Qantas Socceroos stay stingy

Australian captain Lucas Neill says the Qantas Socceroos are building a strong reputation as a team that is difficult to score against which he believes will hold the team in good stead for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Australian captain Lucas Neill says the Qantas Socceroos are building a strong reputation as a team that is difficult to score against which he believes will hold the team in good stead for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Lost amidst the admiration of yet another matchwinning goal by Tim Cahill during Wednesday night's 1-0 win over Oman in their 2011 Asian Cup qualifier was the fact the Qantas Socceroos kept yet another clean sheet despite some difficult moments against their underrated Middle Eastern visitors.

It was the 17th time in the past 25 matches and the 11th time in the past 14 games that Australia had prevented the opposition from scoring and Neill said Australia's frugality at the back was beginning to be noticed world-wide.

"It's a good reputation to have," Neill said of the Qantas Socceroos' great defensive record since Pim Verbeek took over the national team in 2007.

"It's a great habit to get into and I can't remember playing in a game recently apart from Japan (a 2-1 win to the Qantas Socceroos in a dead rubber World Cup qualifier in June at the MCG) where we have conceded goals, so long may it continue."

Neill said as long as Australia - which has now risen to 14th in FIFA's official rankings - continued to keep clean sheets then it was always a chance of beating any opponent.

"You know if you keep clean sheets it gives our attacking and quality players the opportunity that if they get one chance they might take it and the game might be over," he said.

"It (the run of clean sheets) also increases the desire within the team in that we must keep a clean sheet but it's also a reason for opposition teams wanting to come out against you more so as a player that keeps you on your toes."

Veteran Qantas Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who having just turned 37 continues to play some of his best football having made another crucial save against Oman to keep the game at 0-0 in the first half on Wednesday night, agrees with Neill that the current Australian team is building a great reputation as one of the world's best teams in terms of defending.

"And most of those (clean sheets) have been in World Cup qualifiers so the boys have done extremely well," he said.

"It's been a great team effort from day one and we thoroughly deserve to be where we are."

"Now I just hope it can continue because the plan is to build a good foundation from the back."

"We are doing that at the moment and we are on a great run of games where we have not conceded a lot of goals but we need to make sure we continue that right up to the World Cup and during the World Cup because if you want to progress against the best teams in the world then defensively you need to be very, very strong."