Goalscorer Mabil is talking to the broadcaster now.

He says it means everything to play for the Socceroos again after such a long time. “I’m really happy that opportunity came, and thankful to the coach for rewarding me. I will go back [to my club] and work double.”

He confirms that Irankunda is indeed a big MJ fan, and apparently was aiming for the hat-trick tonight.

Those were international goals four and five for Irankunda. Let’s get a few more minutes out of him maybe?

88 mins: Curaçao work the ball well across the midfield but Australia are keeping the pressure on and they struggle to penetrate further. They’ve drawn a foul from Okon-Englster now though.

86 mins: Irankunda is down on the grass after a landing quite heavy after a big jump. He was swamped by a couple of defenders as they all jumped and possibly couldn’t get a clean landing. Curaçao restart from the halfway line.

78 mins: Another shot on target for Curaçao, this time from the versitile captain L Bacuna. A cross finds him open centrally near the six-yard box but his header is straight into Ryan’s palms.

76 mins: Curaçao comes forward on the right but are forced back by McGree and Bos. A cross comes in again from the right which Geria volleys clear. They’re bringing the intensity straight back to Australia.

74 mins: Well that momentum shift was jarring. Bos and Irankunda showing why they are being tapped as the future of the Socceroos. Curaçao have made another change. J Bacuna has come off.

66 mins: A chance for Mabil! A neat pass from Circati directly behind him which he scoops up and sends flying over the crossbar. A pause and a breath needed there. And Mabil will rue that as Australia have made there substitutions. Irankunda, Bos, Burgess, McGree are on for Behich, Mabil, Juric, Rowles.

64 mins: Curaçao are swapping out their fullbacks. Floranus and Sambo are coming off for Brenet and Noslin. Looks like Australia will hold fire on their next changes.

62 mins: Trewin finds himself chasing the ball toward the right corner post and can’t keep the ball in. Levelling some choice words at the referee. Another four changes coming inbound! And a double change for Curaçao.

60 mins: Martha catches Okon-Engstler’s face with his shoulder as he rushes past and sends him crashing to the turf. That was an unfortunate heavy knock. I’m surprised he isn’t being assessed for concussion.

58 mins: Curaçao build up from the back who are up at the centre circle, they have had more time on this ball so far this half. They appear happy to work it back and forth across the pitch before probing forward. Margaritha works some stepovers on approaching the penalty area but can’t find a way through.

56 mins: The Socceroos have a chance when the ball is cut back in from the right to O’Neill waiting on the edge of the area. His shot is low and hard wide of the post.

54 mins: Kastaneer is fouled as he is running on to a bouncing high ball. Rowles got in front of him and tripped him up. J Bacuna takes the kick and Australia can’t clear it smoothly.

47 mins: Here are the changes

Australia
ON: Okon-Engstler, Velupillay, Geria
OFF: Metcalfe, Hrustic, Herrington

Curaçao
ON: Martha, Kastaneer, Margaritha, Roemeratoe
OFF: Comenencia, Chong, Antonisse, Kuwas

Phil has sent in a message:

Good evening Jo,

It’s been a slightly underwhelming showing from the Socceroos so far. However, does it really matter? Everyone goes on about looking for clues about the World Cup squad, trying formations yet it really means nothing.

Players, opposition, climate are all going to change repeatedly before ‘the big show’.

Somehow I am both excited and underwhelmed at the same time …

Here’s to the second half!

Cheers, Phil

Simultaneously excited and underwhelmed about the national men’s football team – the Germans would surely have a word for that. I know how you feel Phil.

What a different looking team to last Friday. The energy in the final third is much better, even if the final touches and finishes are not always there. There were a few easy turnovers in midfield that tested the defence’s ability to scramble back. Ryan forced into two diving saves (from Curaçao’s two shots on goal). Possession was split down the middle, surprisingly (to my frantic blogger eyes) Curaçao had 52% of the ball.

45+2 mins: Chong wins a free kick for Curaçao about five metres out from the edge of the area. Bacuna sends it to the back post but it’s too high for Van Eijma. And that’s the half.

45+1 mins: Hrustic has walked off but it’s not clear if Vellupillay is coming on or not, bib was off now it’s back on again. Seems like Popovic is happy to play with 10 men for the added two minutes.

44 mins: Hrustic pounces on a turnover and makes a short run up the left looking up to see Mabil at the back post. He sends in a hooping cross but Mabil hits the post. It looks like Hrustic might have hurt his hamstring in that play.

42 mins: As always I spoke to soon, O’Neill getting in an awkward tangle of legs with his Curaçao opponent shortly after my last post. Seems they are OK.

4o mins: A period of calm with five minutes to go. Four shots on goal for the Socceroos so far, two on target.

38 mins: Juric nearly gets a break on the counterattack but again his first touch isn’t good enough and Curaçao can bring it back under control.

At the ground, Jack says a flare was lit after the goal – funnily enough very similar in colour to the Socceroos’ pink/orange shoulders – but extinguished pretty quickly.

36 mins: A corner from Mabil causes trouble for Curaçao. Room comes out to punch it away but it spills to the edge of the area where O’Neill is waiting. He hammers it back in to the pack and it can’t get through.

34 mins: Antonisse cuts into the area on the right and gets on to the end of a lovely curling pass from Bacuna. He takes a touch before firing straight into Ryan.

32 mins: The start of a beautiful play there with Juric turning on the ball surrounded by defenders in the centre of the field. He passes it off to O’Neill whose pass forward to a sprinting Trewin is too heavy.

