Australia 4 - Saudi Arabia 2; Oman 2 - Thailand 0

Australia, already qualified for the next phase, played host to Saudi Arabia in a packed mid-sized stadium under a light drizzle in Melbourne. From the opening whistle, there was no questioning Australia's desire to win the match, but the Green Falcons dominated possession early. After twenty minutes of dominion over the ball, a beautiful double cut-back to his right left Salem Al Dawsari open for a long-range screamer, which he unleashed past a diving Mark Schwarzer for a 1-0 Saudi lead. Australia started to get a foothold in the match, however, and a Mark Bresciano ball led to a toe poke goal from Alex Brosque (pictured, blue) just ahead of his sliding defender to level the match at one-goal apiece. Saudi Arabia had an instant response to Brosque's goal with a stoppage time goal from Nasser Al-Shamrani that gave the Green Falcons a 2-1 lead at the break.

After the resumption of play, Australia maintained their motivation and desire to push for victory, which was surely appreciated by Oman and Thailand who were playing their match simultaneously and needed Australia to come back from their 2-1 deficit. Australia appeared to equalize again when Lucas Neill crushed a header that was too hot for Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Waleed Ali (pictured, yellow) to handle, but Neill was controversially ruled offside. Immediately following the offsides, Saudi Arabia attacked down the right flank through Mohammad Al Shaboub, who played an excellent ball across the box to Al-Shamrani. The resulting toe poke went wide of the open net vacated by the onrushing Schwarzer. The man of the match up to the point when Al-Shamrani was substituted off the pitch was Saudi right center back Osama Hawsawi, but he lost that title over a magical three-minute stretch of Aussie perfection. The introduction of Saudi striking legend Yasser Al-Qahtani counter-intuitively invigorated the Aussies. Brosque went up the left side of the pitch and slotted a ball across the box to Harry Kewell, who finished with his first touch for 2-2. Nary two minutes later, Brett Emerton came up the left flank and lofted a pass to a wide-open Brosque at the six-yard box, who then calmly flicked the header into goal for a 3-2 lead. Australia stole the resulting kickoff and got a sliding block of a clearance from Emerton that ended up in the back of the net, netting Australia two goals within a span of thirty seconds and a 4-2 lead with fifteen minutes left to play. Australia held on after a crucial Schwarzer save on Naif Hazazi, winning the match 4-2 and sending Saudi Arabia out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Of course, Australia alone could not eliminate the Saudis. Hosts Oman or visitors Thailand would have to put up a sufficient result in Muscat to do the job. A goal within ten minutes by Oman let Saudi Arabia know that only a win in Australia would suffice. Surely Oman were scoreboard watching and knew that the 2-1 Saudi halftime lead would be enough to eliminate them, but Oman kept their focus on Thailand and maintaining their clean sheet. Oman brought their 1-0 lead into the break.

The deeper the match went a 1-0, the more desperate Thailand became. With fifteen minutes to go, Oman surely knew that Australia had Saudi Arabia down 4-2, so Oman simply had to hold on to victory in order to advance. Thailand's Teeratep Winothai was ejected for a red card in the eighty-fifth minute, and Oman took advantage of their numerical superiority for a second goal in stoppage time that clinched a 2-0 victory. The win coupled with Australia's means that Oman have advanced to the AFC Fourth Round. Thailand and Saudi Arabia have been eliminated.

