Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton wielded the sticks as the Socceroos handed
out another beating to Qatar to power to the top of their World Cup
qualifying group with a 4-0 win.
Cahill, making his return to
the national team after a series of injuries, tormented Qatar
mercilessly in a brilliant display while Emerton scored twice.
Cahill scored the opener on nine minutes with a sweet left-foot finish from a sweeping Socceroos move.
The
Everton midfielder then won a penalty eight minutes later after Qatar
defender Abdulla Koni was adjudged to have pushed him, allowing Emerton
to bang home from the penalty spot.
The Socceroos effectively
put the match beyond doubt just inside the hour, when Emerton netted
his second after great lead-up work from Scott McDonald and Josh
Kennedy, whose aerial prowess troubled the Qataris all night.
Kennedy
then completed a miserable night for Qatar as he grabbed Australia’s
fourth with 14 minutes remaining, leaping to meet a Luke Wilkshire
cross and head home.
It was Australia’s third win over Qatar in
World Cup qualifying – the Socceroos posting 3-0 and 3-1 wins in the
previous qualification stage and proving far too polished and poised
once more tonight.
The Socceroos now have a perfect two-from-two
record in this stage to lead Group A – tonight’s win following an
impressive away victory in Uzbekistan last month.
The top two teams in Group A earn direct qualification to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
The
kick-off for tonight’s match was delayed by half an hour because of
wild thunderstorms and torrential rain which flooded parts of the pitch.
But the field dried up remarkably well considering the amount of rain that fell.
Craig
Moore made his comeback from a short-lived retirement alongside Lucas
Neill in central defence, and the pair combined brilliantly to lock up
Qatar’s main attacking threat Sebastian Soria Quintana.
