Low expectations in China put pressure on Socceroos in World Cup qualifying | John Duerden
Anything would be a bonus for Australia’s opponents in Adelaide, who are still looking for a first point in this stage of qualification
Group C of the third round of Asia’s World Cup qualification looked tricky when it was made – but for Australia, tricky is turning tough. One point from games against Bahrain and Indonesia was not part of the script, which became more dramatic with the subsequent resignation of Graham Arnold and the appointment of Tony Popovic. His first game is against China in Adelaide on Thursday – a must-win given the disastrous start and a trip to group leaders Japan five days later.
On the plus side, Popovic knows how to get results in Asia, as he demonstrated during Western Sydney Wanderers’ run to Asian Champions League glory in 2014. Perhaps the best result that season was the semi-final victory over Chinese powerhouse and title-holders Guangzhou Evergrande, back when Chinese football was making waves around the world.
