Australia 3, Qatar 0.

That was the score I opened up in a small internet cafe in Osu, Ghana first thing this morning after scrambling out of my hotel.

I was hoping to listen to the game over the internet via a web stream but problems at the hotel forced me out onto the streets of Ghana to try and find an alternative.

And an alternative proved to be hitting refresh for the best part of an hour as I sat in front of a live scorecard of the game on a connection so slow the internet was probably faster when it was invented.

But the visually uninspiring method of "watching" Australia's first World Cup qualifier in the Asian zone took nothing away from the result.

Pim Verbeek has won over the doubters, however I can lay claim to being on his bandwagon from the start.

That Facebook group has almost tripled in size since the end of the game may I add.

While the quality of internet in Ghana is restricting me from finding a way to watch the goals, you can view them in the video section of the FoxSports website.

I'm reliably informed from friends who went to the match that Australia's aerial superiority made the difference, while the scribes covering the match have made it sound like we dominated on the deck as well.

Verbeek's head is firmly on his shoulders however, and with China away next month there will be hopes that our emphatic win away to the world's biggest nation last year can be repeated.

For now, it's time to enjoy a brilliant start from the Australians. The game I was most nervous about before coming to Ghana has been successfully negated.

We must move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.

For those of you unfamiliar with that line, it was delivered by an alien in an episode of "The Simpsons". It's more relevant than you may think, because a foreigner is what Australia now needs in order to qualify for the world cup.

Last night's defeat to Japan on penalties will be remembered as "heartbreak" by some, and more than we deserved by others. Despite a bright opening couple of minutes Japan had the better structure and created all the better chances. Once the Aussies were down to 10 men the only option was to play for spot-kicks.

Some will argue that not winning the Asian cup at the first time of asking is a good thing as it won't upset our new hosts. However too many weaknesses have been exposed for any Australian fan to be happy about how the campaign went. A new manager is what we need Mr. Lowy, please deliver with time to prepare for our first world cup qualifier in the zone.

He may be the target of a lot of abuse from Melbourne Victory fans but there's no doubt that Australia sits in a quarter-final showdown with Japan at the Asian Cup thanks to Mark Milligan.

Milligan's textbook tackle with the Aussies holding a shaky 1-0 lead against Thailand last night saved the day after Schwarzer fumbled a long-shot into open space in the box. That moment highlighted the lift in defensive effort that earned Australia its first clean sheet of the tournament - the three goals scored in the final moments of the game just cosmetic improvement of the statistics.

The question now for Australia is what to do with Lucas Neill. Neill is having a mediocre tournament, while Beauchamp and Milligan both performed admirably last night. Japan are in hot form and the underdog tag will suit Australia, perhaps it will suit Neill as well.

Up front there are problems too, mainly because Sterjovski finds himself back in the frame without having even taken the pitch last night. Aloisi dogged it and picked up a stupid yellow card, while Brett Holman offered up the miss of the tournament. It doesn't bode well when the best alternative is to play Kewell as a floating man behind Viduka rather than a second striker.

And my excuse for not fronting up for a comment after the Iraq game? A severe hangover. Much like the rest of the football supporting population of Australia.

Actually no need, someone has already taken up the challenge.

 http://www.sackarnold.com/

Australia 1 - 1 Oman

Credit to the Omanis for creating the better chances and holding Australia out for the time they did, but Australia should have done better. So far this tournament is throwing up some unexpected results, both hosts to have played are unbeaten, and the other big teams will have to watch their guard in their respective openers.

Did Australia take Oman lightly? Hard to know, maybe the talent just isn't there when Kisnorbo is playing in the backline and Wilkshire is taking the corners. The psyche would have been interesting to read, best mate "Arnie" in the rooms probably not giving the team too hard a time about trailing at the break.

As a stand-alone result a draw with Oman is unacceptable, especially one which requires a last minute equaliser. Maybe in the context of a full tournament it can be easily forgotten. Arnie's time in the top job is up, will he turn the team's defending and performances around? I doubt it. The players have to take responsibility against Iraq. The side might look a bit different to the one that was eliminated from the 2004 Olympics but after a shaky opening nothing can be taken for granted.

