Qatar 0-3 Australia (McGree 5, Yengi 32, Irankunda 40)
Julen Lopetegui under pressure as Qatar head coach
It was a win almost as comfortable as the buildup had been turbulent, as the Socceroos placed the drama of a week dominated by talk of everything but the football aside and cruised to a comprehensive 3-0 win over Qatar.
Pressing high, Australia’s men were ruthless in attack and dominant whenever their opponents even thought about getting forward, putting the result beyond doubt inside the opening 45 minutes. It took until the 38th for Qatar to register a touch in the Australia penalty area, and by that point they were down 2-0, with the third added for good measure just two minutes later. When Almoez Ali registered the reigning Asian champions’ first shot in the 72nd minute, Tony Popovic had emptied his bench, and the debutant Sam Klein hurled himself in front of the attempt before Patrick Beach had to worry about making a save.
Tearful Pochettino says United job was ‘difficult to turn down’ in USMNT farewellRead moreAlmost all focus heading into Friday’s contest was elsewhere, placed on the continuing back-and-forth over the Socceroos’ clash with Jordan next Tuesday, with an announcement coming on Thursday that the game was being moved to Doha. Riley McGree’s first goal for the national team in more than four years only five minutes into the contest, then, almost felt like a signal they were ready to let their football do the talking.
Perhaps the best way to describe the goal was predatory: the Middlesbrough attacker read the eyes of the Qatar keeper, Mahmud Abunada, as he was harangued by Tete Yengi, pouncing on his pass intended for Assim Madibo and passing the ball into the net. The hunting continued with the second, this time when a shanked clearance from Abunada in the 32nd minute allowed Connor Metcalfe to seize the ball and thread a perfectly weighted pass for Yengi to receive and deposit into the bottom corner.
By the time star player Nestory Irankunda fired the third beyond Abunada with five minutes remaining in the opening stanza, this time after a bounced pass from Ahmed Fathy had got away from Almoez Ali and been seized upon by Metcalfe, local Qatari media were opining about Julen Lopetegui’s sacking – asking just why he was having his side continue to play out from the back in the face of the Australia pressure.
View image in fullscreenNestory Irankunda scores Australia’s third before half-time. Photograph: Mohamed Farag/Getty Images“It was good to see the players who scored,” said Popovic. “To see Riley back starting a game for Australia, which hasn’t happened in a while. Alessandro Circati could have scored as a centre-back. Young Paul Okon Jr went through as a No 6. So, we’re getting the players in the right areas. Still a lot of work to do for us, but that was pleasing.”
If the two games against Brazil in September had shown signs that Australia was growing into a side able to do far more than batten down the hatches