Romania must attempt the 'extraordinary' if they are to overturn a 3-1 deficit against Greece in the second leg of their World Cup playoff in Bucharest on Tuesday and end a 16-year absence from the tournament finals.
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The Greeks humbled Victor Piturca's team in Friday's first leg thanks to a double from Kostas Mitroglou and a Dimitris Salpingidis strike.
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Few neutral pundits give the Romanians much hope of qualifying for next year's tournament in Brazil, saying the team need to iron out defensive lapses, particularly in set pieces.
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Piturca knows his men have to switch from their usual no-risk approach to a straightforward playing style and be more efficient in front of goal if they are to score at least twice.
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"If we manage to qualify, it will be extraordinary for Romanian football, and for myself," said Piturca, who has been criticised at home for been overly tactical.
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Romania have not qualified for the last three World Cups and the 57-year-old coach misfired in his attempts to get them to the finals in 2006 and 2010.
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"It's our last chance and we must do everything possible to play better and win by two or more goals and fulfil our dream," said West Ham United defender Razvan Rat.
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First-choice keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu could be fit for the match at the National Arena after recovering from a back injury and would replace veteran Bogdan Lobont, who made his first appearance this season in Athens.