Australia 15 pts - IN
Oman 8 pts - IN

Saudi Arabia OUT
Thailand OUT

Goals

Australia

Alex Brosque 43,75

Harry Kewell 73

Brett Emerton 76

Saudi Arabia

Salem Al Dawsari 19

Nasser Al-Shamrani 45+2

Oman

Hussain Al Hadri 9

Abdul Aziz Mubarak 90+1

Match Reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1591539/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/02/29/2080.ap.soc.australia.saudi.arabia.2nd.ld.writethru.0470/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/02/29/2080.ap.soc.oman.thailand.1st.ld.writethru.0301/index.html

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCm413jWdp0 (Australia v. Saudi Arabia)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7NvP6yUBW0 (Oman v. Thailand)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXX0hGC0UtA (Australia v. Saudi Arabia)

Australia 1 - Thailand 0; Oman 0 - Saudi Arabia 0

Australia needed to rebound from their loss to Oman on Friday by earning at least a draw in Bangkok. A draw on the road to Thailand would be enough to see Australia through to round four of Asian qualifying with a game to spare. Thailand had to move their match from the larger national team stadium due to its use as a refugee center for those displaced by the massive flooding in the capital city. Josh Kennedy was a first-half menace, rising above the shorter Thai defense to knock two headers on frame, but goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool was up to the challenge. Thailand forward Suree Sukha blew a one-on-one six yards out from the Australian goal by firing over the bar. The half ended knotted at zero.

In the second period, Brett Emerton put in a great cross to the head of an open Brett Holman, who nodded home the eventual game-winner with a quarter hour left in the match. The 1-0 road victory gives Australia the Group D title and a spot in the AFC Fourth Round. Thailand have to hope that Saudi Arabia do not win at home to Oman later today, or else Thailand will be eliminated.

Saudi Arabia hosted Oman in Riyadh, with a win being enough to secure the home side a spot in the next phase of qualifying. Saudi Arabia thought they had done enough to grab a lead in the twenty-fifth minute, but their chance went begging off a post. The half ended in a 0-0 tie.

Saudi Arabia pushed for a win in front of their home fans, mindful that anything less would necessitate Saudi Arabia getting a positive result in Australia come Matchday Six. However, it was Oman that earned the best chance of the second period with a free kick in the seventy-fourth minute. The dipping kick was turned away, however, and the match ended 0-0. A frustrated Saudi Arabia picked up four yellow cards in the final fifteen minutes plus stoppage time. With this result, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Thailand are all still in contention for the final round of Asian qualifying come the final matchday in February.

Australia 12 pts - IN

Saudi Arabia 6 pts +1

Oman 5 pts -5

Thailand 4 pts -2

Goals

Australia

Brett Holman 76

Match Reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1542918/index.html

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/emerton-admits-socceroos-not-pretty/story-e6frf9if-1226199171976

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/11/18/socceroos-performances-need-some-perspective/

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/11/15/177380.html

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcP5isJSnHc&feature=related (Australia v. Thailand)

Oman 1 - Australia 0; Saudi Arabia 3 - Thailand 0

Australia were riding high on three consecutive victories as the paid a visit to fourth-place Oman in Muscat today. However, the form that all had been expecting from an under-performing Oman side finally manifested itself today. Australia were playing their typical high offside trap, but the speed of Oman were able to break the trap. A long through ball was latched onto by speedster Amad Ali before twenty minutes had elapsed. Mark Schwarzer, Australia's goalkeeper, was more severely tested throughout the match, and the first goal was no flash in the pan. Oman took their 1-0 lead into the locker room.

The second-half was surprisingly quiet for both teams, and Australia never came that close to scoring. Perhaps the heat was too much for them. Oman achieve a one-goal shutout victory (their first victory against Australia) and look to build upon the result with a good performance in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia had a month to stew after their near victory in Bangkok in October. The scene shifted to Riyadh, and the Saudis welcomed Thailand for Matchday Four of round three. A scorless first half meant that the two teams had faced either for three halves without conceding a single goal.

In the second half, a goalmouth was finally breached. Deservedly so, it was Saudi Arabia who ended the drought after having thoroughly outplayed Thailand for two games. A lofted pass was headed home at the near post for a 1-0 lead. A second goal came for the Saudis with ten minutes left to play after Ahmed Al Fraidi gathered a pass at the eighteen-yard box and calmly slalomed through five defenders before beating the goalkeeper from six yards out. A third goal came in the way of a penalty kick with a minute to go, and Saudi Arabia win the match 3-0.

