Socceroos seek to avoid Italian tragedy

0-0 after 1st leg.

• 0-0 after 1st leg.

Three years ago, Australia enjoyed a creditable World Cup campaign despite losing all three games in a group comprising Spain, Chile and Holland.

Of that trio, only Spain will be in Russia next year and, with Italy also failing to reach the Finals for the first time since 1958, Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou is well aware how costly failure to qualify could be.

"In terms of the game, it's always important, you want to be there when the World Cup's played, we saw with Italy missing out this morning, and you realise the impact that has," he said yesterday morning (Singapore time), after the Azzurri failed to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit and were held to a goalless draw by Sweden in the return leg at home.

Said Postecoglou: "It doesn't mean that not qualifying means that the game somehow ceases to exist, it's more about our continued growth.

"We've got to be ambitious about international football, both about wanting to qualify and wanting to do well. Those things can't happen if you don't get the job done."

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Memories of the 1997 play-offs, when Iran came from 2-0 down in the second leg in Melbourne to go through on away goals, will always haunt Australian fans but Postecoglou is confident his players will finish the job against Honduras.

"They're a dangerous team, but more important for us is that we impose ourselves on the game," he added.

"If we dictate the game, as we have done in the past, we're going to be difficult to stop."

Postecoglou said all his players were fit and suggested he was likely to bring in some fresh legs with Tim Cahill, who had an ankle injury, Robbie Kruse (knee), Mathew Leckie and Mark Milligan (both suspended) now available.

It remains unclear whether Postecoglou will take Australia to Russia even if they qualify and he again declined to confirm or deny that he would be stepping down after today's game.

There was no disguising, though, his desire for Australia's campaign to end in triumph in front of more than 70,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.

A campaign that began in Kyrgyzstan in June 2015 will come to an end today with match No. 22. The Socceroos have had to play four more games due to the two-legged play-offs against Syria and Honduras.

"The feeling within the camp is that we're ready for a big game and hopefully getting the job done," he said.

"This has been the longest qualifying campaign that any nation has played, both in terms of the amount of games and kilometres travelled, you don't want all of that to be wasted." - REUTERS

ITALY MISSES WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 60 YEARS