The Socceroos' elongated path to World Cup qualification takes them to a country where a constitutional crisis has compounded chronic political instability and an appalling human rights record is obscured by the inhabitants' obsession with sport.

But first they must play in Honduras.

Some Australian pundits gave the Socceroos slightly less chance of returning intact from the Central American "hot spot" than from an away leg on Pluto. Inevitably, this caught the attention of the Honduran media.

The host nation's indignity was understandable. Being called the "murder capital of the world" is quite a backhander when you're in the same qualifying group as the USA.

The Australian media's reflexive stereotyping of Honduras, light-hearted or otherwise, can be excused as part of the inevitable pre-match rituals that accompany this country's sorties into "hostile territory" (ie: anywhere you must walk more than five minutes to get your smashed avocado on toast).

Despite two successful qualification campaigns in the vast and widely varied Asian zone, this lack of worldliness — even by those football fans who scoff at the petty parochialism of the AFL and NRL — has not diminished.

Fortunately this attitude does not appear to have permeated the Socceroos, whose experiences throughout a long and winding campaign should provide more than just abundant frequent flyer miles.

The Socceroos are expecting a hostile atmosphere in San Pedro Sula. ( Reuters: Jorge Cabrera )

In Honduras the Australians are sleeping behind fortified hotel walls and enjoying police escorts to and from their training ground.

But where Shane Warne curled up on his subcontinental bed awaiting an emergency airlift of baked beans and Hawaiian pizza, there is a heartening sense the Socceroos are embracing their challenge.

You probably won't find Matt Ryan and Tommy Rogic strolling through local markets and haggling over the price of native wood carvings.

But for players forced to traverse the globe looking for club opportunities as well as perform national team duty, if it's Tuesday it must be San Pedro Sula.

"For us as players, we respect the country and the people, which is most important," Tim Cahill told reporters no doubt eager for him to label Honduras a backwater shooting gallery with the sanitary standards of a shearing shed outhouse.

"What media say is different to what players think."

Honduras will be up for the fight in front of their vocal, intimidating home crowd. ( Reuters: Fredy Omar Lopez )

If the Australians are up for the challenge of a hostile crowd, a few local mind games and the sapping heat, the home team remains something of a mystery despite their decent performances in the CONCACAF group.

The condensed scouting report is that the speedy Hondurans will either run the Socceroos ragged or kick them like hacky sacks given their reputation for 'robust play' is similar to that enjoyed by the Socceroos in Asia during their less-sophisticated days.

Only North Korea's defence has been more heavily scrutinised than Ange Postecoglou's. Will he curb his ambitious attacking instincts, park the bus and try to soak up a 90-minute bombardment as the #SackAnge campaign directors demand? Or, more likely, will he back his team to play football again?

Mile Jedinak's return should add calmness and authority to Australia's midfield. ( Reuters: Jorge Silva )

The fitness of Mile Jedinak might provide the answer. The commanding Jedinak is the key to Postecoglou's strategy because his strong presence provides cover for the defenders behind him.

But can Jedinak impose himself on a game on such limited preparation?

Then there is Cahill's sprained ankle, now more famous than the celebrity guests in the Flemington marquees. Should Cahill hobble to Australia's rescue again, the swollen joint will surely be displayed in a glass case next to Phar Lap's heart — though preferably after Russia 2018.

Sorry, this video has expired Tim Cahill injured his ankle while playing for Melbourne City on November 3.

But inevitably the Socceroos' fate could depend more on their mental than their physical strength. As the team that broke Australia's long losing streak in 2005 were acclaimed, the first to fail to get to the World Cup will be rated harshly. It is a heavy burden.

With media guns fully loaded, the players at least have a human shield. According to the common narrative there are two possible outcomes — the Socceroos will qualify for the World Cup or Postecoglou will fail to do so.

The same reporters who have written earnest columns fretting about the potential distraction created by Postecoglou's uncertain position are now distracting players with questions about this very subject. This is their job, but also a glaring contradiction.

At the same time, Postecoglou has been linked with every vacant job except co-hosting the Today Show.

But as the coach has continually insisted, all the speculation about his future and that of his players is meaningless if they don't qualify for Russia.

Fatalism has long given way to pessimism among Australian football's merchants of doom. There has been so much anxiety and second-guessing about the Socceroos: so many looking to apportion blame, condemn tactics and identify scapegoats you would think they had already been eliminated.

The unfamiliarity of Honduras has only added to this collective bout of Nervous Nellyism.

But you sense the coach and the players, at least, are embracing a daunting challenge and drawing on the experience of their long journey. That should make a wide world of difference.

There are two possible outcomes: Either the Socceroos win, or Postecoglou loses. ( AAP: Dean Lewins )

For all the news from the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier watch Offsiders with Gerard Whateley — 10:00am Sunday, ABC TV