FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17 2017 SPORT 41 Future of Ange now NEW WORLD under the ORDER spotlight THE DRAW BEN McKAY Saturday, December 2, Moscow. AS ANZ Stadium ground staff work to clear their field of glit- HOW IT WORKS ter, the Socceroos are wonder- • 32 nations go into four pots of ing whether the party’s also eight. over for , • One team is chosen from each whose future now comes into pot to form Groups A to H. sharp focus. Could it be that the Asian • Seven top-ranked teams plus Cup winner and first Austra- host Russia in pot one, with the lian coach to successfully con- next eight-ranked teams in pot quer World Cup qualification – two and so on a marathon 22-match effort at • is one of the lower- that – could walk away from ranked sides so will be in pot four the chance to test his team POT 1: (1), Brazil (2), against the best in Russia? Portugal (3), Argentina (4), FFA has declined to com- Belgium (5), Poland (6), France (7), ment on Postecoglou’s future, Russia (65). suggesting it was too soon to POT 2: Spain (8), Peru (10), know whether he would stay or Switzerland (11), (12), go. Colombia (13), Mexico (16), Postecoglou is contracted Uruguay (17), Croatia (18). for the World Cup tournament but has increasingly appeared POT 3: Denmark (19), Iceland frustrated in his position. (21), Costa Rica (22), Sweden (25), He’s lashed out at critics Tunisia (28), Egypt (30), Senegal and those seen as not offering (32), Iran (34). full support to his team. POT 4: Serbia (38), Nigeria After Wednesday’s win, he (41), Australia (43), Japan (44), turned in a typically enigmatic Morocco (48), Panama (49), South performance during his media Korea (62), (63). engagements, saying he felt Note: FIFA ranking in October in brackets like an “outsider”. “I’ve been coaching for 20 years. I won my first cham- pionship when I was 31 years Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull taking a selfie with Socceroos captain yesterday during World Cup celebrations in Martin Place, Picture: DAVID MOIR old. And you know what? I could coach for another 20 years and I’ll always be an out- sider in Australian ,” he said. “That’s fine. I wear that as a badge of honour. I’ve had a hell Quiet achiever is now of a lot of support from players, coaches and the general sport- ing public. “That’s all I need. The peo- ple that don’t get me, they’ll embraced by Aussies never get me.” Peru beats NZ MATT WINDLEY and Turnbull said in front of All around Australia yester- of driving back and forth be- cumbed to a nagging groin in- TOM SMITHIES thousands of fans at a cele- day, Jedinak was the man on tween Western Sydney and jury in June and had surgery for WC berth bration event in Sydney’s Mar- everyone’s lips. But there’s a Gosford in the hope of secur- after Australia’s World Cup WHEN then prime minister tin Place. chance Gen Y types will have ing a deal. qualifier against Saudi Arabia. JEFFERSON Farfan and Tony Abbott posted a video on Jedinak’s a quiet achiever. those lips covered in coming “This probably means more Between then and October Christian Ramos scored as YouTube wishing Australia That could be seen in his months in an attempt to repli- than I can describe,” Jedinak 28 he only managed 45 min- Peru defeated New Zealand to luck for their 2014 World Cup “celebration” for the first goal cate the “People’s Beard”. said when asked what World utes for Aston Villa, in Septem- reach the World Cup for the match against Chile, he re- on Wednesday night, which If his Wikipedia page was to Cup qualification meant to ber. But two substitute first time since 1982 yesterday, ferred to the Socceroos’ cap- evoked memories of Mark be believed at various stages on him. “It’s probably right up appearances for the English sealing the last ticket to Russia tain as “Mike” Jedinak. Bresciano against Uruguay at Wednesday night and yester- there (as a career-best mo- Championship prior to the with a 2-0 win. Yesterday there was no mis- the same ground in 2005 when day morning, Jedinak was fav- ment). With all things consid- Honduras games gave coach The win gives “Los Incas” taking Mile Jedinak’s name as he posed as a statue for his ourite to win the Ballon d’Or ered, definitely. Ange Postecoglou enough their fifth overall World Cup current PM Malcolm Turnbull teammates to climb aboard. for world’s best player and also “I’m a bit lost for words on confidence to pick him. finals appearance and the first celebrated the skipper’s three It was symbolic because for a “God among men”. how I am feeling but I am im- The 33-year-old didn’t let in 35 years. goals against Honduras the the two legs of this successful Not bad for a bloke whose mensely proud of everybody him down. And that has almost The second-leg match at night before that catapulted playoff, Jedinak shouldered a professional career had the and what we’ve done tonight.” always been the case in a glit- Lima’s Estadio Nacional was Australia into a fourth success- huge burden in putting his most humble beginnings as an Eventually the aches and tering career in which he has the decider after New Zealand ive World Cup. body through the ringer and injury replacement at the Cen- pains will hit but for now played in Turkey, captained and Peru played to a 0-0 draw “Mile Jedinak, three goals, leading from the front when tral Coast Mariners in 2007, euphoria is Jedinak’s main Crystal Palace and is now play- in the first leg of their Oceania- that’s the captain’s knock,” his country needed him most. which he secured after months emotion. He eventually suc- ing for Villa. South America playoff. Matildas to take on China Italian coach’s tenure ends Roar plotting turnaround

EXPERIENCED Matildas up from the squad that beat VETERAN Gian Piero Ventu- coach had been “removed from knows how fallah and Mitch Oxborrow in strikers and Mi- Brazil twice in September, with ra is no longer coach of Italy’s his post”. Italy was held to a 0-0 quickly the A-League ladder line to return from injury for chelle Heyman have earned both wins coming in front of national team, the Italian draw at home by Sweden in the can change and is confident his the Suncorp Stadium clash, international call-ups ahead of bumper crowds. Football Federation (FIGC) second leg of their playoff in winless Brisbane Roar can Aloisi expects Brisbane’s for- next week’s two-match series Simon, Heyman, fellow at- has confirmed, two days after Milan on Tuesday, losing 1-0 on start making a move tonight tunes are about to improve. against China in tacker , un- the side failed to qualify for the aggregate, and will miss the fi- against Melbourne City. “Everyone knows it’s not and Geelong. capped goalkeeper Eliza 2018 World Cup. nals for the first time since 1958. Neutrals have already writ- the start we wanted (but) we Coach has Campbell and defender Amy It was not clear from the Many Italian newspapers ten them off as a finals threat still know we can turn it named a 21-player squad, with Harrison have been added to FIGC’s statement if Ventura also called for the resignation but Aloisi believes they’ve around,” he said. all bar two players – Caitlin the mix. had been sacked or had re- of FIGC president Carlo Tav- turned a corner after drawing City beat the Roar 2-0 at Foord and Elise Kellond- Dropping out are Caitlin signed, but the president of the ecchio following the World their past three matches – in- AAMI Park in the opening Knight – playing in the W- Cooper, , Emily referees’ association, Marcello Cup fiasco but in their state- cluding a 1-1 comeback away to round and Aloisi said they’d League. Gielnik, Georgia Yeoman- Nicchi, said after an FIGC ment the soccer federation Melbourne Victory last week. become a more solid outfit There are five changes all Dale and Gema Simon. meeting in Rome that the said he had declined to quit. And with Fahid Ben Khal- under coach Warren Joyce.

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