Mooy - lacking full match fitness with China’s league action paused - had played a crucial role off the bench in Australia’s three previous matches, but was hooked after 70 minutes. While he was one of the most comfortable Australians with the ball and showed his class with a couple of fine moments, the Socceroos struggled for incision going forward and missed Mabil’s pace and ability to beat defenders. The move was intended to allow the Socceroos to dominate possession. After a handful of games between 20, Mooy started all-but-one of his next 37 appearances in the green and gold from early 2015 onwards.īut Mooy - back in the starting line-up for the first time in 598 days - struggled to combine with fullback Aziz Behich, the duo repeatedly being caught out in defensive transition. It marked a hugely significant return for Mooy, who has been a Socceroos mainstay for the last half-decade. He named veteran Aaron Mooy on the left side in place of winger Awer Mabil, a role the playmaker had sometimes taken on in the Premier League with Brighton. I’m 100 per cent sure we’ll finish on top if we keep going the way we have been.” “We’re going to continue, we’re going to keep going. if we would have come off with a one-one draw we would have copped it.” Hrustic said: “First of all we’re devastated. Should China and Oman win, both would move to six points and keep the race for a place in the Qatar 2022 World Cup well and truly alive. Oman (three points), meanwhile, host winless Vietnam at 3am. They face China (one win, two losses) at 4am on Wednesday at the King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah in a clash that could have huge ramifications for the Socceroos. A third-place finish would send the Socceroos to a play-off against the third-place team from Group A, followed by an intercontinental play-off - the fraught route Australia took in 2018.Īttention now turns to a blockbuster clash set for Sydney next month against fellow unbeaten group leader Saudi Arabia. To qualify for a fifth consecutive World Cup, the Socceroos must finish in the top two in the six-team Group B. Unbeaten Saudi Arabia are level on nine points, while Japan ended a poor run of two losses from their first three matches to move to six points.
The result leaves the Socceroos on nine points from four games, with six games remaining in the final stage of World Cup qualifiers. Despite a much-improved second half from the visitors, Australia were repeatedly cut open through the middle and were disjointed in defence while repeatedly giving up possession cheaply, particularly in the first half.
Japan had the best of the chances throughout the game, and were denied again and again by sublime keeping from Socceroos captain Ryan.
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But Hrustic slammed his free kick goalwards for a deserved equaliser.Īs both sides desperately chased a winner, Behich was again caught out – this time bundling over an own-goal after Mat Ryan deflected an attempt onto the back post. Hrustic had been brought down on the very edge of the box and was initially awarded a penalty before being eventually overturned by VAR. ‘Football gods just owned VAR’: Socceroos star’s stunning strike after penalty reversedĪjdin Hrustic’s brilliant 69th minute free kick levelled the scores after Adam Taggart struck the post in the first half in a match full of close chances. Mooy’s 598-day wait ends in poor return as defender has all-time howler: Socceroos Player Ratings At the end of the day it wasn’t meant to be. “The positives were we played some great football.
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