AUSTRALIA will play the winner of Oceania Group 2 in the next stage of World Cup Qualifying in June, after officially wrapping up Group 1 action today, with a comprehensive 11-0 victory over Samoa, in Coffs Harbour.
The LG Socceroos topped Group 1, unbeaten in four games, with a positive goal difference of 66, and four clean difference of 66, and four clean sheets.
Aurelio Vidmar got Australia's scoring underway today with a goal in the fifth minute, David Zdrilic adding the second midway through the first half, and Hayden Foxe finishing things up late in the first half for a 3-0 scoreline into the break.
Vidmar again got things rolling in the second half, smashing home a free kick from 25 metres out, while Tony Popovic chipped in with the first of his two six minutes later, to make it 5-0 in the 55th minute.
Two minutes later, Zdrilic posted his second, while Archie Thompson got his first for the night in the 75th minute after Scott Chipperfield slipped his way through four defenders to set up the striker in front of goal.
Chipperfield was himself rewarded a minute later to make it 8-0, while Thompson netted his second of the night in the 78th minute, after slicing through the defence and leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
A deflection from a Simon Colosimo shot brought the tally into double figures for the LG Socceroos, while Popovic wrapped proceedings up a minute from full time, hitting the post and watching the ball dribble over the line for an 11-0 final scoreline to Australia.
"It took us a little while to get going, but the second half was very pleasing, while the first half was a little flat, in the second half the boys came out and did a good job." said coach Frank Farina at the post-match media conference.
"It was difficult psychologically, but in the end, we still had a job to do, and while we weren't happy with the way we were playing in the first half, we weren't happy with the distribution and we didn't create enough chances, in the second half, I think we put that right." added captain Kevin Muscat.
While Australia's focus now turns to the Confederations Cup, to be held next month in Korea, prior to the next round of Qualifiers against the winner of Oceania Group 2, the immediate focus of all players will be returning to their respective club-sides, as seasons around the world wind down.
For Muscat, it's a return to Wolverhampton Wanderers, with a great memory of this tournament.
"I said from day one the captaincy was pleasing, we were fortunate enough to go through without conceding a goal, and for me, I'm going to look back in a few years and see what an honour it was, and hopefully I'll also look back and say I was the captain at the beginning, at the first stage of when we qualified for the World Cup." Muscat concluded.