Join the debate with Mercury sports reporters Joel Ritchie and Michael Cox.

JOEL RITCHIE: Australia could and should play a more attacking brand of football against Japan at the MCG tonight ... ironically, because they have to.

The Socceroos have been roundly criticised during their successful World Cup qualifying campaign because style has been sacrificed for substance.

However, coach Pim Verbeek's hand will be forced by the absence of a number of first-choice regulars.

After playing with a lone striker for the majority of the campaign, Verbeek is tipped to alter his trademark 4-2-3-1 formation and couple Josh Kennedy with Scott McDonald at the sharp end of Australia's attack.

The reason? Not as a thank you to the fans or the media - which has been most scathing of Verbeek's successful tactics.

It is because he is strapped for personnel for to take on the Blue Samurai.

Harry Kewell, Scott Chipperfield, Luke Wilkshire, Mark Bresciano and Carl Valeri, along with regular defender Craig Moore and long-term absentees Mark Viduka and Brett Emerton will not be playing, while the explosive Brett Holman is likely to be rested.

That leaves McDonald and Kennedy as two regulars who are not injured or sitting on yellow cards and can slot in along with regular first teamers Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer, Jason Culina and Vince Grella and the other squad players itching for 90 minutes in the national jersey.

MICHAEL COX: Coach Pim Verbeek's brief is simple: qualify for the World Cup. The Socceroos have done this without conceding a goal.

Somehow, four years after the Socceroos' fairytale game against Uruguay, Australian's we've developed an expectation that our side is a soccer powerhouse. It seems people expect Australia to start playing like a South American side.

If Italy or France were in the same situation, would their fans be whining about a lack of flair?

How soon we forget the angst of successive qualification failures, falling at the last hurdle again and again. Let's not forget where we came from. No-one was whinging when John Aloisi's famous penalty sent us to Germany.

Australia's success in the 2006 World Cup was built on a combative attitude, fitness and great team chemistry. They played within their limitations and nearly caused a major boilover in the quarter finals. There's no bonus style points on offer in World Cup qualifiers, so let Pim do his job and let's enjoy the stress-free run to South Africa.