Socceroos win, claim spot in 2011 Asian Cup
Source: Agencies |
March 4, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA booked a place at the 2011 Asian Cup by beating Indonesia 1-0 with a goal from Mark Milligan in their final Group B qualifier yesterday in Brisbane, Australia.
On a muggy night at the half-empty Suncorp Stadium defender Milligan got his first goal for the Socceroos three minutes before halftime although he was fortunate to score.
Milligan succeeded at the second attempt, hammering home a shot from a tight angle that was deflected off goalkeeper Markus Rihihina into the net after the defender had shouldered his first effort against the frame of the goal.
"I don't mind how it comes, it's my first goal for the national team," Milligan told ABC Radio. "I was lucky it fell nicely for me off the crossbar, it doesn't happen often."
Without most of their European-based players, Australia, who only needed a point to qualify, dominated for long spells and should have won by a more comfortable margin against their defensive-minded opponents.
The result meant Australia finished its Group B campaign with 11 points from six matches.
Meanwhile, Japan eased some of the pressure on coach Takeshi Okada with a 2-0 home win over Bahrain in its Asian Cup qualifier yesterday in Toyota.
Both teams had already booked places at next year's tournament in Qatar but victory meant Japan finished top of Group A and lifted the gloom after a poor run of results.
Striker Shinji Okazaki headed home in the 36th minute before midfielder Keisuke Honda nodded a second in injury-time for World Cup-bound Japan.
"I was never that worried about the team," Okada said. "We knew there would be no excuses tonight and we got the result we deserved."
Japan, booed off the pitch after slumping to third place at last month's four-team East Asian championship in Tokyo, finished with 15 points from six games, three clear of Bahrain.
Bahrain coach Milan Macala had no complaints.
"It's a fair result," he said.
On a muggy night at the half-empty Suncorp Stadium defender Milligan got his first goal for the Socceroos three minutes before halftime although he was fortunate to score.
Milligan succeeded at the second attempt, hammering home a shot from a tight angle that was deflected off goalkeeper Markus Rihihina into the net after the defender had shouldered his first effort against the frame of the goal.
"I don't mind how it comes, it's my first goal for the national team," Milligan told ABC Radio. "I was lucky it fell nicely for me off the crossbar, it doesn't happen often."
Without most of their European-based players, Australia, who only needed a point to qualify, dominated for long spells and should have won by a more comfortable margin against their defensive-minded opponents.
The result meant Australia finished its Group B campaign with 11 points from six matches.
Meanwhile, Japan eased some of the pressure on coach Takeshi Okada with a 2-0 home win over Bahrain in its Asian Cup qualifier yesterday in Toyota.
Both teams had already booked places at next year's tournament in Qatar but victory meant Japan finished top of Group A and lifted the gloom after a poor run of results.
Striker Shinji Okazaki headed home in the 36th minute before midfielder Keisuke Honda nodded a second in injury-time for World Cup-bound Japan.
"I was never that worried about the team," Okada said. "We knew there would be no excuses tonight and we got the result we deserved."
Japan, booed off the pitch after slumping to third place at last month's four-team East Asian championship in Tokyo, finished with 15 points from six games, three clear of Bahrain.
Bahrain coach Milan Macala had no complaints.
"It's a fair result," he said.
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