your experienced players, like Cahill, on the ground with the team to keep them calm and build team morale,” Schwarzer said.
“He also has experience playing in South America and knows what it takes to play against an opposition like Honduras. He knows the hostility and off field tricks that the team are going to experience.
“That kind of knowledge is invaluable for his fellow teammates to know in the days leading up to the game.”
Schwarzer also underscored the value of the charter flight that will whisk the Australian team back to Sydney within hours of the final whistle, a feature that proved invaluable 12 years ago.
“It’s massive, people underestimate the affect a chartered flight has on the players and the team travelling with them,” he said. “With a chartered flight you have total control over everything.
“The doctors and physios will be able to treat players during the flight and get a head start on their recovery, which is going to be so vital for the second leg.
“We had a chartered flight after Uruguay and it was huge for us and I think it played a big part in our success.”
Mark Schwarzer is a commentator for Optus Sport, the only place to watch all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.