AUSTRALIA 1 IRAQ 3
WELL DONE IRAQ, YOU DESERVED IT.

WHERE TO NOW FOR THIS AUSSIE TEAM AND GRAHAM ARNOLD?

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93: WHISTLE GOES. IRAQIS ARE JOYOUS, 10 MAN AUSSIES LOOK DEJECTED. FANS BOOING. IT'S A FUCKIN' NIGHTMARE.

92: Emo great cross but linesman flags for something. Keeper down again after clash with Dukes. Arnie bites his finger nails. Iraqis make a late change. Neill given a yellow for something not sure. LUCAS NEILL GETS A RED CARD!!!!

HE'S SAID SOMETHING TO REF ABOUT TIME WASTING OR SOMETHING BUT AUSSIES ENDING THIS GAME AS AN ABSOLUTE SHAMBLES.

91: Aloisi gets a shot away but it goes wide.


90: Iraq just playing keep offs. Socceroos chasing shadows. This is embarrassing. And it hurts.


89: Iraq just taking the piss. Knocking the ball around and rolling around after being tackled. Wilky in the book for a challenge. Kosmina and Arnold look like beaten men.


88: NEILL APPALLING MISTAKE AND ALMOST FOUR TO IRAQ WITH THE EXCELLENT YOUNIS MAHMOUD BLASTING OVER

IRAQ 3 AUSTRALIA 1

YET ANOTHER DEFENSIVE MISTAKE!!!

85: MISTAKE BY LUCAS NEILL AND IRAQ SCORE.

Grella continually getting stuck in. He's on a knife edge. Emo in scuffle near corner kick.

84: Archie with great chance but he butchers his control. Good move though.

82: Aussie fans look shellshocked. Roos lacking a cutting edge. We can only hope Timmy pops up... again!

80 Yellow to Iraq. Free by Neill into box. Keeper loses ball and goes down in a heap after Kewell jumped. Keeper getting treatment

78: Kewell shot low but Sabri saves. Aloisi seems to be playing deeper. Kewell to Aloisi but shoots over

76: Aussies seem to have lost their shape. Iraq look composed. Emerton into Cahill in box but flick on fails to find a gold shirt.

74: Viduka lay off doesn't find Thompson. IRAQ WITH A GREAT CHANCE FROM AKRAM. SCHWARZER BRILLIANT SAVE FROM A CHIP TO KEEP US IN THE GAME. BALL HITS BAR AND GOES OUT. AUSSIES LOOK RAGGED AT THE BACK

72: Mahmoud shot from distance. Schwarzer gathers on second opportunity.

71 Neill long throw but Akram beats Vid in air

70: Kisnorbo off and Aloisi on. All or nothing for Aussies as they go for broke with 20 to go.

68: Cahill defending well in the corner area. Iraq knocking ball around but Kewell gets ball on break but is tackled.

67: Aussies dominating. Kewell cross, out for corner. Emo gets it back but nothing comes of it and Iraq bring it away.

66: Archie and Cahill combine beautifully but the cross doesn't find an Aussie shirt

65: Emerton in space in box but it's blocked.

64: Archie on for Culina. Aussies look deflated. Cahill brought down wide left. Poor free kick and cleared.

62; Free to Aussies but foul by Viduka as ball is played in. ARCHIE THOMPSON ABOUT TO COME ON

60: IRAQ SHOULD BE THREE UP BUT AKRAM SETS UP A DEFENDER IN AMER AND HE BLASTS OVER!!

AUSTRALIA 1 IRAQ 2

58: DISASTER. AUSSIE DEFENCE PULLED APART AND A COOL FINSIH. KISNORBO CAUGHT OUT BY A WONDERFUL PASS.

57: Grella gives away ball but Aussies recover. Emo, Grella to Kewell and back to Neill. Takes it forward into Viduka then cross to Wilky for Cahill but ref blows up. Good movement.

56: Iraqi attack but Kisnorbo recovers well and it's a corner for Iraq.

55: Viduka to Kewell but Iraq win throw off Kewell

54: Kisnorbo clears up at back

53: Cahill felled but no foul given. Viduka almost clear in front of goal but Bresch ball through just too long.

52: Emp throw into Viduka and flick on almost finds Cahill. Aussies on fire.

51: Cahill fouled near the corner flag. Aussie opp to get a cross in. Emo takes it AND VIDUKA JUST WIDE WITH THE HEADER. GOOD EFFORT.

50: Neill cuts out Iraq attack and Cahill is fouled. Timmy's lifted the boys! He's getting them going. Throw to the Aussies but comes to nothing.

49 Holman was the man replaced BTW. Aussies playing with purpose now.

48 Iraqi player down, it's Salasdia. Aussies fans in great voice. Aussies pumped up.
AUSTRALIA 1 IRAQ 1
47 GOAL!!!!!! EMO CROSS AND VIDUKA LEAPS AND LOOPS OVER KEEPER!

46 Iraq on attack but cross goes out and picked up by Aussie defence.

CAHILL IS ON FOR SECOND HALF!

Joe Keenan from Melbourne Victory says

Aussieds look nervous. Got a lotta stick from game one. Difficult when you're not the underdgos and pressure is on by winning comfortably.

Iraq is quite good value

Don't understand why Viduka is lone striker up front.

On the goal they were defending quite deep and a bit of defensive confusion and keeper maybe could've dominated. Little things.

As a manager players need some action taken.

Bring in a bit of spark in attacking options for second half. Maybe a second striker.




HALF TIME AUSTRALIA 0 IRAQ 1

46: Two corners to Aussies but no joy.

