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With two games remaining in the third phase of qualification, anything less than six points will likely signal the end of Australia’s hopes of a direct ticket to Qatar.
The urgency of the situation is not lost on Arnold, but the 58-year-old remains confident his reshuffled squad is ready for what’s ahead, beginning with the Samurai Blue on Thursday night.
“This window represents a great opportunity for our players and staff to do something truly special for Australian football,” Arnold said.
“And we will be focusing all our energies on producing two great performances against Japan and Saudi Arabia and lifting the Socceroos to the World Cup.”
“But I truly view March 2022 as a win-win window for this group,” he added.
“With a play-off spot for June already locked in, if required, the players will be able to come to camp with clear minds as to what’s ahead of them, and enjoy the time that they have working hard together and playing in front of their family, friends, and fans.”
The fourth round of AFC qualification is a path not unfamiliar to the Socceroos, but one they are at least assured of with no other nation able to bump them from third place in Group B.
Still, the expectation is to win, and that’s a sentiment the Socceroos are focused on materialising at Stadium Australia.
“For automatic qualification, we will need to win at least both games, or the first one and rely on results for the second phase of those games,” defender Rhyan Grant said on SEN Breakfast with Vossy and Brandy.
“At this stage, as Vossy said, we concentrate on Japan and make sure we win that and then obviously Saudi (Arabia) is just as big too so we need to win that one.
“But if we win both these games we will be there.”
Victory over Japan would mark Australia’s first against their old rivals since 2009 and avenge the last-gasp defeat that has foiled the Socceroos’ current qualifying campaign.
Since that 2-1 result in Saitama, Australia have managed just one win from their past four fixtures, with three draws forming an increasingly familiar picture of profligacy.
Finding the back of the net has never been more important for the Socceroos, and striker Jamie Maclaren has no doubt he and his fellow attackers will get the job done.
“We’ve got a great squad with a lot of guys who can change a game in the heat of the moment, and we’ve got players in this squad who have scored goals throughout their whole careers," Maclaren said.
“We are very good at the back, we have conceded very few goals, so we just need to be clinical.
“I’m really looking forward to Thursday because it’s going to be a cracker.”