Australia 9 pts +5

Saudi Arabia 5 pts +1

Thailand 4 pts -1

Oman 4 pts -5

Goals

Oman

Amad Ali 18

Saudi Arabia

Naif Hazazi 59

Ahmed Al Fraidi 80

Mohammed Noor 89 PK

Match Reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1541368/index.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/socceroos-suffer-shock-10-loss-to-oman-20111112-1nce6.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/socceroos-lose-1-0-to-oman-in-world-cup-asian-group-qualifier/story-e6frg7mf-1226193288515

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/sports/Passage-to-World-Cup-looks-rocky-after-debilitatin-30169798.html

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOF9loswPuw (Oman v. Australia)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CHvqAnasl4 (Saudi Arabia v. Thailand)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g873er4vrbk (Oman v. Australia)

Australia 3 - Oman 0; Thailand 0 - Saudi Arabia 0

The Socceroos of Australia welcomed last-place Oman to Sydney for Matchday Three of Round Three. Matt McKay (yellow, 17), slashed through the Oman defense seven minutes into the match and proceeded to slot a great pass across the six-yard box which was pushed home by Brett Holman. Holman and McKay again challenged for more goals later in the half, but Australia were unable to make their dominance translate into more than a 1-0 lead.

In the second period, Australia continued to push the issue. A Luke Wilshire shot was stuffed at point blank range, but Josh Kennedy (yellow, between 16 and 15) hammered home the rebound for his fourth goal in Group D play. With five minutes remaining, a Wilshire free kick completely annihilated the Oman offside trap, allowing for a beautiful volleyed goal by Mile Jedinak (yellow, 15). Australia were able to take the full three points with a resounding 3-0 victory in spite of the injury absences of Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill.

The tale in Bangkok was one of squandered chances galore. Thailand wanted to extend their two-point cushion over Saudi Arabia. To be fair, the visiting Saudis had the majority of those squandered chances and have a better claim to have deserved the victory. In the first half, Thailand fired the first warning shot, but it was a great clearance of the line by Thai defender Niweat Siriwong that saved Thailand from being down a goal in minute 33. The game remained scoreless into the half.

Both teams found decent opportunities in the second period, but no one was able to find the net until a late header appeared to put the Saudis in front. However, the attacker was whistled for a foul on the goalkeeper, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw, the second scoreless draw for Saudi Arabia in this group. Saudi Arabia are yet to score in the AFC Third Round.

Australia 9 pts +6

Thailand 4 pts +2

Saudi Arabia 2 pts -2

Oman 1 pts -6

Goals

Australia

Brett Holman 7

Joshua Kennedy 65

Mile Jedinak 85

Match Reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1525191/index.html

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/64339/australia-vs-oman/report

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g4xTaqTVdN_YiwBcNCssKlwaM5XQ?docId=CNG.b050801a800b50206e1295f28336552b.521

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6jD_l6j3g (Australia v. Oman)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXR2ap58CwQ (Thailand v. Saudi Arabia)

Australia 3 - Saudi Arabia 1; Thailand 3 - Oman 0

Thailand played host to Oman in Bangkok looking to remove themselves from the group cellar. That they did, and with conviction and style to boot. Thailand never let Oman get a footing in the match. Although Oman were wandering the pitch looking lost, it was not until but ten minutes remained in the opening half that Thailand were about the sound the alarms of panic for Oman. The strike gave the home side a 1-0 lead and lots of confidence to continue their great play, which they did to find the second goal through star striker Teerasil Dangda a mere five minutes later, allowing Thailand to take a 2-0 into the second period. It was Dangda's second goal in as many qualifiers.

Dangda continued to search for goal-scoring immortality but was denied by a post ten minutes into the second half. Thailand looked deserving of a goal third to polish off the final score, though certainly they did not expect to achieve the final score of 3-0 in the manner they did. A ball headed off frame on a Thailand attack connected with an unlucky Oman defender, ending the match in second-half stoppage time with an own goal.

