Qantas Under 23's primed for the game of their lives

The last four months have been a blur for Qantas Under 23 defender Adrian Leijer, but come Saturday night at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, he along with the rest of his Australian team mates will be primed for the game of their lives.

The last four months have been a blur for Qantas Under 23 defender Adrian Leijer, but come Saturday night at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, he along with the rest of his Australian team mates will be primed for the game of their lives.

Leijer was a key player in Melbourne Victory-s Championship winning title last season and to many, it was no surprise that he was destined for a career in the big leagues of Europe, where he subsequently was signed by English Premier League side Fulham Athletic.

While yet to make his debut in the Premier League, Leijer had prime seating in Fulham-s last match before departing for Australia to play in Saturday-s key Olympic qualifying match against Iraq in Gosford. Leijer was at Liverpool-s Anfield ground, sitting on the sub-s bench and soaking up all the atmosphere and excitement of what the Premier League is all about. He didn-t get on the park, but feels his Premier League debut is not far away.

However his mind is now firmly focused on Iraq, where a win is paramount if Australia is to make it to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He is confident the squad is ready and will play the game of their lives to make it to Beijing.

“I think so,” Leijer said, when asked if the team is ready for this game. “It-s a good squad; we-ve been together now for a long time, we all know how to play the system Arnie (Graham Arnold) wants us to play, so I think we are ready and come Saturday you will see a good performance.”

It has been a difficult time for Leijer, with the enormous travel schedule he has to endure, as well as trying to fit into his new surrounds with Fulham.

“It-s a bit difficult and obviously I done a lot of traveling over the last four months and the whole Olympic campaign, but you love representing your country and it-s all worth it in the end and I hope we get the right results in these next couple of games and qualify for the Olympics.”

Leijer has been a mainstay of the defence since the latest Olympic team first came together in 2006 and throughout the qualifying series has conceded just four goals and none in the third and final qualifying round. He has no doubts that the defence of both teams on Saturday night will be a big factor again.

“It will be a big factor,” he said. “It-s been a big factor and the defence has done well right throughout the campaign. We have stuck together and hopefully, if the same back four is out there, we-ll get the job done once again.

“Vuka (Danny Vukovic) has been fantastic and we are not just defending as a back four, but as a whole unit the way Arnie has set us up. We-re doing well as a team.”

With Iraq ahead of Australia on goal difference (by three goals), the onus will be on Australia to win the match, with a draw more than likely enough to secure Iraq their place at the Olympics.

With this in mind, Iraq may perhaps sit back and play for the draw, which Leijer concedes is a distinct possibility of how it might play out.

“It will probably play out like that.

“We-ve got to win the game, whereas they can draw it, so it depends on what mind set they come out with. They might try to pack the defence, they might try to score an early goal and put us under pressure.

“Hopefully we can get an early goal and they-ll have to open up and who knows what will happen from there.”

For Adrian and his teammates, making the Olympics will be a special moment, not just in their lives, but for their careers and they no doubt would like the sports fans of the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle to get behind the team and be there with them to hopefully celebrate the occasion.

Tickets can be pre-purchased from Ticketek or from 5.00pm on match-day at the venue. Gates open at 6.00pm.