Loan Celt Jackson Irvine is hoping to move a step closer to the Brazil Olympics when Australia face Myanman today.
After beating Hong Kong 6-0 followed by a 4-0 win over Chinese Taipai the ‘Olyroos’ face the unbeaten hosts with the winners going forward to the final qualifying stage.
Outside of the World Cup the Olympic title is the most cherished in the game for the majority of FIFA nations with the chance to play in Brazil adding further to the attraction of qualifying.
“It’s a very important game for both teams, both teams have to win,” Australian coach Aurelio Vidmar said.
“It will be a very good game. For us we’re going out with the same mentality to win the game. I said at the beginning we came here to win the tournament, to top our group and that’s what we intend to do.”
Great to start our #Rio2016 campaign 6-0 win over Hong Kong #Olyroos @Socceroos pic.twitter.com/XANV1JV6nu
— Jackson Irvine (@jirvine36) March 28, 2015
Looking back at the 4-0 win over Chinese Taipei he added: “I’m satisfied because we won and took the three points but it was a game for us in two halves.
“The first half was not the football we want to play and there were reasons for that but the second half was a lot better and a lot closer to the football we wanted to play and we scored some good goals.
“Chinese Taipei were always a very dangerous team, especially when we were going forward, on the counter attack they are very quick and had a few opportunities but that happens a lot in games anyway.
Jackson has started both games for the Olyroos and captained the u-20 side at the World Cup in 2013.
Should Australia progress the on-loan defender could be joined by Tom Rogic who made his first appearance of the season last night as Celtic’s development side beat Motherwell 2-0 at Cappielow.
Rogic played the first half of the match in driving rain with second half goals from Jamie Lindsay and Jaison McGrath giving Celtic the win.
