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Palestine Starting XI (3-4-3): Rami Hamadi ©, Musa Farawi, Yaser Hamed Mayor, Michel Termanini, Mohammed Saleh, Camilo Saldaña, Islam Batran (Samer Jondi), Mohammed Rashid (Ameed Sawafta 59’ ), Amid Mahajna (Mohammed Darweesh 59’), Jonathan Cantillana (Moustafa Zeidan 66’), Omar Faraj (Oday Dabbagh 66’)
Goals: K. Yengi 5′ (Pen.), 41 , A. Taggart 26′, M. Boyle 53′, N. Irankunda 87′ (Pen.)
Cards: Ameed Mahajna 40’
HIGHLIGHTS
FULL MATCH
Recap: Makram Daboub rang in the changes in Perth using the dead rubber against one of Asia’s biggest teams as a testing ground for new ideas, new players, and shots at redemption.
Things did not get off to a good start with Yaser Hamed Mayor giving up a penalty for a foul on the onrushing Aziz Behich. It was a soft call but perhaps a correct one. Rami Hamadi guessed the right way but could not quite reach Yengi’s clinical finish.
Australia to their credit were much better in playing vertically instead of horizontally as Graham Arnold is so known for. The second and third goals that arrived before the half showed the wherewithal to attack Palestine’s left flank to good effect. Twice Martin Boyle went rampaging down the channel. Twice Camilo Saldaña was so far away he didn’t even show up in the video frame.
There was a hint of offsides in the build up to both the second and third goals. VAR was not in action for today’s match but is expected to be utilized for all the games in Round 3.
Palestine were punch drunk in the first half but showed the ability to create and play themselves out of danger. This was a game where Daboub and his charges were not going to back down and there were chances and moments but the absences were felt in the attacking third with Islam Batran and Jonathan Cantillana making more of a case for players not called into the squad.
Palestine were much improved in the second half but conceded once again from a goal that was more offside than Australia’s second and third goals. That passage of play prompted Daboub to go to the bench and there was a period when Oday Dabbagh and Moustafa Zeidan came on where the pressure ratched it up on the Socceroos who were lucky not to concede.
Palestine probably deserved at least a goal for their efforts and for the thousands of Palestinian fans in the stands in Perth. That unfortunately was not forthcoming; instead a second penalty was awarded against Yaser Hamed Mayor in the final ten minutes of the match. The call was correct but given the lack of precision exercised with Australia’s goals from open play it left a rotten taste in the mouths of players and fans alike.
What I liked: This game means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Palestine was locked into Pot 5 before kickoff started and they will remain there. It made sense to use this as a friendly of sorts and test some things. Australia is a better team than Palestine and the former can count on depth in several positions. Palestine cannot. This is not to say that Palestine is not capable of competing but take away the strongest fullback, midfielder, and the front three from Asia’s middle tier nations and they too would struggle against a Big Four nation.
Palestine suffered no injuries and no suspensions during this match which means they can start the next phase of qualification with the full slate of players
What I didn’t like: An injury crisis tested the depth of the team and that basically showed the importance of several players. Even the likes of Mahmoud Abu Warda and Odai Kharoub were missed and that’s before getting into the fact that Wessam Abou Ali, Tamer Seyam, Musab Al-Battat, and Ataa Jaber didn’t play a single minute in this game and Oday Dabbagh only came in as substitute.
The team needs to hook players that do not perform at club level. I understand that a lack of depth means Mohammed Saleh and Yaser Hamed Mayor will be everpresents but there are a dozen other names we could call instead of Islam Batran and Jonathan Cantillana.
What’s Next: Palestine will find out its opponents in Round Three on June 27th when a draw is held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur the pots are as follows:
Pot 1: Japan, Iran, Korea Republic
Pot 2: Australia, Qatar, Iraq
Pot 3: Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Jordan
Pot 4: UAE, Oman, Bahrain
Pot 5: China, PALESTINE, Kyrgyz Republic
Pot 6: Korea DPR, Indonesia, Kuwait
