Defender Harry Souttar believes Australia’s recent experience playing in hot conditions will help Graham Arnold’s team overcome any weather problems they face throughout their attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
The Socceroos travel to Hanoi to take on Vietnam on Tuesday evening in their second Group B game in the final round of Asian preliminaries for next year’s World Cup, having notched up a 3-0 win over China in Doha on Thursday.
That win came off the back of a run of four victories in stifling heat and humidity in Kuwait during June that swept the Australians into this phase of the competition and one step closer to a fifth consecutive World Cup appearance.
“It was a positive start considering that we only had two training sessions together in Qatar,” Souttar told The Age of his side’s comfortable win over the Chinese.
Positive outlook
“We have played in very hot conditions in Kuwait, so we won’t make conditions an excuse.
“We will do our due diligence on Vietnam and see their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s mostly about us and what threat we carry to them.”
The Australians have won nine World Cup qualifiers in a row and take on a Vietnam side that led against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Thursday before Do Duy Manh’s red card swung the game in favour of the hosts, who went on to notch up a 3-1 victory.
Vietnam, one of the rising nations in Asian football, are making their first appearance at this stage of World Cup qualifying. Souttar expressed confidence the Australians have the creative talent to pick up yet another win on the road to Qatar.
Midfielders Ajdin Hrustic, Aaron Mooy, Tommy Rogic and Jackson Irvine “have got such good quality on the ball it makes my job easier,” he said. “Just give them the ball and don’t complicate it as such.”
