Holger Osieck will be looking for a better performance when the Qantas Socceroos take on Lebanon to justify his decision to stick with Australia's veteran players.
Holger Osieck will be looking for a better performance when the Qantas Socceroos take on Lebanon to justify his decision to stick with Australia's veteran players.
After Australia slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Scotland in August, Osieck forecast plenty of changes for the friendly in Lebanon and the Qantas Socceroos' upcoming World Cup qualifier away to Jordan.
But the 64-year-old German has seemingly mellowed in the weeks following that loss to Scotland and when he announced his squad last week, there were very few fresh faces.
Mark Schwarzer is set to play his 100th match for the Qantas Socceroos when Australia takes on Lebanon on Thursday (Friday morning AEST) and the 39-year-old goalkeeper will most likely be joined in the starting line-up by fellow veterans Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano and Luke Wilkshire.
The Qantas Socceroos head into their friendly match with Lebanon without a victory in four games, their worst record since 2000.
There has been plenty of criticism thrown Osieck's way for not bringing through the next generation of Qantas Socceroos, something that Football Federation of Australia named as part of his job description when he was named as head coach in August 2010.
Although Osieck has regularly selected the likes of Robbie Kruse, Matthew Spiranovic and Mitchell Langerak in his squads, there has been limited game time for the younger Socceroos.
Having registered two draws to begin the second stage of World Cup qualifying in the Asian Football Confederation, Australia desperately need a win against Jordan on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEST) and the Lebanon friendly will provide crucial preparation in the Middle Eastern heat.
Australia sit third in Group B behind Japan and Iraq with two points, although the Socceroos only trail the Iraqis on goals scored, while Jordan are bottom.
The Qantas Socceroos must finish in the top two positions in Group B to automatically qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
Lebanon, who are ranked 127th in the world, are bottom of Group A.
Osieck has already explained he will pick close to his best 11 players against Lebanon as he looks to get the Qantas Socceroos back on track prior to their qualifier away to Jordan and that means a likely line-up will see Schwarzer in goals and a back four of Neill, Sasa Ognenovski, Jade North and David Carney.
Bresciano will be expected to provide creativity in midfield, while Mile Jedinak should be given the holding role, plus Brett Holman, Luke Wilkshire and Cahill will most likely support Alex Brosque up front.
Osieck will hope his regulars get the job done against Lebanon to give themselves confidence before the Jordan game.