OFC News

Australia won the second of two Oceania Nations Cup matches tonight at Stadium Australia in Sydney. This is the fourth time Australia has won the Oceania Nations Cup after beating the Solomons Islands 6-0.

Australia won the tie 11-1 on aggregate and have now qualified for the Confederations Cup in Germany next year.

Results, stats and Full Match Summary (courtesy of Soccer Australia) are available on the Nations Cup website. Click on the logo opposite to view.

Kewell (pictured right), despite a niggling groin injury, came in for Korean-based striker Ahmad Elrich, and Olympic team vice-captain Luke Wilkshire replaced the injured Vince Grella, who copped a knock to his calf in Game One.

The Qantas Socceroos have one hand on the OFC Nations Cup trophy and a Confederations Cup berth, having defeated the Solomon Islands 5-1 in relentless heat in Honiara this afternoon.

Genclerbirligi midfielder Josip Skoko got the ball rolling for Australia in the fifth minute, before doubling his tally twenty minutes later between goals from Ante Milicic and Brett Emerton (pictured).

Solomon Islands captain Batram Suri pulled one back for the home side in the 59th minute, sending 500,000 Solomon Islanders into delirium.

Emerging international Ahmad Elrich restored Australia's four-goal cushion late in the second half with a goal that sealed the Solomons biggest ever home defeat - just their fourth in Honiara in 16 years.

Ultimately, it was the Socceroos polished and professional first half

display that deflated an evidently enthused Solomon Islands line up, who are faced with a monumental mountain to climb should they wish to claim their first OFC Nations Cup.

Late in the second half, Farina handed Under 23's Luke Wilkshire and Jon McKain their first senior international caps, as his side toiled under the inexorable conditions that far in excess of 30 degrees in the Solomons capital.

Farina is expected to make several changes to his starting eleven for the return leg in Sydney on Tuesday, with goal scoring options John Aloisi and Harry Kewell in strong contention for selection following treatment on their respective calf and hamstring injuries.

Full match summary - courtesy of the Australian Soccer Association

Australia vs Solomon Islands - Honiara 9/10/2004

3' Emerton gets down the flank, cross blocked out for the first corner of the game. Ball cleared at near post

The crowd is going absolutely ballistic everytime the Solomons touch the ball in these early stages.

5' Goal to Skoko - after moving the ball around, Skoko meets a cross from Emerton, who is looking dangerous, to slam home from edge of box.

7' Menapi tries a shot from 20 yards and Schwarzer saves easily.

10' Solomons wins its first corner, but comes to nothing.

18' Goal to 22 Ante Molicic

28' Goal to Skoko - Milicic great cutback for Skoko, who scores from close range. Well worked goal with Emerton again involved in the lead up with Milicic.

Solomons struggling in the final third as Australia's defensive unit holds tight.

31' Emerton again, cross to Elrich who heads back across goal to Skoko, but with back to goal the Solomons are able to clear.

32' Solomons go on the attack immediately, but cross to cleared by Australia.

33' Menapi tries a shot from 25 yards, but shot goes wide.

35' Emerton brings down Alick Maemae and crowd focal for a yellow card. From free kick, the ball goes through Schwarzer's hands and almost goes into the goal but Neill clears off the line.

36' Corner to Solomons and Schwarzer again fumbles the cross and luckily again he has the defenders that are able to clear.

40' Grella YC for challenge on Maemae

41' Batrum Suri puts free kick from just outside the penalty area over the bar

42' Jack Samani splits the Aussie defence and Menapi is just an inch away from getting a touch that would have pulled a goal back for the home side.

43' Goal to Emerton - Elrich gets down the left and crosses to back post where he finds Emerton, who makes no mistake for a deserved goal.

2.08pm - The second half has kicked off.

Half time - Australia 4-0

51' Skoko hurt again and forced to the sideline for treatment.

60' Goal to Batrum Suri - ball goes down the flank and crossed to about the penalty spot and Suri hits it home.

60' Australian substitutions - Brett Emerton and Vince Grella off - Luke Wilkshire (debut) and Mile Sterjovski on

Australia really feeling the effects of the heat as the Solomons put the Aussie defence under some pressure.

70' Colosimo tries his luck from 25 yards and goes just wide.

