Australia will “face” Saudi Arabia-Arnold in World Cup qualifiers

Coach Graham Arnold said on Wednesday that Australia will put Saudi Arabia at a disadvantage in the first game of the key World Cup qualifier in Sydney.

Saudi Arabia is the only side with the highest score in the Asian qualifiers at this stage. After four consecutive victories, Australia leads Group B with three points. The top two teams in the group will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the third place will enter a series of playoffs.

“We know that Saudi Arabia performed well, and we also know that they played a lot of home games in that game,” Arnold told reporters before the game at Western Sydney Stadium on Thursday.

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“So I hope that our mindset tomorrow night is to face them and make sure that we are in a leading position from the beginning, and don’t give them any time to play.”

Fan support for the first time in two years

Australia lost to Japan 2-1 in Saitama in the last qualifier, losing the pairing of Tom Rogic and Aaron Mui, but will win the support of home fans for the first time in more than two years.

As the country closed its borders in early 2020 after the COVID-19 outbreak, some of Arnold’s overseas players met with their families for the first time this week. “Controlling this (emotion) is something I have been working very hard,” Arnold said.

“I believe the greatest energy that can be given to players is to meet their families.

“Knowing that their family is clearly behind them, and that they will be in the stands, this is the best energy they can have-not to come here and not be able to see them until the end of the game.”

Going home allowed Arnold to select four A-League players, including experienced winger Matthew Lecky. The home players are still in the preseason stage, but Lacky said that the adrenaline for local fans can make up for the lack of physical fitness in the game. “Sometimes no matter how your body feels, it’s more like a spiritual thing,” he said.

“We will definitely come here with full energy.”