Australia's Brett Emerton (centre) is tackled by Jamaica's Desmond Breakenridge (left), as Archie Thompson runs in during their international friendly soccer match at Craven Cottage, London yesterday. Jamaica lost 0-5. - REUTERS
LONDON (Reuters):
AUSTRALIA PREPARED for next month's World Cup play-offs with a comprehensive 5-0 win over an experimental Jamaica team in a one-sided friendly at Craven Cottage yesterday.
Australia, in their third match under new Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, dominated the game at Fulham's ground from start to finish and could have won by an even more emphatic scoreline with better finishing.
They took the lead after two minutes with a sweetly struck 20-metre curling shot from the impressive Marco Bresciano and doubled their advantage after 28 minutes when Archie Thompson picked his spot after a defence-splitting pass from man of the match Jason Culina.
Skipper Mark Viduka added the third three minutes after the break, blasting home from seven metres after Jamaica's half-time substitute Jermaine Taylor stumbled as he tried to clear.
Viduka was replaced 10 minutes later by John Aloisi, who added Australia's fourth from close range within 60 seconds of his arrival after more woeful Jamaican defending.
Joel Griffiths, who replaced Thompson after 71 minutes, completed the rout with Australia's fifth five minutes from time, reacting first to a ball that bounced back off the post to score from close range.
Australia, who will face either Uruguay, Chile or Colombia in a two-legged play-off next month for a place in next year's World Cup finals in Germany, were vastly superior to Jamaica in every department and goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, making his 50th appearance in place of first choice Mark Schwarzer was rarely troubled.
LINE-UPS
Jamaica: 30-Shawn Sawyers; 8-Omar Daley; 14-Tyrone Marshall; 6-Robert Scarlett (19-Garfield Reid 54th); 3-Damian Stewart (17-Fabian Dawkins 61st); 25-Claude Davis; (4-Jermaine Taylor 46th); 22-Nicholy Finlayson; (24-Desmond Breakenridge 54th); 12-Jermaine Johnson; (20-Damani Ralph 51st); 11-Ricardo Gardner (captain); 10-Ricardo Fuller; (7-Jason Morrison 64th); 21-Luton Shelton.
Australia: 18-Zeljko Kalac; 2-Lucas Neill; 5-Tony Vidmar; (8-Josip Skoko 54th); 16-Michael Thwaite; 20-Luke Wilkshire; (21-Ahmad Elrich 80th); 7-Brett Emerton; (13-Vince Grella 71st); 14-Scott Chipperfield; 19-Jason Culina; 23-Marco Bresciano; (4-Tim Cahill 80th); 22-Archie Thompson; (25-Joel Griffiths 71st); 9-Mark Viduka (captain); (15-John Aloisi 58th).
