Socceroos campaign falling apart

The 2-1 loss in Amman to a better, fitter and more organised side has put Holger Osieck's team in a precarious situation in terms of reaching the finals in Brazil.

There is not a long way to go as some would have us believe and if things do not improve dramatically and immediately Australia will not play in its third straight World Cup.

On current form the Socceroos are no better than fourth-best team in their group.

They can forget all about winning the section after Japan, without really impressing, overcame Iraq 1-0 in Saitama a few hours earlier to take a stranglehold on the group with 10 points from four games.

Next comes Jordan on four points with Australia, Iraq and Oman on two points each.

Alberto Zaccheroni's Japanese side however has played an extra game.

So basically it is going to be a four-horse race for the second automatic spot. Hardly the ideal situation with almost half of the games gone.

It does not get any easier.

Australia's next qualifier is in neutral Doha against bogey team Iraq, a side that has given the Socceroos plenty of grief since it beat them 3-1 in the AFC Asian Cup in Bangkok in 2007.

Defeat to Zico's Iraqis on 17 October would seriously jeopardise the Socceroos' chances of securing even second spot in the group and their only hope of playing in Brazil would be to finish third, then beat the third-placed team from the other Asian section and finally overcome a South American team in another playoff.

A visibly angry Osieck said immediately after the debacle in Amman that there will be changes for the match in Dubai.

No doubt there also will be calls for massive changes from all those who felt so disappointed and frustrated at watching the Socceroos being outplayed and out-manoeuvred by a side that is ranked 62 places below them.

I refuse to believe that Australia is such an inept side that struggles to put two or three passes together and fails to mount enough cohesive attacks to put a team under intense pressure.

I refuse to believe that the Socceroos went into the match with not enough determination and hunger to succeed even though it appeared to be the case in the first half.

I won't accept the notion that half the team should be given a 'thankyou' card and pensioned off simply because these are the same experienced players who have given us some great memories not so long ago.

Australia is immersed too much into its qualifying campaign to even contemplate drastic changes to its personnel and playing style.

Osieck is in trouble and it is his job to get the team out of the hole it has found itself in.

However it is also worth remembering that Australia's current crop of elite players is just about the best the country can offer on the international stage.

There were signs in the previous game against Lebanon that the team had turned the corner after a series of underwhelming losses and draws.

A 3-0 victory in Saida and particularly a positive first-half performance had us all hoping for the best.

It was not to be because the match in Amman brought up the same old problems that have been afflicting this aging side that could never handle Jordan's fast counter-attacks.

The Socceroos should have no complaints about the result and captain Lucas Neill, to his credit, acknowledged after the game that the team had got what it deserved.

Few players came out of this match with credit.

If the Socceroos fail to respond to this latest deflating debacle and rescue this World Cup campaign that is hanging by a thread, Aussie fans will have to face the reality of watching an Australia-less World Cup in less than two years.

The situation is becoming that serious.