Australia visited Dammam to take on Saudi Arabia in the day's final Asian qualifier. Saudi Arabia, the former superpower of Asia looking to regain its stature, hosted Australia, one of the current Asian superpowers along with Japan and South Korea. Aussie striker Josh Kennedy is making fans forget about Harry Kewell rather quickly with his play in qualifying thus far. Kennedy kicked the Socceroos into the lead five minutes before the break to spot the visitors a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Kennedy then finished his brace about ten minutes after the restart to stake Australia to a 2-0 lead. Kennedy leads Australia with three goals after two matches. Saudi Arabia's only goal came ten minutes later after a phantom foul was called in the Australian box, giving the home team an undeserved spot kick. Mark Schwarzer made the initial save, but the rebound was tucked home to cut the lead to 2-1. Later, the Socceroos were awarded a penalty kick a dozen minutes after facing one. The ball was slotted home, and Australia saw out the remainder of the game to deservedly win 3-1 and prove that they are having no worries about winning Group D. Australia ended the night as the only top seed in Asia to win on matchday two of the AFC Third Round.

Australia 6 pts +3

Thailand 3 pts +2

Saudi Arabia 1 pts -2

Oman 1 pts -3

Goals:

Thailand

Sompong Soleb 35

Teerasil Dangda 41

Rashid Al Farsi 90+1 OG

Australia

Joshua Kennedy 40, 56

Luke Wilshire 77 PK

Saudi Arabia

Nassir Al Shamrani 65

Match Reports:

http://bkkfootballblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/thailand-3-0-oman.html

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1505991/index.html

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v81ZoQ7Ye0 (Thailand v. Oman)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h7PlUDEmm4&feature=related (Australia v. Saudi Arabia)

Full Match Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM1jLX-ewJY (Thailand v. Oman)

Australia 2 - Thailand 1; Oman 0 - Saudi Arabia 0

Thailand visited Brisbane with huge incentives to perform well against Australia. A draw would bring bonuses of one million baht and a win would lead to a bonus of two million baht. The motivated Thais secured a lead through a goal at the quarter hour mark tapped in off a beautiful cross by Jakkraphan Kewprom that evaded the head of Australian captain Lucas Neill. Thailand took their 1-0 lead into the locker room.

When Australia emerged from the break, they had recaptured their mojo. A stinging shot from Matt McKay lead to a rebound quickly tapped in by Josh Kennedy (pictured, yellow). The Socceroos appeared to have taken the lead off a Tim Cahill header four minutes later, but the goal was ruled back for a foul on the goalkeeper. Australia scored the winner after their first goalscorer Josh Kennedy committed an apparent unintentional handball off a cross that led to the ball bouncing perfectly for Alex Brosque to score his first international goal and give Australia the 2-1 victory.

Oman took the game to their favored opponents at home in Muscat. Oman had at least four clear chances to score in the first half of play but failed to put Saudi Arabia behind on the scoreboard. Saudi Arabia knocked one ball of the post before the half concluded.

The second half continued to be a display of defensive integrity from both sides, with neither team breaking the deadlock. The scoreless draw means the two teams are joint second in the group with five matches to go. Oman head to Thailand in four days and Saudi Arabia host Australia in what may be the match of the day.

Goals:

Australia

Joshua Kennedy 58

Alex Brosque 86

Thailand

Teerasil Dangda 14

Match Reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1503529/index.html

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/socceroos-v-thailand-australias-opening-2014-fifa-world-cup-qualifier-at-suncorp-stadium/story-e6frf4l3-1226128374453

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Saudi-Arabia-and-Oman-play-out-scoreless-draw/articleshow/9844182.cms

http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=editorial_details&id=2067&heading=EDITORIAL

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFmLQQyh7vg (Australia v. Thailand)

Full Match Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IV5UR1Gxgc (Australia v. Thailand)