Backs to the wall for Bahrain against Aussies

Bahrain will find themselves up against the odds when they take on Australia on Wednesday in a key Asia Zone Group One qualifying clash for a berth in the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.

The Gulf side will not only start as underdogs against the group leaders but also, as coach Milan Macala put it on the eve of the match, with the unenviable task of going for full points with a under-strength team.

With just one point from two matches, Bahrain face a desperate situation and nothing short of a victory can redeem their campaign for a maiden appearance in the showpiece event.

Australia, on the other hand, are in command in this group with six points from two matches. Japan are in second position with four points from two matches and ahead of Qatar, who are also on four points but from three matches.

Bahrain and Uzbekistan have a point each with the former fourth in the table by virtue of having a match in hand.

Bahrain's main problem will be finding the replacements for four key players – midfielders Mohammed Salmeen, Abdulla Omar and Mahmood Jalal and defender Abdulla Al Marzooqi – who will be missing this match due to suspensions.

To compound matters replacement defender Rashid Al Allan was ruled out after he twisted his ankle during a practice session on Monday night.

The Aussies have their own share of problems too but coach Pim Verbeek is certainly in a far more positive frame of mind as the timely returns of former Liverpool veteran Harry Kewell and Mark Bresciano, another midfielder who plays for Palermo, have strengthened the team.

Kewell and Bresciano, believes Verbeek will balance the side and restore the strength on the left side due to the absence of Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella and Brett Emerton through injuries.

Australia will also miss the services of another veteran defender Craig Moore who last week underwent surgery for testicular cancer.

But Verbeek is more than happy with the players available and the purple patch the team has struck with the 4-0 rout of Qatar in its last match.

History also favours the Aussies who will be returning to the land where they made their Asian debut in 2006.

It was the 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers and the debutants rallied to score a convincing 3-1 victory. They followed it up with a 2-0 win in the return-leg at home.

The weather too will favour the team from Down Under with the heat of the desert summer having petered off and winter just about setting in. Temperatures have dropped considerably and with it the humidity.

But even that could not help Bahrain's Czech coach Macala who fretted and fumed as his team had its first full-strength training session on Monday night.

The 63-year-old conceded the Aussies would be the favourites and did not mince words when talking about his team's dilemma.

“We have to get all three points and we will go for it any cost. One point will be meaningless,” said Macala with brutal honesty.

The two group winners and runners-up in these Asian qualifiers will claim automatic berths for the 2010 World Cup while the third-placed teams will play each other home-and-away with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-off with New Zealand.