45 Ball to Emo who plays to feet of Viduka but he loses it. Kisnorbo almost gives Iraq a goal when ball hits his back and Iraq almost through but Wilky clears.
44 Iraq look comfortable, Aussies look a bit lost.
43 GRELLA IN TROUBLE FOR AN OFF THE BALL. NEILL IS FURIOUS WITH IRAQI PLAYER FOR GOING DOWN. GRELLA GETS AWAY WITH IT. Iraq work ball into box and shoot but Schwarzer saves.
42 Kewell wins through. Wilky ball in but Iraq pick up ball and release a striker but he's offisde. Neill yellow card fo bringing down a player.
41 Aussies bring ball out but forced back
40 Abbas tries shot from outside box, no one closed him down.
39 Holman wide gets cross in but Viduka can't get better of defence. Aussie piling on pressure.
38 Iraqi keeper flaps and it goes out for throw on other side. Neill long throw but Iraq clear
37 Viduka to Holman and Holman shoots and it's deflected for corner
36 Kewell fouled. Free in but Iraq clear.
35 Viduka gets ball from Emerton and turns his man but shoots over
34 Neill thumping tackle on Mahdi
34 Grella gets yellow for back chat. No need for that.
33 Kewell burst through but Iraq clears ball out for throw. Frustrating for Aussies as they haven't got rythym they had in early. 32 Iraqis playing some nice football on edge of box but cleared. Holman almost through but Iraq clear the danger
31 Akram breaks up another Aussie attack but Roos get ball back.
30 Viduka through the wall and very close to scoring from free
29 Wilky's delivery doesn't find an Aussie head and Iraq clear. Another foul on Viduka just outside box central.
28 Emo on the burst plays wide to Harry who's fouled.
27 Aussies give away two fouls in a row. Iraq free in but Mark takes easy catch in goal.

26 Grella into Viduka but ball goes out.
25 Wilky free kick from 30 out. Kisnorbo gets on the end but no direction and out for gkick. Aussies fans trying to lift the boys
24 Bresch wins a free and there's a bit of a scuffle. Iraqi gets a yellow for foul. Iraqi stays down.
23 Kisnorbo cleans up Iraq attack.
22 Kewell to Bresch but Iraq clean up and break but picked up by Schwarzer
21 Aussies didn't deserve to go down but long way to go

AUSTRALIA 0 IRAQ 1
20 DISASTER!!! GOAL FOR IRAQ. FREE KICK LONG WAY OUT AND THE RUNNER NOT TRACKED AND SCHWARZER PUT OFF BY THE IRAQI AND IT BOUNCES IN
19 Kewell great cross and punched away. Kewell looking sharp.
18 Player taken off for Iraq on stretcher
17 Iraq good chance on edge of box but poor finish. Iraq player down after Grella whacked an Iraqi off the ball
16 Not enough on it to trouble big Mark. Aussies dominating possession stats. Iraqi long ball cleared and Emo wide right back to Bresch but Viduka's header from cross fails to get on target
15 Iraq on edge of box and Neill gives away foul. Chance for Iraq.
14 Aussies patient passing build up but Holman caught in possession.
13 Kisnorbo gives away foul Iraq fail to capitalise and Schwarzer collects and plays short to Neill.
12 Kewell wins foul in middle of park.
11 Culina booked for foul in middle of park
10 Socceroos looking up for it. Holman to Wilky and back to Neill. Long ball to Kewell but Iraqis clean up
9 Kewell dispossesd in Iraq half
8 Free kick just outside the box for Australia about 30yds. GREAT SHOT BY BRESCH BUT PUSHED AWAY BY SABRI IN IRAQ GOAL
7 Kewell battles in mid but loses possession. Mahmoud great shot wide and shoots and just touched over by Scharzer. Ball cleared from corner. Foul on Holman and Socceroos get back possession. Warning bell.
6 Kisnorbo plays back to Schwarzer but long clearance goes out on half way
5 Bresch releases Emo wide cross to Kewell and Iraq clears. All Australia early. Holman tries a long shot but well wide.
4 Grella battles in midfield but play breaks down
3 Kewell wide left crosses and Bresch in the box gets on the end but shoots wide. Good start. Boys look up for it.
2 Holman playing behind Viduka. Bresch right, Kewell wide out left.
1 It's 32 degrees as we kick off. Here we go. Kewell ball through and Viduka battles and it's out for a throw. Neill throw and it's cleared away.

Hey Andre, great to hear from you. Trust me, it's cold here in Sydney, too.

Aussie fans singing the national anthem with the players looking focussed. GGArmy really making noise to lift the team.

Here come the boys... Aussies in traditional green and gold, Iraq in all white. Referee is from Bahrain.

Teams about to come out onto the Rajamangala in Bangkok. Aussie fans in great voice. Let's hope Friday the 13th is not unlucky for our boys

Hello FourFourTwo fans across the country and around the world, Aidan Ormond here.

Here we are, it's Friday night and the Socceroos are just 35 minutes away from kick off. Three points is absolutely vital given the table is so close. We're good enough but can we beat the conditions and Iraq.

Weather latest: no rain in Bangkok. Yet! Warm though but a little cooler than the Oman game. A slight breeze

Latest news is that Holman comes in for Sterjovski, that's the only change to the starting line-up. Kewell expected to play on the left not in the central role.

Iraq: no changes to the Iraq side from their first game v Thailand

Stadium looks quite empty again but Aussies pouring in.

How do you feel? Let me know your thoughts about that change and how the boys should play...







To read more about Iraq's football team click here.

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