AAP
Socceroos striker Tim Cahill has predicted a long, hard road to Brazil after a lacklustre showing by Australia on Tuesday.
While the Socceroos were held to a 2-2 draw by 105th-ranked Oman in their crucial World Cup qualifier at ANZ Stadium, their job was made infinitely harder after Jordan posted a shock 2-1 win over group leaders Japan overnight.
The win means Jordan leapfrog the Socceroos into second spot, leaving Australia just hanging onto third and only ahead of Oman on goal difference with a monumental task ahead of them.
Only the top two sides secure automatic qualification to next year's showpiece with the third facing further playoffs.
Australia will almost certainly have to get something out of a tough trip to Japan on June 4 in their next match - with Japan also needing a result to cement their automatic qualification.
Then the Socceroos host Iraq and Jordan, and probably need to win both to be assured of a top-two berth.
Coach Holger Osieck, who admitted he may have made mistakes in his selection, has already mooted changes to the side travelling to Tokyo.
Michael Thwaite and Robert Cornthwaite were paired in the centre of defence for the first time in suspended skipper Lucas Neill's absence and it showed.
And there where gaping holes in midfield with Osieck opting for James Holland over Mark Bresciano as Mile Jedinak's holding midfield partner.
Bresciano came off the bench in the second half and made an instant impact only to suffer a knee injury shortly afterwards.
Had it not been for Cahill's 51st minute goal, Australia would have been staring down the barrel of a calamitous loss.
The goal sparked the side into action with Brett Holman saving Australia from humiliation with his 25-yard missile levelling the score in the dying minutes.
The Omanis took advantage of a slow-starting Australia, stunning them with a quick-fire goal by Abdul Aziz seven minutes in, while the Socceroos' woeful first-half performance continued after the break with Jedinak scoring an own goal.
Cahill was a one-man show at times, turning on an impressive display of dangerous headers in the second half which drew superb saves from Wigan keeper and Oman's captain Ali Al-Habsi, who also had a stellar night.
A frustrated Cahill was left disappointed the Socceroos didn't stick to their game plan.
"I said to them in training: `I'm heading the ball from 16 yards I'm not heading it from five yards into the goal' and I said to them `smother the keeper and you're going to get goals'," he said.
"It's those little things that maybe could be the difference.
"I asked for a high-tempo game. I don't want the ball thrown into the box all the time.
"I want to play football, we've got some great players.
"So we'll learn as we go along, but overall this is going to take time because there's a lot of young players and inexperience.
"I'm happy for the youngsters that they're getting the experience but it's going to be a difficult run into the campaign."
Al-Habsi said now his side have the taste of blood and they're not about to give up.
"Yes, I think we can finish higher that Australia," he said.
"If we win the next two games we have a great chance to be second.
"We know Australia have three games to go, but don't forget they have Japan in Japan which will be a hard game for them.
"So we'll push until the end."
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