More competition, more strikers in Socceroos' search for more goals.

John Iredale now the sixth capped striker in their ranks, Mitch Duke welcomes the competition in the Socceroo striker society and anticipates more two-man frontlines to end their goalscoring drought.

After Adam Taggart and Kusini Yengi were both tapped to start up top in Australia’s 2-0 win over Lebanon on Thursday, Mitch Duke anticipates that Graham Arnold will deploy more two-man fronts to unlock the goalscoring potential of the Socceroo striker society. 

After predominantly rolling with a one-striker formation during his side’s run to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup, Arnold switched things up for the resumption of World Cup qualification, with the Portsmouth and Perth Glory hitmen tasked with breaking down the Cedars defence. 

But while the goals did arrive in Sydney’s west, they weren’t drawn from the ostensible goalscorers in the side: holding midfielder Keannu Baccus and Kye Rowles, a centre back converted to left back, sending Australia on their way to three wins from three in qualifying. Per Opta, Australia would end the contest by scoring two goals from an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.38, compared to the 0.56 of Lebanon.

It stretched the run of games in which a striker had failed to find the net for Australia’s men to six, to Duke’s strike 61 minutes into a pre-Asian Cup hitout against Bahrain back in January. The last time a Socceroo striker found the net in a competitive fixture was last November, when Duke, Jamie Maclaren, and Brandon Borrello all scored in a 7-0 thrashing of Bangladesh.

“It can be frustration. It can be confidence. It can be a bit of you know what kind of chances you're getting,” Duke told JDL Media, reflecting on the drought. “For me, probably no excuses because I had a couple of good chances in the Asian Cup and it just comes down to being ruthless and finishing those chances when they come. 

“It's just about making sure we're getting those chances as the first thing and then it's putting away, isn't it? It's up to who wants it the most, the strikers to stake their claim.”

Both in reaction to a lack of clinical edge in front of goal and a rash of injuries to his options on the attacking flanks, Arnold has loaded up on strikers for the current international window, with Yengki, Taggart, Duke, Borrello, John Iredale, and Bruno Fornaroli all called up.

After being an unused member of the squad throughout the Asian Cup, Iredale became Socceroo number 640 when he came on against Lebanon, looking lively enough to elicit calls from supporters for a greater role in Tuesday’s return fixture against Lebanon in Canberra. 

"It means the world to me, it's something I've had dreams of since I was a young boy,” Iredale said. “To achieve that at home here in Sydney, in front of family and friends is very special.

"I had my father, my grandparents, a few cousins and aunties and uncles and some of my best friends. So it means a lot to have them here."

For Duke, 33 years old and seeking to hold off competition for what has become close to an entrenched starting role under Arnold from a growing number of hungry challenges, the competition for places is a healthy thing. 

“More competition for spots is a good sign,” he said. “And it's only going to improve the standard of the team. 

“I'm ready to hold my hand up and try and take that spot back

“It's funny because we are competing for spots but with the brotherhood that we've got in our team, everyone wants to do well. Everyone wants the other one to do well. I want the other strikers to score goals. I'm really hoping that they're getting their chances. 

“You can see that Arnie really wants the strikers to score goals, we've gone with two strikers [on Thursday]. Usually, we're playing with either some sort of ten like a Connor Metcalfe or a Riley McGree up top with a striker. 

“This time he's gone out and out two strikers Kusini Yengi and Adam Taggart yesterday and I think that's gonna be a standard thing to go with. 

“So he wants us to be in the areas to score goals and it's just up to us to do the job now.”

Header Image: Aleksandar Jason/Subway Socceroos