If the Socceroos can topple Japan on Tuesday night, that will put Graham Arnold's men firmly on the path to World Cup qualification.
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The Aussies would really have to stumble and lose form to not go on and book their spot. Japan obviously haven't been great, but if we can get a result, the Socceroos can skip away from them. We then play Saudi Arabia so in the next two games, I think we can almost go close to sealing qualification with two wins, although there's still a bit to play.
Qualifying through Asia is never easy and what matters most are the results. I wouldn't say the Socceroos have been totally dominant in each game, but they've been getting the wins and that's all that matters. At the end of the day, everyone wants World Cup qualification and that's what the team and the country get judged on. It's all about winning, that's what they've been able to do, and play some decent football.
Having said that, I think Japan will be our toughest challenge yet. Saudi Arabia beat them last game, but Saudi Arabia are decent themselves. In all fairness, Australia are yet to play Japan and Saudi Arabia who are probably the other strongest teams in the group, so the next two games will really show where we're at.
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