Broadcast info
Who’s playing: Australia will hope to take one step closer towards booking their spot at the upcoming World Cup, but first they will have to take on Syria in a two-legged play-off. Should they win, they next will face the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF's fifth round in an inter-continental play-off.
What time: Thursday, October 5th at 05:00 PST/08:00 EST/12:00 GMT/13:00 BST/23:00 AEDT
Which stadium: Due to the ongoing war in Syria, the first leg will be played at the Hang Jebat Stadium. Located in Malaysia, this venue can seat up to 40.000 fans at max capacity.
Which channel:
- In the USA: WatchESPN, ESPN3 USA
- In Australia: Foxtel Now, Fox Sports 501
- In Syria: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Arabia, beIN Sports Arabia 11 HD
*View up-to-date broadcast listings
Match facts
- Syria are hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in the nation's history
- Australia have made four prior appearances (1974, 2006, 2010 and 2014)
Preview
Although Australia lost just one of their last ten matches, the Socceroos ended up finishing third behind Japan and Saudi Arabia. Only one point ultimately was the difference between the top three sides in Group B, and Australia ended up missing out as a result of goal difference. What cost them dearly was some bad showings on the road, with away draws against Thailand, Iraq and Saudi Arabia doing a lot of damage for Ange Postecoglou's side.
As for Syria, they shocked Qatar, China and Uzbekistan to finish in third behind Iran and South Korea, who earned automatic World Cup spots. Late goals played a huge part in their success, including netting in the 93rd minute of their final qualifier to snatch third place.
Even after this pair of matches, the winner will have another major hurdle to overcome. There's a huge possibility Australia could face the USMNT, who presently sit on fourth, or even Panama or Honduras, depending on how things turn out. Should Syria stage another of their shock upsets, it will be them taking on CONCACAF's fourth-best team.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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