Australia 3 (Kennedy 10’, Cahill 17’, Bresciano 33’) Qatar 0.

Australia’s 2010 World Cup campaign got off to a fantastic start with a 3-0 victory over Qatar, providing a fitting farewell for former captain Craig Moore.

Watched by a 50,969 crowd, Australia took a 10th-minute lead and never looked in danger of relinquishing it, however they dropped off alarmingly in the second half. That might have been due to jet lag of the European players but it is something that will have to be properly managed as this campaign to reach the finals in South Africa continues.

‘The 3-0 scoreline suggests complete Australian dominance. In reality, though, it flatters them after their second-half performance.’


Australia’s goals were all in the first half, with Joshua Kennedy using his tall frame to his advantage to score his second international goal. Tim Cahill doubled the lead in the 17th minute, guiding the ball into the back of the net after not connecting with a potential tap-in earlier in the match. The final goal was the result of a brilliant bit of passing and teamwork, with Mark Bresciano running through to smash the ball into the back of the net in the 33rd minute.

The Australians looked fluid, confident and classy for the first half, with brilliant passing moves and a constant aerial threat. Qatar looked very nervous in the air, particularly their goalkeeper Mohammad Saqr who flapped at a number of crosses.

Qatar’s plan was always going to be to sit deep and hit Australia on the counter-attack. Unfortunately, that played right into the hands of an Aussie side made up of the best players that Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek could wrestle from European clubs.

The second half saw Qatar have a number of chances to score, but their finishing just wasn’t good enough and Mark Schwarzer was a safe pair of hands when needed. One feels that had Qatar been more clinical in their finishing they would have made this match much tighter.

The 3-0 scoreline suggests complete Australian dominance. In reality, though, it flatters them after their second-half performance. It will definitely leave Verbeek with a lot of work to do ahead of the match against China at altitude – a match that is scheduled for a non-FIFA date so will likely be an A-League XI. Perhaps this is why Verbeek should have played more A-League players, however 'the Euros' have done their job and the fans must hope that some manage to escape from their clubs to play the next match.

Moore confirmed his retirement in his post-match interview, saying that it was the end of his international career. The former captain has been a fixture in the national side for 13 years, playing 40 games and chipping in with three goals, including the penalty against Croatia in the last World Cup. He is sure to be dearly missed on the international scene but will now focus on Queensland.

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