Something different to the previews out there, because there are lots of them.

1. Win the thing

Obvious really.

2. Beat Iran

Tempted to put this at number one, but at the end of the day winning the cup is more important than settling this old rivarly. There will be plenty of chances in world cup qualifying to avenge 1998. Nothing will erase the hurt, but let's face it, had Australia qualified for France then the NSL would probably still be alive and none of the nation's domestic football overhaul would have happened.

How do we want to beat Iran? Nothing cruel, a straight up and down beating would be nice. No Iranians out injured or sent off,  just their best team, and our team beating them.

3. Defend

Where the hell is Spiranovic? For some reason he's been cut loose to go and do pre-season with Nurnburg. Beauchamp is a stop-gap solution, and while he's always done the right thing by the national team, he isn't the long-term answer at centre back. I'll make the call now - every goal Australia concedes at this championship will be "soft". It's just a matter of concentration and limitation.

4. Arnie back to number two

From day one I've said that if Australia is going to hit a hurdle qualifying for 2010, it's going to be in the first stage. Four teams in a group, only top spot goes on to the next stage. Maybe the AFC will change the qualifying format but at this stage there's nothing to suggest they will.

Names have been thrown around for Arnie's replacement; Van Gaal, Advocaat, Hiddink - at this stage either of the latter two would be preferable. Arnie is the players' best mate, the sort of relationship a squad should enjoy with an assistant coach - not the top man.

Melbourne's squad is likely to undergo further changes in the coming week, with out of contract midfielder Kristian Sarkies set to leave the Victory.

 Speculation has been rife about Sarkies since version one, when most fans felt he was underplayed in the Victory's season of struggle. Sarkies started just 6 matches in the 2006/7 A-League season and failed to prove himself worthy of a spot in attacking midfield ahead of Fred.

 The end for Sarkies was almost certainly sealed when the club's management and administration failed to annoint him the successor to Fred when the Brazilian left the club for DC United. The signs were clear that Sarkies wasn't the ideal replacement, fellow young Socceroo Leigh Broxham had moved level with him in the pecking order and his being substituted on before Sarkies in the Grand Final may have been the final straw.

 Sarkies would be a quality pick up for any other A-League team, provided the coach can keep him happy with game time. He's dominating for the Olyroos, scoring again in Australia U23's 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia last night. Adelaide United appear favourites to capture his services, but interim coach Aurelio Vidmar has denied any deal has been done yet.

 As for the fans? Sarkies was a devisive force, and those who felt he wasn't ever good enough for Melbourne have lead the charge to boo him on his return to Telstra Dome.

It's been a good week for football in Australia, Sydney drawing 2-2 with Urawa Reds and Adelaide beating Dong Tam 2-0 in the Champions League. But the entire nation will take far more interest in Saturday's friendly between the national team and China.

 It won't be the strongest Australian team taking the field, far from it, but with coach Graham Arnold still considered an interim manager by the fanbase, a good performance against Asian opposition could allay some fears going into the Nations Cup in the upcoming european offseason.

Worryingly, some star Socceroos such as Mark Viduka and Lucas Neill have criticised future friendlies against Uruguay and Argentina to be played in Sydney and Melbourne respectively in June. It's ridiculous that the word "boycott" is even being used. While the club-vs-country debate is an old chestnut, the chance to play in front of 180,000 fans against two of the most decorated teams in the world sems unrefusable.

In Melbourne, the Victory have undergone some changes to their squad, with the likes of Mark Byrnes and Simon Storey leaving to pursue their careers elsewhere. Brazillian recruit Fred has also left the club, apparently on his way to DC United in America.

 And finally, the FFA have decided New Zealand will get their third crack at a franchise in Australia's national league, this time from the city of Wellington. No name or concrete player details about the team yet, and opinion is still very much divided about whether it will be third time lucky, or third strike and out for the Kiwis.