30 mins: Curaçao’s turn to charge at the area where they are held up relatively easily. Keep prodding and they might get through though.

28 mins: Australia have been pressing high all game and after that turnover on the touchline that will likely continue. Hrustic makes a run cutting in from the right but something isn’t timed right and he ends up just toe-poking the ball towards goal, which Room easily picks up.

26 mins: Sounds like AAMI Park has picked up the energy a bit too. Mabil picks up a pass from O’Neill at the centre circle and finds Trewin on the right but his cross is misfired over the far post.

22 mins: End to end with the long balls for a minute. Curaçao have a rare few moments of possession. They’ve been turning up the pressure but not holding on the ball.

20 mins: This time the long ball comes back to Herrington who finds Hrustic. He tries to connect with Mabil but the ball flicks up into his hand.

18 mins: And we’re back, Ryan restarting play. He sends a long ball forward which goes out for an Australian throw and then it’s back at Ryan’s feet again.

16 mins: A brief pause as Curaçao’s Comenencia has clashed heads with the referee! No foul given they are sad to learn.

14 mins: The back five hastily pass it across the line, Curaçao not giving them a lot of space though. Antonisse probes into the area edging past Herrington but cut short with a sliding tackle from Circati.

12 mins: We can probably expect plenty of substitutions tonight – the teams have agreed for up to 11 changes each. The Socceroos made eight against Cameroon.

10 mins: Juric darts forward on the left and reaches the edge of the box before he is disposseed. Behich has another chance and flings himself down dramatically but Curaçao make haste down the other end. Ryan is forced into a diving save and the rebound is hammered straight back before going out for a goal kick.

8 mins: Juric is looking more comfortable too, he’s working well with Hrustic and Mabil leading the line. Juric was not able to make much of his first half last game, often out on his own.

6 mins: Herrington is a revelation … I was about to write and then he hoofed the ball forward and out for a throw-in. But he does look comfortable in that backline.

4 mins: The energy is significantly higher tonight, that is a relief. Australia look much hungrier.

Reporter Jack Snape is on the ground: “As the firework smoke cleared, the stands at AAMI Park revealed themselves to be only half full. It’s something of a disappointment for the team’s final match on Australian soil before the World Cup. But there is strong Socceroos support in a full bay behind Mat Ryan’s goal, and the first “Auu-strayyy-leee-ahhhh” chant has already gone round.”

2 mins: Australia press high straight from kick-off, putting the Curaçao defence and goalkeeper under a little pressure early.

Trewin is tackled late by Gaari and Australia settle back into possession at the back before Curaçao dart forward and cause a brief scramble of four defenders in the area.

Anthems have been sung, hands high-fived, fireworks blasted. We’re nearly there.

The players are walking out. Curaçao are in their white Addidas kit with black accents.

On the new strip. I admit I kind of like the away kit. The colours are fun and it’s something different. The keeper kit is especially cool.

The home kit on the other hand, I do not. I know it seems classic and simple and surely all you could ask for from a green and gold kit? No, I say. The only thing that’s right is the gold. The green is too light, and the two-tone shorts look like they’ve been for a swim up to their thighs. And why are the necks so big?

James has sent through an email:

G’day Jo and all,

Nice to have you with us for today.

Surely Curaçao will give us a run tonight, they did qualify after all. But we all know what’s coming for Australia – 8 at the back, nothing through the middle and quite possibly the most negative team going to this World Cup? Anyway … let’s just beat the Yanks and I’m happy. Prediction for tonight: 0-0. Sorry guys. But hey we’ll keep a clean sheet!

Thanks James. Popovic has certainly not opted for a more attacking lineup. Perhaps an he’ll offer an injection of Irankunda again, maybe a debut for Ante Suto … and … Alex Robertson, surely.

It’s happening. They are breaking out the new away kit. The pinky-orange faded into turquoise kit. Thoughts? Please, please, let me know how you feel about the strip.

Slightly off topic from the current sitch but overnight we will find out who will be the fourth team in the Socceroos’ World Cup group along with hosts USA and Paraguay. It will be either Turkey or Kosovo who play each other tomorrow morning (AEDT). The Balkan nation only became Fifa members in 2016, but a win over Turkey would secure their first World Cup finals place. Nick Ames filed this preview from Pristina:

Now to get things started like this …

A little more on Curaçao and their coach Fred Rutten who has only been in the job since February:

Australia’s opponents tonight are the tiny Caribbean nation of Curaçao. If you haven’t come across them before, it’s worth taking a look back at their World Cup qualification in November last year. They are the smallest nation to ever qualify for the tournament, so you can imagine the magnitude of the celebration when they booked their spot.

The current team also have a surprising connection to the Socceroos, which John Duerden explains here:

‘Twas the match before the World Cup,
When all through the squad,
The Socceroos jostled,
To receive Popa’s nod.

As I said, tonight is all about getting a ticket to the US for the individual players. Obviously they want to win with the team, but a spot in Tony Popovic’s World Cup squad is the real prize on the line. Jack Snape has you covered with this football-Christmas-in-June/July-themed match preview:

Ya boi Joey Lynch was on the ground at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Friday to catch the action. Key takeaways from his match report include the much-needed spark brought by Nestory Irankunda and Awer Mabil at half-time, plus the skill and composure of debutant Lucas Herrington.

If you want to catch up on the minue-by-minute detail from that game, you can check out Martin Pegan’s blog.