Socceroos (l-r) Tom Rogic, Archie Thompson and Robbie Kruse after the match. Source: AFP
SO much for the game Holger Osieck said Australia had to win.
No future fixture in this campaign can be labelled that with real confidence if Osieck can't affect substantial improvement on this listless, disjointed and nervous display.
A point was scarcely deserved, though at least the late strike from Brett Holman that earned it showed the Socceroos remain indefatigable if nothing else.
But from the moment when Abdul Aziz pierced the new-look rearguard in just the sixth minute, Osieck's best-laid plans unravelled."Those are the great imponderables of football," Osieck said when asked about why his eight-day camp had come to so little fruition. "You can work on stuff, you can try everything, but to transfer it always (to the pitch) is another issue."
But once the laughter at the quip had died down, the question still remained of what he as head coach thought of his charges.
Socceroos midfielder Tim Cahill challenges for the ball. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph
"There was no penetration, no quick ball through the centre," he said. "We lost so many easy balls in the first half which is down to concentration and focus."
Certainly of all the scripts Osieck had leafed through in the lengthy build-up, none had such a twist of an opening. Much thought had been given to the desirability of an early goal, but not from the visitors.
If it was neat in construction and superbly taken, the ease with which Michael Thwaite was bypassed by a hopeful pass sent a collective shiver around the stadium. Osieck asked for understanding from those passing judgment on Thwaite and Michael Cornthwaite, a defensive pairing he admitted "needs more time".
But the same impediment was true across the pitch. The overlooked side effect of bringing through new faces is their lack of familiarity with each other, devoid of the natural understanding that the previous core of players had developed over years.
Luke Wilkshire and Robbie Kruse down Australia's right should be a potent combination but instead time and again the pass went short while its target went long, or vice versa.
Australia's Robbie Kruse puts pressure on the Omani defence. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph
From Osieck there was a mix of anger and despair, with Oman's urbane coach Paul Le Guen gesturing that the German should calm himself.
There was little prospect of that though, when Osieck's team were conspiring so wilfully in their own demise. It was bad enough to see the acres of space that Raed Saleh could saunter into at the start of the second half, but much worse to watch Mile Jedinak stick out a foot and deflect home an own goal from Saleh's cross.
What kept Australia even faintly alive was the speed with which they responded, through Cahill at last getting service he could attack with a proper header.
"When you are 2-0 up you hope for more, you dream," said Le Guen.
"But Cahill is one of the best players in the world in the air, he has a great jump and moreover he is a great guy. We found it hard to defend against him in the second half."
That was true, as the Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi fought a memorable duel with Cahill, repelling almost all of his second-half headers. But even Al-Habsi was powerless to stop Brett Holman's wickedly swerving late drive, a goal that applied CPR to Australia's World Cup dreams.
Pending the result of Jordan's game with Japan overnight, two wins from the two remaining home games should be enough to secure second spot and a place in Brazil. But even a team so wedded to doing things the hard way won't want to dance with danger any closer to the edge.
Australia 2 (Tim Cahill 52, Brett Holman 85) Oman 2 (Abdul Aziz Mubarak 6, Mile Jedinak 49 og) at ANZ Stadium. Crowd: 34,603 Referee: Ravshan Irmatov
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