71' Neill and Schwarzer misunderstanding at the back, but Suri shoots across face of goal - inches away.

71' Vidmar YC, although not quite sure what for.

71' Australian substitution - Neill off - McKain (debut) on

79' Goal to Elrich - long through ball to Elrich and he makes no mistake with his one-on-one opportunity.

81' Elrich goes close again but keeper cuts it out.

81' quick counter and Suri turns Popovic inside out and shoots at goal but is denied by a fine save from Schwarzer.

Australia just trying to keep possession with the game out of reach for the Solomons with a little under five minutes to go.

Full time - Australia 5-1

The second leg of the two-match tie will be played in Sydney on Tuesday, with the overall winner progressing to the Confederations Cup finals in Germany next year.

HONIARA, 8 Oct: A small crowd was at the Henderson's Honiara International airport last night to see the arrival of the Qantas Socceroo.

The Air Vanuatu flight from Brisbane was supposed to have arrived just before 10pm (local time) the flight was delayed.

Missing from the team that arrived were Australia's top striker Harry Kewell and his partner John Aloisi who are both carrying injuries.

Their ommission from the Socceroo lineup came as good news for local soccer supporters who were expecting Australia's bext to face the Solomon Islands.

Socceroo coach Frank Farina yesdterday confirmed that Kewell and Aloisi will not travel to Honiara for the first match of the two-legged OFC Nations Cup play-off with the Solomon Islands.

Both players have been unable to train with the rest of the Qantas Socceroos squad since arriving in Australia and Farina in consultation with his medical staff this morning, believe they will be better served staying in Sydney and receiving treatment, in order to maximize their chances of playing in Sydney next Tuesday.

"Both John and Harry will not travel to Honiara," Farina said from Brisbane.

"If we have got any hope of getting them on the park for Tuesday, it's just no use in them traveling for 3 and a half hours, spending 36 hours there and then another 3 and a half hours back to Australia. We are sending them directly to Sydney where we'll organize treatment for them there with Bill Collins, who has been with us before as a physio.

"Both were keen to go, but at the end of the day a decision had to be made, I have made it and we have to move on."

While Kewell's groin injury has been a problem for some time and he has managed to play around it, Aloisi's calf injury was of a bigger concern and the extent of the injury was only realized on the flight back to Australia.

"John got a knock on the weekend on his calf and he arrived here on Tuesday night and his actual calf was the size of his quad. I don't know what happened, but it was obviously due to the trip and he has been unable to train. It has gone down a little bit today, but not that much and if we had to get on a plane again now and travel, it would have been bad from our point of view to even try and he wouldn't have got on the park on Saturday and obviously would not have got on the park on Tuesday."

Asked what chance he thought they had of playing on Tuesday, Farina was cautious by optimistic they would be right.

"I'm not a doctor and I'm not a physio, but from all reports they have got a very, very good chance."

The loss of Kewell and Aloisi for the trip to Honiara has robbed Farina of two players that were likely to lead the attack, although he believes he has got the backup to cover for them.

"We have still got plenty of options there, the likes of Ante Milicic, we've got Archie Thompson, we've got Brett Emerton, Ahmad Elrich, Mile Sterjovski and Max Vieri, so we are not short on players to come in. Obviously the decision will be made once we arrive in Honiara tomorrow. We'll have a training session tomorrow, but in terms of up front I think we've got plenty of options there."

With so many players dropping out initially and now with Aloisi and Kewell for the first game, Farina was asked if he was having bad feelings about this game.

"Not really," he answered. "I am still positive and confident in the players we have here and that are available and fit and are very keen to do well. My biggest concern at the moment is obviously the (weather) conditions we will face once we get into Honiara."

In terms of some of the other logistical problems they might face in the Solomons, Farina said they were ready.

"We had Ange Postecoglou go over there whilst we were at the Olympic Games and did some reconnaissance for both the hotels, the pitch, the dressing rooms. As you say they are not up to some of the stadiums we have in Australia, but we are fully prepared and ready and know what we are going into. We've done our homework there and I won't be any surprises."

The first leg match is on Saturday 9th October in Honiara, with kick-off at 2.00pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time). The Oceania football website will be doing a Live Match Update of the game from 2.00pm, with full updates every ten minutes.

Courtesy of Francis Pituvaka, Media Officer Solomon Islands Football Federation