Socceroos vs Honduras live: Australia in do-or-die World Cup clash
The Socceroos produced their best away performance in a long, long time to hold Honduras to a 0-0 draw | WATCH
The Socceroos have had a strong beginning in Honduras despite a goalless draw in the two-leg playoff for a spot at the 2017 World Cup in Russia. All the action as it happened. Times AEDT.
Ray Gatt 10.48am: Draw 0-0
And there it is. The referee blows full-time and it ends in a 0-0 draw.
Australia has produced a wonderful effort, their best away performance in a long, long time.
They were clearly the better side, creating the better chances.
Unfortunately, Australia coudn’t take advantage with Tomi Juric missing a golden chance in the first half then having a header saved in the second. But Ange Postecoglou will be well pleased with the effort.
It’s now on to Sydney for the return leg at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday where a win will take Australia to the World Cup finals in Russia next year.
Watch the highlights:
Socceroos did well today on a sloppy pitch and with a hostile crowd. The best they’ve played since the Asian cup #wcq #WCQualifiers #HondurasVsAustralia
— Samn (@in_reverie) November 11, 2017
Ray Gatt 10.46am: Both sides stretched in last few minutes
Postecoglou makes his third and final change with Nikita Rukavstya coming on for Juric with just two minutes of regular time left.
There will be four minutes of stoppage time to be added.
Both sides are out on their legs.
Ray Gatt 10.43am: Ange makes second change
Postecoglou makes his second change with Milos Degenek coming on for Risdon in the 84th minute as he looks to shore up the defence.
The Australians might be tiring a little, which is understandable given the travel they had to do to get there and now the heavy pitch.
Honduras have a dangerous free kick on the right but it is cleared.
Ray Gatt 10.38am: Australia dominates but no goal
Australia get a free kick in a good area, just on the left on the edge of the penalty area, but it is a disappointing delivery from Mooy, who puts it over the bar.
As we got down to the final 10 minutes, the question was can Australia turn their domination into a goal?
Not if the Hondurans have anything to do with it as they break clear and force a good save from goalkeeper Maty Ryan.
Ray Gatt 10.32am: Rogic replaces Irvine in first change
The game has become a bit of a stalemate at the moment. Australia are still going strong while the Hondurans just can’t fashion anything decent in attack.
Ange Postecoglou must be looking to his bench to make some changes. Maybe Cahill?
Now comes our first change with Tom Rogic replacing Jackson Irvine, who has put in a decent shift.
It was 75 minutes gone and 0-0.
Ray Gatt 10.21am: Risdon gets close to breaking deadlock
Luck just not going Australia’s way. Josh Risdon produces some wonderful work down the right, gets to the byline then puts the ball across the face of goal, but it is just behind two Socceroos. Had it fallen in the right spot it would have been a certain goal.
The Honduran fans realise their side needs some picking up and have lifted their intensity as they get behind their team.
We reached the 65th-minute mark and it was still 0-0 as the Honduran coach looked to go to his bench for his second substitute of the game.
Ray Gatt 10.13am: Honduran rebuffs a deserved Socceroos goal
Australia almost have a goal after some superb buildup down the right-hand side involving an interchange of four or five passes. Luongo gets in a cross from the byline and Juric gets his head to the ball, only for the goalkeeper to make a superb save.
That deserved a goal.
This is impressive stuff from Australia.
Honduras vs Australia.
— ⚽Sam⚽ (@Special1JoseM) November 10, 2017
The pitch is honestly a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/CjSLZyNGHS
Ray Gatt 10.09am: Socceroos keep the pressure in second half
The Australians have started the second half in positive fashion, going on the attack early and trying to put pressure on the home side.
Honduras can’t seem to get a thing going and are being frustrated by the Australian midfield. which is closing them down at every opportunity.
Seven minutes into the second half there were no signs of the Socceroos letting up.
Ray Gatt 9.35am: No score but a terrific first half
It’s half time in San Pedro Sula and it’s 0-0.
That was a terrific half of football from the Socceroos. They weathered the early storm and then produced some good football of their own.
Certainly they had the best chance of the half through Juric, a chance he should have converted.
The Australian defence has been excellent and the midfield has worked superbly.
With 45 minutes to go, the Socceroos are well placed to come away with a decent result.
Ray Gatt 9.35am: Tomi Juric misses but Australians frustrate home side
My goodness. How did Tomi Juric miss.
He takes advantage of a defensive mistake, gets into the box one on one with the keeper but fires his left-foot shot wide.
The Hondurans certainly had their hearts in their mouths there.
With 10 minutes to go to halftime, the Socceroos have taken the crowd out of the equation. The home side is looking very frustrated.
Ray Gatt 9.27am: Australians’ best start in a long time
Honduras create a chance after a lovely through-ball down the left.
The cross comes in to the far post but the header goes just wide.
There is a lot to like about the Socceroos’ performance so far. It is probably their best 25 minutes for some time.
