If the Socceroos can’t beat Syria over two legs this month, they don’t deserve to qualify for the next World Cup.

Ange Postecoglou might reckon he can’t “break some new frontiers on paved roads,” but the truth is there won’t be any such new frontiers to explore unless the Socceroos see off the Syrians.

Postecoglou is as sharp-tongued as he is tactically adventurous, and he’s made it clear he couldn’t care less what his critics think about Australia’s travails to date.

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Or so he says.

But his increasingly prickly demeanour suggests the pressure is ramping up among the Australian camp, while the fact new Western Sydney Wanderers right back Josh Risdon was named in the squad to face Syria could indicate a shift away from the much-maligned three-man defence.

Yet it has never been Postecoglou’s way to abandon his plans in the face of public pressure.

And it’s not like the squad to face Syria hasn’t produced its own set of questions – not least the omission of left back Alex Gersbach.

There was a suggestion Gersbach was injured when his name was omitted from Australia’s 23-man squad, yet the young defender – who started in Australia’s most recent 2-1 win over Thailand – was an unused substitute in both the Europa League and Eliteserien for Rosenborg last week.

Perhaps Postecoglou has seen enough of the youngster to decide he’s of no use against the Syrians, but you can’t say the left side of defence hasn’t posed a problem – a point highlighted by the fact sporadically used Aziz Behich is now back in the fold.



Further forward there are questions around how the likes of Mathew Leckie and Robbie Kruse may be employed, with the pair in good goal-scoring form in the top two divisions of German football.

Tomi Juric has also been scoring his share of goals in the Swiss top flight, but the question is whether he can once again transfer his club form to the national team and contribute in the oppressive humidity of Malacca.

There’s little doubt the Malaysian weather will play a role in the first leg – though it’s not like the Socceroos haven’t played in difficult conditions before – and Postecoglou may be content with avoiding defeat in a bid to win the tie in Sydney.

And the fact Syria twice held group winners Iran to a draw in the third round of qualifying proves they’ll be anything but pushovers.

Yet the reality remains that if the Socceroos can’t see off a Syrian side ranked 75th in the world, they don’t deserve to be on the plane to Russia anyway.

Postecoglou has made it clear he’ll be stepping down after the World Cup – provided Australia reaches it – and his professional reputation will suffer a serious dent should he fail to steer his side through the playoffs.

While the Syrians can’t be discounted – and anecdotal evidence suggests at least some of their contingent are playing under duress – the real danger, in a footballing sense at least, awaits in the next playoff round.



That’s because the United States are currently lying in fourth in the CONCACAF region and looming as a blockbuster opponent in the two-legged inter-confederation playoffs.

With two games still to play in the region, it seems unthinkable a team as strong as the USA could possibly find themselves relegated to the playoffs.

But then you could have said the same thing about the Socceroos.

With Tony Popovic sensationally walking out on the Western Sydney Wanderers to take over as coach of Karabükspor in Turkey, at least one of the potential candidates to take charge after the Postecoglou era now seems out of the race.

However all of that is a long way down the line.

For now, Syria stands in the way of a place in the World Cup finals.

If it’s a hurdle the Socceroos fail to overcome, then they can hardly be considered among the best 32 teams in the world in the first place.

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