MARK VIDUKA issued a quick-fire reminder of his striking prowess to Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren yesterday by capping a captain's performance for his country with a goal.
After a stop-start opening to the campaign there is a growing belief that the best way for Boro to find consistency is if McClaren chooses to stick with the lone man up front.
Aiyegbeni Yakubu operated well in that role at Aston Villa in Boro's last Premiership fixture - scoring two in a 3-2 victory - and would expect to retain his place in the starting line-up at home to Portsmouth on Saturday.
However, Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are forwards with terrific pedigrees and neither would be happy to play a substitute's role at the Riverside Stadium for the remainder of the campaign.
And Viduka, on his 30th birthday yesterday, starred in the 5-0 win for the Aussies against Jamaica in a friendly at Fulham's Craven Cottage.
With the Socceroos three goals up, the former Leeds man was withdrawn just before the hour and suffered no reaction to the Achilles problem that had threatened to keep him out of the game.
Viduka had missed Boro's previous two matches - at Aston Villa and at Xanthi - with the problem but he recovered in time to take his place in Guus Hiddink's team yesterday.
And the £4.5m buy is determined to fulfil his World Cup dream and is firmly focused on trying to help Australia qualify for the Germany finals next summer by winning their eliminator against an undecided South American opponent next month.
Hiddink expects Viduka's Boro team-mate Mark Schwarzer to be available for the two-legged tie, despite being without the goalkeeper yesterday with a shoulder injury.
Now Schwarzer, who was initially not due back for another fortnight, faces a race against the clock to return to fitness in time to play for his club against Portsmouth.
Boro are in desperate need of the shot-stopper returning to fitness in time to face Pompey as they are already without his younger stand-ins Brad Jones and Ross Turnbull.
Sandwiched either side of Viduka's strike, Marco Bresciano, Archie Thompson, John Aloisi and Joel Griffiths scored to complete the rout for the men from Down Under.
Viduka enjoyed more success on the international stage than his club-mate George Boateng.
Boateng, hoping to impress Holland coach Marco van Basten ahead of his World Cup preparations, did not even make the bench when the Dutch secured their place in the final with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague.
To make matters worse for the Boro midfielder, the player who kept him out of the starting line-up, Rafael van der Vaart, scored one of the goals.
Now, with qualification assured, Boateng will be hoping he's handed his third cap in Wednesday's last group game with Macedonia.
And he said: "It's my last chance to go to the finals. I turn 31 next year, and after that it will probably be over for me."
Slovakian striker Szilard Nemeth is thought to have attracted the attention of Southampton boss Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp is believed to be keen on taking the 28-year-old on loan for the rest of the season in a bid to bolster the Saints' Championship promotion push.
And Nemeth is likely to be watched closely again on Wednesday night when Slovakia take on Russia for the right to finish second in their qualifying group behind Portugal. Nemeth earned his 39th cap in Saturday's 1-0 win over Estonia.
Read more about Middlesbrough here.
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