To see Uzbekistan training in the rain...

 To see the Socceroos final training session...

The Socceroos need a win of any description and for Bahrain and Qatar to draw their match in Manama and qualification for next year's tournament will be assured. Even a win for either team in the other match would mean Australia would need just one point from its final three matches to get through.

With that in mind, Pim Verbeek will be set to attack tonight, knowing a positive result will all but get the job done. Uzbekistan needs the three points, even after its emphatic 4-0 win over Qatar on Saturday night, so you can be assured that there will be plenty of goalmouth action.

Australia is yet to concede a goal in four matches this campaign, a testament to the defence and the form of custodian Mark Schwarzer. The Fulham stopper was crucial in the 0-0 draw against Japan in February, while central pairing Craig Moore and Lucas Neill were Australia's best in Yokohama. However, Australia will be without Moore this time around after the veteran suffered a hamstring injury in the recent Asian Cup qualification loss to Kuwait in Canberra.

The battle of who fills Moore's shoes is probably the most contentious. Michael Beauchamp, Chris Coyne and Jade North are probably the three contenders, with Beauchamp the most likely if he is judged fit enough. It's an important decision for Verbeek, as Lucas Neill has always struggled to perform at his best when not partnered by Moore at the back.

Verbeek may even opt for a back three, given the midfield and attacking options he has at his disposal, but that would mean leaving out one of Luke Wilkshire or Scott Chipperfield. It will be interesting to see if he does opt for the two holding midfielders as he has in the past. With no Vince Grella, he may choose to partner up fitness doubt Carl Valeri with Jason Culina, or simply leave Culina on his own at the back of midfield.

He will need to fit Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell into the midfield, unless Kewell is used as a striker with Josh Kennedy. The concern with that plan is that Verbeek is paring two players who have not played a lot of club football over the past few months, Kewell through injury and Kennedy because he is currently on the outer at Karlsruhe.

The other option is Scott McDonald, but pairing the diminutive Celtic striker with Kewell against a tall defence like Uzbekistan might not work very well. Kennedy and McDonald is the most likely, with Kewell out on the left, however Bruce Djite has been drafted into the squad and could be another option as well.

Then again, Verbeek, known for his pragmatic approach, might opt for just one striker with two attacking midfielders in Kewell and Cahill. There is a concern of Cahill's fitness heading into this game, and he may even be used off the bench, a role he performed well in the World Cup in 2006, while Bresciano is expected to be fit.

Uzbekistan is coming off an emphatic 4-0 home win over Qatar on Saturday, where Farhod Tadjiyev scored a hat-trick, all of them with his head. He arrived in Australia with a slight hamstring strain, but is likely to be fit.

The same can't be said for influential midfielder Server Djeparov, who was injured in a stern challenge in Saturday's game which saw Qatar's Bilal Mohammed sent off. He faces a major battle to be ready. Uzbekistan is also without skipper Maksim Shatskikh, who was left behind after struggling against Qatar, while full-back Islom Inomov and midfielder Ildar Magdeev also failed to make the trip. Defender Anzur Ismailo returns from suspension.

Apart from Tadjiyev, the other star player in Saturday's win, which was Uzbekistan's first in this stage of qualifying, was wing-back Jasur Hasanov, who provided plenty of attack down the left. Luke Wilkshire is likely to get the marking job on him.

One win against a 10-man Qatar team does not hide the fact that Uzbekistan's campaign has been utterly disappointing so far. Australia's win in Tashkent in September was a pivotal point for both sides as it set the tone for their campaigns.

With that in mind, and with World Cup qualification within touching distance, you'd expect this A-Grade Australia side, short Brett Emerton and Moore from its best selection, will get the job done.

Venue: ANZ Stadium
Date and Time: Wednesday April 1, 8pm

FORM GUIDE - AUSTRALIA (previous 12 months)
23-05-08 W1-0 v Ghana (Sydney) - Friendly
01-06-08 W1-0 v Iraq (Brisbane) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
07-06-08 L0-1 v Iraq (Dubai) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
14-06-08 W3-1 v Qatar (Doha) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
22-06-08 L0-1 v China (Sydney) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
19-08-08 D2-2 v South Africa (London) - Friendly
06-09-08 W2-1 v Netherlands (Eindhoven) - Friendly
10-09-08 W1-0 v Uzbekistan (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
15-10-08 W4-0 v Qatar (Brisbane) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
19-11-08 W1-0 v Bahrain (Manama) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
28-01-09 D0-0 v Indonesia (Jakarta) - Asian Cup Qualifier
11-02-09 D0-0 v Japan (Yokohama) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
05-03-09 L0-1 v Kuwait (Canberra) - Asian Cup Qualifier

FORM GUIDE - UZBEKISTAN (previous 12 months)
02-06-08 W7-3 v Singapore (Singapore) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
07-06-08 W1-0 v Singapore (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
14-06-08 W3-0 v Lebanon (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
22-06-08 L0-4 v Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 3)
20-08-08 L0-2 v Oman (Muscat) - Friendly
29-08-08 D0-0 v Korea DPR (Tashkent) - Friendly
06-09-08 L0-3 v Qatar (Doha) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
06-09-08 L0-3 v Qatar (Doha) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
10-09-08 L0-1 v Australia (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
11-10-08 L0-3 v Korea Republic (Suwon) - Friendly
15-10-08 D1-1 v Japan (Saitama) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
28-01-09 W1-0 v UAE (Sharjah) - Asian Cup Qualifier
01-02-09 D1-1 v Azerbaijan (Dubai) - Friendly
11-02-09 L0-1 v Bahrain (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)
28-03-09 W4-0 v Qatar (Tashkent) - World Cup Qualifier (Round 4)

To see Uzbekistan training in the rain...

To see the Socceroos final training session...