The World Cup hopes of each the UAE and Australia are on the road on Tuesday evening when the 2 meet in Doha in a do-or-die Intercontinental Playoff.
The winner of the conflict will advance to face Peru, who completed fifth in South American qualifying, for the suitable to achieve Qatar 2022.
Forward of the event, we check out the foremost speaking factors heading into the match on the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
1. Tom Rogic withdraws
The Socceroos have been in need of real playmaking choices for a variety of years now, however the one outlier has at all times been Celtic’s Tom Rogic. With a depraved left foot, the 29-year-old has typically been relied upon to be the inventive spark in Graham Arnold’s aspect.
Contemporary off a close to profession greatest season in Glasgow, beneath former Australian nationwide crew supervisor Ange Postecoglou, expectations have been excessive that Rogic might translate his glorious membership type to the worldwide stage and assist information Australia previous, not solely the UAE, but in addition Peru.
However simply days after being named in Arnold’s prolonged squad, Rogic withdrew citing “private causes”. The Canberra-born Rogic has at all times been an insular character, a lot in order that Arnold himself is just not even certain of the precise cause why Rogic has withdrawn.
What is understood, nevertheless, is that his loss will probably be felt significantly by a Socceroos aspect in determined want of a inventive spark.
2. Omar returns
Whereas Australia have misplaced their playmaker, the UAE have been bolstered by the return of the nation’s greatest inventive expertise — Omar Abdulrahman.
The previous Asian Participant of the Yr has been within the worldwide wilderness for over two years, crippled by recurring accidents, however on the again of a variety of spectacular shows for his new membership, Shabab Al-Ahli, particularly within the latest AFC Champions League group stage, he has returned to Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s squad.
His inclusion is an enormous enhance for an Emirati aspect who, like their opponents, have suffered from a scarcity of creativity all through this qualifying marketing campaign.
Whereas the now 30-year-old Abdulrahman stays nicely in need of full health, and is predicted to play a job off the bench reasonably than from the beginning, he’s a harmful weapon for any aspect to have of their arsenal and when he’s launched into the sport, little question will strike somewhat worry into these sporting inexperienced and gold.
3. UAE hoping new coach bounce continues
Because the final time Australia and the UAE met, Australia haven’t had a single change of coach, with Arnold remaining in cost for the reason that Emirates surprised Australia within the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.
In that point the UAE have had no fewer than 5 teaching modifications. Dutchman Bert van Marwijk was appointed, sacked, re-appointed after which sacked once more all inside the one chaotic qualifying marketing campaign.
However in former Al-Wasl and Shabab Al-Ahli supervisor Rodolfo Arruabarrena, have they lastly discovered the person with the magic formulation for this group of gamers? The pattern measurement continues to be very small, however the 1-0 win over South Korea to seal their spot on this playoff was spectacular and experiences from the UAE counsel the temper round camp is a contented one.
The query stays, nevertheless, as as to whether he has had sufficient time with the crew to actually enact any important change and whether or not they can nonetheless trip the so-called “new coach bounce.”
4. Who do Australia flip to for objectives?
Looking for an everyday and constant quantity 9 has lengthy been a difficulty Australia, ever since Mark Viduka retired after the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
Given his aerial prowess, Tim Cahill was made a makeshift centre ahead in direction of the tip of his enjoying profession with important success, however upon his retirement after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a large gap was left on the high of Australia’s assault — one that’s nonetheless but to be crammed.
Jamie Maclaren has been Australia’s most constant goal-scorer, successful three Golden Boots on the trot within the A-League Males’s competitors, and 4 of the previous six, however he has struggled to translate that glorious home type onto the worldwide area.
Adam Taggart has seemed to be Graham Arnold’s most popular possibility up high, however has endured a horror 12 months on the harm entrance, and has solely simply returned to motion for his Japanese membership, Cerezo Osaka, previously six weeks. Though in that point he has discovered the again of the online twice.
However does he have the match health to final the complete 90 minutes in such a excessive stakes match?
Arnold has put his religion within the trio of Taggart, Maclaren and Mitch Duke (together with newly capped Nick D’Agostino), who’ve been ever current all through this marketing campaign, reasonably than go for the left-field choices of Bruno Fornaroli or Jason Cummings. Will his religion be rewarded?
5. Can Ali Mabkhout discover his type?
Purpose scoring has tended to be one space the UAE had few considerations given the efficiency of Ali Mabkhout, who boasts an unbelievable document of 80 objectives from 104 worldwide matches.
However after scoring 11 objectives within the second spherical of Asian qualifiers, the Al-Jazira marksman suffered an uncharacteristic case of the yips within the third spherical, scoring simply three objectives. Possibilities he would usually bury went begging because the Emirates registered solely seven objectives all through the ten matches of the ultimate spherical of qualifying.
Given his significance to the aspect, it’s not overstating issues to say that he’s considered one of, if not a very powerful participant for Arruabarrena’s aspect on Tuesday night. In such a excessive stakes recreation, possibilities are sometimes few and much between, so after they current you could be scientific.
If Mabkhout can discover the deadly type he has proven for almost all of his profession, it is going to go a good distance in direction of serving to the Emirates make it back-to-back wins towards the Socceroos and inflict much more distress on the previous continental kings.