They appear relaxed and comfortable and playing some nice football when in possession. Behich is causing some problems down the left flank and he puts in a great cross but Irvine’s first time shot is blasted over the bar.
Ray Gatt 9.25am: Australians settle into game
The Socceroos have settled into this game nicely and are certainly growing in confidence. They are keeping the crowd out of it at the moment and the longer it goes the more impatient the locals will become.
A huge moment in the game. The referee pointed to the spot for a Socceroos penalty but after consulting with the linesman it has been overturned.
With 22 minutes gone, it was still 0-0 and the Socceroos had to be happy with that.
Ray Gatt 9.10am: Australians firm against impressive Honduran attack
As expected, the Hondurans are pressing forward in numbers and looking quite decent in attack. They are certainly looking to expose Australia on the flanks and have put in a couple of dangerous crosses.
But the Australian defence is holding firm as we approach the 10-minute mark.
Interestingly, Honduras are mixing it up a bit, playing long balls over the top as well as a short passing game.
21' - The referee gives the @Socceroos a penalty then reverses his decision - BIZARRE SCENES in Honduras - 0-0 https://t.co/u5q5GIq2Us
— SBS - The World Game (@TheWorldGame) November 10, 2017
The pitch is cutting up a lot and could be an issue later on.
Australia has their first decent chance with Luongo weaving his way into the box and firing off a shot that is battered away by the goalkeeper for the Socceroos’ first corner.
Ray Gatt 9.03am: Some panic in Australian defence
We have kick off and interestingly the Hondurans have started with a couple of long balls down the Australian flanks.
They are the first to create some panic in the Australian defence as a cross comes in from the right but is cleared away without much conviction.
Honduras beat the offside trap and are on goal but Sainsbury pulls off a tremendous last ditched tackle.
Honduras Vs Australia underway on an absolutely disgusting pitch, as had as any you'll see. Expecting an agricultural match! #WCQ2018
— Terry Denness (@Terry_Denness89) November 10, 2017
Ray Gatt 8.59am: Socceroos face early pressure
The anthems are done and we are ready for kick-off in the World Cup qualifier. The atmosphere is electric, the noise deafening. The Honduran fans are really turning it on.
The home side will be pumped and are sure to try to get off to a quick start and to try and put the Socceroos under pressure early.
Jedinak is giving a late speech to the players as they form a ring near half way.
Ray Gatt 8.20am: Eight changes to Socceroos
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has made eight changes to the side to play Honduras in the first leg intercontinental World Cup qualifier against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, due to kick off shortly.
Injuries and suspensions have forced his hand as it is a completely revamped side to the one that beat Syria 2-1 in extra time in the Asian World Cup qualifier in Sydney last month.
As expected, Mile Jedinak makes his long awaited return to the national team after almost six months. He will partner Massimo Luongo as one of two defensive midfielders.
The Socceroos captain will go into the game with just 83 minutes of club football under his belt since he last played for the national team against Saudi Arabia in Adelaide in June. Jedinak replaces the suspended Mark Miligan.
But, such is he importance to the side in terms of leadership and experience it is no surprise Postecoglou is throwing him into the fray in what is going to be a high powered, intense game.
Importantly, Tim Cahill appears to have made a good recovery from his ankle injury and has been named on the bench. Hopefully, the Socceroos won’t need to bring him on, leaving him fresh and ready for the return leg in Sydney on Wednesday night.
In other changes, Bailey Wright replaces Milos Degenek in the back three, Josh Risdon comes in at right wing back for the injured Mathew Leckie, Azia Behich replaces the injured Brad Smith at left wing back, Luongo comes in for Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy replaces James Troisi and Tom Juric comes in for Cahill, who was the two goal hero against Syria.
Meanwhile the tension is rising in San Pedro Sula with a big crowd building up. The atmosphere is coming through loud and clear and it is certain to be a hotbed for the Australians.
8.10am: Stadium fills
Skipper Mile Jedinak will start alongside Aaron Mooy and Massimo Luongo in Australia’s midfield for the first leg of the Socceroos’ World Cup playoff with Honduras.
In balmy conditions, a feverish crowd has filled Estadio Olympic Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula hours out from Saturday’s (AEDT) match, which precedes the home leg in Sydney on Wednesday.
Australia (3-2-4-1): Mat Ryan, Trent Sainsbury, Bailey Wright, Mat Jurman, Jedinak, Luongo, Josh Risdon, Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Aziz Behich, Tomi Juric.
Ange Postecoglou’s side must defeat the Central Americans on aggregate over the two legs to go to next year’s World Cup in Russia.
@FeedsSudamerica 3962 H 7500/55.5° W/Honduras vs. Australia/FTA-HD pic.twitter.com/ELQKiSOopj
— Tapiti Molinas (@dianamolinas) November 10, 2017
Ray Gatt 6.58am: The beard to be feared
As someone who plies his trade in The Championship in England, Mile Jedinak probably attracts more attention for his imposing figure, wild beard and steely look than his ability as a pure footballer.
