Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink will send his team into the cauldron of hate in Montevideo on Sunday (AEDT) with a mission to get an away goal no matter what the scoreline.

The away goal rule which destroyed the Socceroos' hopes against Iran in 1997 is looming as pivotal again, with even a 2-1 or 3-1 loss in the first leg of the World Cup playoff against Uruguay not the end for Australia's hopes of qualifying for the finals in Germany next year.

Even a 3-1 loss at the Estadio Centenario would mean a 2-0 Socceroos' victory in Wednesday's second leg in Sydney would be enough to qualify for the World Cup finals.

It wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be insurmountable either against a side which is far less assured on the road than at home.

While Hiddink is expected to lean towards a more conservative formation than in his previous three matches in charge, the Dutchman and his players are well aware of the importance of an away goal - something that eludes most teams in Uruguay.

"An away goal would be extra special and we would go back to Sydney with all the confidence in the world and hopefully finish off the job there," Socceroos midfielder Brett Emerton said.

The Socceroos held a closed training session - their last at their Buenos Aires training camp before they fly to Montevideo overnight (Australian time).

It was a sign of just how high the stakes are for the clash, with Dutch media, who have followed Hiddink for more than a decade, stunned at the decision saying the coach never closes a training session.

"We don't have any secrets but we want to have our own hour to be around ourselves," Hiddink said of the shutout.

It appears Hiddink will favour either a 4-5-1 formation with skipper Mark Viduka as a lone striker, or a 4-1-2-3 with two wide midfielders, for the opening leg.

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