Captain Mile Jedinak led the way with a second half hat-trick yesterday, as Australia brushed aside Honduras 3-1 in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff to secure a place at next year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.
The midfielder scored from a deflected free-kick and two penalties to give Australia a comfortable aggregate victory and send the Asian champions to the finals for the fourth straight tournament.
Honduras, who had been held to a 0-0 draw in the home leg last week, had been bidding for a third successive World Cup appearance, but offered little in attack until Alberth Elis’s stoppage-time goal earned the visitors some scant consolation.
Photo: AFP
“It’s a bit hard to describe, it’s unreal,” Jedinak said in a post-match interview. “We knew it was always going to be a difficult qualifying campaign, but this makes it very, very special. It’s been a tough two-and-a-half-years to get to this point, but we did it. We’re very grateful we’re going to another World Cup.”
It was the 22nd match of Australia’s qualifying campaign and it remains to be seen if coach Ange Postecoglou will lead the squad to Russia after he was reported in local media to be contemplating stepping down.
It seemed unlikely he would make his future clear yesterday and spoil a party which got underway with a fireworks display over Sydney harbor as soon as the final whistle sounded.
As in San Pedro Sula on Friday last week, the Socceroos had the better of a forgettable first half without being able to forge a breakthrough.
Tim Cahill, who missed that match with an ankle injury, started as a lone striker, but his teammates were unable to present him with any clear-cut chances to notch up his 51st international goal.
The 37-year-old turned provider in the 37th minute when he combined with Aziz Behich on the left flank to carve out an opportunity for Tom Rogic, only for the Celtic midfielder to direct his shot straight at goalkeeper Donis Escober.
The nervous wait for an opening goal ended seven minutes into the second half when Rogic finally put together one of his trademark mazy runs and was brought down on the edge of the penalty box.
Jedinak stepped up to fire his free-kick wide of the wall and into the midriff of substitute defender Henry Figueroa, with the resulting deflection sending the ball back past the diving Escober into the net.
The second goal came in the 72nd minute when Mooy’s low cross from the left grazed the hand and foot of Bryan Acosta inside the area and Jedinak’s powerful spot kick to the left proved too strong for Escobar’s outstretched fingers.
IRELAND V DENMARK
Reuters, DUBLIN
Denmark go to next year’s World Cup with one of the world’s top 10 players in Christian Eriksen, coach Age Hareide said on Tuesday, after the Tottenham playmaker grabbed a hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Ireland.
Denmark booked their ticket to Russia in style in the second leg in Dublin, running away with a tie that was in the balance after a goalless first game in Copenhagen.
“All the teams who go to the World Cup have star players and players who can make the difference and Christian showed that today,” Hareide said. “He’s absolutely in the top 10 [players in the world]. We saw it against Real Madrid, he’s probably one of the best players in his position in Europe at the moment.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to