The Socceroos captain would be the first to admit he is the antithesis of the graceful, free-flowing, silken-touched, megastars of the Premier League and the other glamorous leagues in Europe.
But that’s fine for there has never been any self-indulgence or any pretence with Jedinak, who has had to defy the critics and the doubters for much of his football career to get to where he is today.
Read the full story here.
6.50am: The plan to beat Honduras
Australia will aim to turn Honduras’ biggest strength — their fiery home support — on its head in the opening match of their intercontinental World Cup playoff.
The Socceroos face the world No. 69 Hondurans on Saturday morning (AEDT) in San Pedro Sula, beginning a two-match series that will send one of the teams to Russia.
It’s a challenging road the Socceroos have walked several times before, and one coach Ange Postecoglou insists his team is up for.
“We’re going as hard as we can in both games and they’ll have to keep up,” he said.
On paper, Australia match up well with their opponents, with more overseas-based stars, more wins in qualifying and a better qualifying pedigree. But the Socceroos face challenges — both in their own ranks and from the opposition.
Read the full story here.
Ray Gatt 6.40am: What’s old is new again
It wasn’t long ago some Australian soccer fans wistfully hankered for a return to the days of old when the sport lived on the edge and the Socceroos’ hopes of qualifying for the World Cup came down to two games.
Perhaps their views were coloured by the events of November 2005 when John Aloisi famously slotted home the penalty against a devastated Uruguay that secured Australia’s passage to the 2006 finals in Germany for the first time since 1974.
The collective outpouring of emotion from a sporting nation saw grown men cry, strangers hug each other and celebrations go on well into the next day.
We’ve supposedly moved on — a busy but secure path through Asia got us to the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014 — but now we’re back to where we were: battling through the Americas to make the big dance in Russia next year after failing to qualify directly.
Read the full story here.
6.30am: Socceroos ‘stronger than ever’: Wright
The Socceroos might be missing a trio of stars for their World Cup qualifiers with Honduras but Bailey Wright believes they’ve never been stronger.
The staunch defender hit the ground running in San Pedro Sula ahead of today’s opening match in the two-legged affair.
For many, it’s a backs-to-the-wall tie, with an understrength Australia facing a formidable home side buoyed by a raucous crowd.
It’s why veteran attacker Tim Cahill called the Central American match-up a tougher assignment than Australia’s 2005 intercontinental playoff against Uruguay.
Wright takes a different tack, believing Ange Postecoglou’s preparation has Australia peaking at the right moment.
Mile Jedinak is back in the fold but Mark Milligan, Mat Leckie (suspension) and Robbie Kruse (knee) won’t be in Honduras, removing 170 caps worth of experience.
Wright believes less seasoned Socceroos can use the occasion to kickstart international careers.
“As a group, we’re stronger than ever,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity to qualify ... a lot of work has gone in to get us to this point. We’ll do what we set out to do and that’s qualify. “The team has been pretty consistent. A few changes, a few ins and outs and people with injuries. That’s just the way it goes.
“For us as a group, this is the strongest we’ve been, which is healthy.”
6.15am: Socceroos to remain all-action
Forget about any tactical shifts from the Socceroos in their World Cup qualifying playoff with Honduras on Saturday morning.
Key Socceroos say coach Ange Postecoglou’s all-action physical, pressing and possession game will be in action in San Pedro Sula. And it means sticking with three at the back. In 11 matches since shedding the four-man defence, Australia have kept just one clean sheet, and none in the past nine.
More conservative tacticians than Postecoglou have called for the return of the traditional back four in San Pedro Sula, where Los Catrachos are strongest. Honduras’ home record — with just four losses in 25 home qualifiers this decade — has provided the basis for the nation to reach the past two World Cups. But bowing to the opposition’s style isn’t in Australia’s playbook under Postecoglou, and goalkeeper Mat Ryan says they aren’t about to change now.
Read the full story here.
6am: The long journey to San Pedro Sula
Socceroos players began flying in to San Pedro Sula early this week to begin their preparation for the first leg World Cup playoff against Honduras.
Coach Ange Postecoglou led the first group of players into the central American republic on Monday.
A-League players and Asia-based pair Trent Sainsbury and Milos Degenek were among the first to arrive. Most European stars began arriving on Tuesday.
Mitch Langerak’s journey is long. The gloveman flew from Valencia to Frankfurt to Paris before a trans-Atlantic flight to Mexico City and on to Honduras.
He was one of six players, including Tim Cahill, Tomi Juric, Alex Gersbach, Mathew Jurman and Nikita Rukavytsya, to miss the first training at San Pedro Sula.
The 16 on the ground completed light drills and praised the welcome from locals. There has been no repeat of the ugliness that marred Australia’s 2001 World Cup playoff with Uruguay, when Paul Okon’s team was spat on and violently jostled upon arrival.
Despite the local publication of the Socceroos’ itinerary, accommodation and training schedule, Sainsbury says they’ve been treated respectfully.
Read the full story here.
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