The Socceroos take on Honduras in the second leg of the intercontinental play-off and a win against the Central Americans in Sydney at ANZ Stadium tonight will secure Australia’s fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.

This week marks the anniversary when under Rasic Australia qualified for 1974 World Cup - the first time in the nation's history - after defeating South Korea 1-0.

Rasic with drawing of 74 Socceroos by late artist Tony Rafty. Photo: Steve Dimitriadis

The Socceroos hero in Hong Kong that night was Jimmy Mackay who scored a thunderbolt from outside the box. And with a similar result needed in Sydney, Rasic is certain Australia can qualify for Russia.

“I don’t think Australia will win, I know they will win,” he said,

“The home support is worth one goal. Every player in the Australian team knows that.

"The 80,000 partisan crowd at ANZ stadium will eat the lot that was in Honduras.

“When we face a final hurdle we have incredible mental advantage than Honduras. Honduras has done remarkably well to come here.

“But ANZ stadium will only be will one colour and only one song 'Aussies, Aussies, Aussies!'”  

Much discussion during the final months of Australia’s World Cup qualifying campaign has centred around the Socceroos' three at the back formation, but Rasic believes the talk has been a sideshow.

“The numbers 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 don’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s the biggest garbage in the world - that is the greatest coaching fallacy ever invented.

“You are playing 11 men against 11. You are trying on defence to outnumber the opposition’s attack and you try on attack to outnumber defenders.

“In Honduras we played with 10 men behind the ball and we had enough support to create a counter attack. A simple formula as can be.”

Rasic believes the equation to get to Russia is simple and said the Socceroos captain will be crucial.

“Ange has nothing to worry about except winning the game,” he said. “To play the way the way that he believes and stick by his principals.

“Mile Jedinak is the key and he will control the game as a captain should be controlling. We didn’t have that when he was absent. The Australian team looked fairly well and composed in Honduras.

"Jedinak is a very experienced campaigner. Every team needs that type of player who can sit there and demand respect and instruct the team which way to go he is playing well and that is big plus.”

With a number of Australia players returning from suspension and injury including Socceroos' record breaking goal scorer, Tim Cahill, Rasic believes that it’s all in the home team’s favour to make Russia 2018.

“The Socceroos have a few inspirational players like Tim Cahill whether he is on or off the field,” he said.

“I’m not sure what Ange’s plans are but they have three fresh legs in Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse and Mark Milligan. 80,000 at the stadium and 24 million Australians want the team to win and that is a massive advantage.

“Socceroo teams were always highly spirited and their desire to win is never questionable. They just have to conclude 90 minutes of football on a positive note.”

Photo Credit: Steve Dimitriadis