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After a confident 3-1 aggregate victory over Honduras, the Socceroos can now begin planning for their fourth consecutive World Cup tournament and a historic fifth appearance in the finals, booking their passage to Russia 2018 amidst jubilant celebrations in Sydney.
This tie was a first encounter for both teams. The senior national sides of Australia and Honduras had never played one another prior to the World Cup play-off duels, so those looking for expert football tips and appealing bookmaker odds to work from were hard pressed to find a clear favourite ahead of the two matches. That was backed by a 0-0 draw at San Pedro Sula in the opening leg, with neither side able to break the deadlock in a nip-and-tuck encounter on 10th November.
Fast-forward to 15th November and the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, with ninety minutes between success and failure, Australia were keen to make the most of their home advantage and determined to put a stubbornly resistant Honduras side to the sword. The hosts dominated the opening period, with former Premier League star Tim Cahill and Tommy Rogic coming desperately close to opening the scoring but, when the game reached half-time and still without goals, the nerves and tension amongst the 80,000 crowd was palpable.
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Out for the second half and Australia were keen to keep pressing forward, winning several corners in quick succession, but the breakthrough eventually came in the 54th minute with a dangerously positioned free-kick conceded by the visitors, just outside their area. Mile Jedinak struck it with all the venom he could muster but it needed the aid of a deflection off Henry Figueroa to guide the ball into the back of the net. The home fans didn't care how it had gone in, of course, the resulting own-goal had given their side the lead and moved them a step closer to Russia.
Tim Cahill almost added a swift second moments later, powering a looping header towards goal, but he was agonisingly denied by the crossbar, with the Honduras keeper beaten. Still very much in the ascendency, Australia were busying themselves looking to strike the killer blow. Honduras quite literally handed them the opportunity to do so in the 72nd minute, when defender Bryan Acosta handled inside his area. The referee was in no doubts about awarding the penalty and Jedinak doubled the lead from the spot, despite Escober almost making the save.
After a flurry of changes midway through the second half, Australia opted for a safer approach. They had a lead they could comfortably control and Honduras were creating little going forward. In the 85th minute, another penalty was awarded after Robbie Kruse was brought down with his sights on goal. Jedinak stepped up and fired in his second of the game, Escober diving in the opposite direction this time. It completed a famous brace for the bearded Aston Villa midfielder, which could have been a hat-trick of course, were it not for his first effort being registered as an own-goal on the scoreboard.
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Alberth Elis bundled in a consolation goal for Honduras four minutes into stoppage time, in what would be the last action of the game, but it was of little consequence by then. Amidst the din of noise inside the stadium and fireworks after the final whistle, the Australian players and fans were already gleefully celebrating. The Socceroos are heading to Russia 2018 and only their fifth-ever World Cup finals.
How they will fare at the World Cup tournament next summer, few can predict at this stage and much will depend on the draw. Their best-ever performance came at the 2006 World Cup in Germany where they qualified for the round of 16 and were only narrowly edged out 1-0 by eventual champions Italy. Last time out their contribution was culled at the group stage as they failed to register a point in the 'group of death' alongside Holland, Chile and shock failures Spain. It is a performance they will be desperate to improve upon.
Australia will inevitably be considered one of the underdogs (currently 250/1), especially compared to some of the more powerful favourites amongst the European and South American teams. However, with a strong mix of youthful talent and veteran experience, anything is possible, and they will be keen to give a positive account of themselves.
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