China 0-2 Australia: Socceroos take huge step towards World Cup 2026 – reaction
Key events
The table
FULL TIME: China 0-2 Australia
A tremendous win for the Socceroos. A win in Japan, or a draw in Saudi, and they qualify for the World Cup automatically.
90+2 min Credit where it’s due, the home fans are still having it.
90+1 min Another change for Australia, former golden boy Arzani on for Boyle, who’s played well.
90+1 min A long ball and Abduweili controls well, a touch setting Wang Ziming for a shot, which he slices miles from anywhere.
90 min We’ll have three added minutes.
89 min This has been a pretty good effort from Australia, who took what they needed in the first half and have protected it well enough in the second.
89 min What is wrong with people? Barbra Banda is a hero.
87 min and that’s Wang’s last contribution; he’s replaced by Wang Ziming.
86 min Wang volleys clear and Degenek hesitates, opting to let the ball bounce, and Serginho reads that better than he does, collecting and moving on to Zhang, who shoots wide. He’s put loads into this game, but hasn’t found the quality to affect it.
84 min China might just’ve run out of ideas. Australia are doing a much better job of controlling possession now, spreading play wide then turning to go backwards, and so on. I’m not sure China have the legs left to press them.
82 min Two further changes for Australia, Caceres and Duke replacing Borrello and Velupillay.
81 min Of course, Australia are no strangers to playing off to reach the finals.
80 min Whoever finishes third and fourth in the group will then move into a fourth round with the other third and fourth-placed teams – there are two groups of three with the winners of each to qualify and the second-places to play off for the right to join an intercontinental playoff.
77 min Two more changes for Australia: Karacic and O’Neill replace Miller and Teague. Miller, in particular, was extremely effective in the first half, his attacking impetus crucuial to securing that 2-0 half-time lead.
76 min “Japan v Saudi-Arabia was reasonably fun, as far as goalless draws go,” returns Kári Tulinius. “Hervé Renard sent his Green Falcons out to get a draw, and they did. Samurai Blue had a number of good chances, but couldn’t convert. Like previous iterations of the team, they play extremely attractive football, but lack that cutting edge up front which might get them far in the World Cup. Meanwhile, the stars of the show in Saitama were the fans, who cheered on their side and sang all the way through the match.”
The China fans have also been excellent. I guess Saudi are assuming they can beat Bahrain and that australia won’t beat Japan, meaning a win in the final match will take them through.
74 min Credit to China, they’ve given this a good go, and they’re on the attack again when Wang Yudong catches Degenek in possession down the left, finding Zhang, who crosses … but again, Ryan dives to collect. He’s been very secure so far.
72 min Accordingly, if Australia see this one out and given their vastly superior goal difference, a win against Japan will see them through; a draw will be enough if Saudi don’t beat Bahrain.
70 min Japan v Saudi has ended goalless so, assuming for a moment that Australia see this out, they’ll be three points ahead of Saudi with two games to go.
68 min Now then! Zhang wins the ball outside the box down the left, quickly punches a cross into the middle … where Degenek does well to intercept and clear.
67 min A double chsnge for China. Off go Huang and Xie; on come Wang Yudong and Wang Haijian.
66 min This time, Wang punches the corner clear, Australia look to sustain the attack, and Miller is penalised for fouling Serginho.
65 min Australia might’ve weathered the storm. They win another corner, this time down the left…
64 min They’re playing added time in Saitama, where it remains Japan 0-0 Saudi.
62 min Teague, on debut, humps a booming corner to the back post where Degenek, having lost Abduweili, steers a side-footed volley wide of the near. That was a really good chance to finish this, and a reminder that Australia are better when looking to score than when hoping to defend.
61 min Australia need to find a way of keeping possession, or at least an out-ball. Currently, they’re having to defend attack after attack, but as I type, Miller wins a corner off Jiang, their first of the second half.
60 min The corner is swung way too deep to the edge, and Yang’s eventual shot is nowhere near goal.
59 min Here come China again, Yang bursting down the right and slinging over a cross that forces Miller to chest behind, under pressure form Li.
57 min Nice again from China, Huang dashing around the outside and clipping back a cross for Zhang, who arrives at the ball ahead of Burgesss … but can’t wrap his head around it, instead powering an effort into the near-post side-netting. Australia need to do something to halt the home side’s momentum here, because this is one-way traffic.
55 min And here come China again, Zhang finding Abduweili, who lays off immediately for Serginho and, from the edge, he panels a shot that’s too close to Ryan; the keeper dives to palm behind, and the corner comes to nowt.
54 min We’ve not seen Australia as an attacking force this half. I guess they’re happy with that thy’ve got, but their defence doesn’t look strong enough to rely on.
52 min Xie curls the corner in and again, Ryan is there, this time punching clear. He’s been solid so far tonight but, as Brighton fans will confirm, he’s always got a ricket in him.
51 min China keep at it, though, Xu seeing a shot blocked behind for a corner, which gets the home crowd going – they’re bouncing away behind the goal and the noise is decent.
50 min Australia’s narrow back three are making it difficult for China to attack through the middle, but they send it wide to Li, who swings cross out … and Abduweili contorts to impart brow to ball … but Ryan plunges left to field easily enough.
48 min China have started the half on the front foot, Australia sitting off. I guess they don’t want to risk pressing because they don’t want to leave open space to be attacked. And, as I type, a ball in behind looks to have released Zhang down the left side of the box, but a phalanx of defenders get between him and the men up in support, then Australia clear and Borrello turns Han … who manhandles him to the ground.
46 min China have made a half-time change, Serginho coming on for his debut in place of the ineffectual Wei.
46 min We go again…
Australia re back out early, keeping warm and such. David Moyes’ Everton did that the year they finished fourth, the idea being to show their opponents they were readier to go … then in typical Ev style, they drew Villarreal in Champions League qualifying and got battered.
Half-time entertainment:
With 57 minutes gone in Saitama, it remains Japan 0-0 Saudi Arabia.
HALF-TIME: China 0-2 Australia
A fine first half for the Socceroos, who look good to record an important victory.
45+3 min Miller has been a danger all half and again, he gets down the right before digging out a cross … but there’s no one there to attack it.
45+3 min China aren’t quite out of this yet – they’ve shown an ability to get behind Australia, but not yet found a killer pass or cross.
45+1 min We’ll have three additional minutes.
45 min It seems that Trent Alexander-Arnold is indeed leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid. I guess for free, that makes some kind of sense, but on the other hand, brilliant though his ball-striking is, he offers every opponent a defensive weakness to target.
43 min Ach, China work an overload, them, looking for Li down the right, Xu passes into touch. Still, they moved the ball nicely there.
41 min Australia have played well so far. The quality isn’t great, but they started with aggression and intensity, not allowing China to settle, and that’s a lot of the reaoson they lead 2-0.
39 min China crowd the six-yard box – there are 13 men in it – but the delivery isn’t great. Still, though, Burgess feels forced to head behind, so Wei will go again … and this time, Ryan collects competently enough.
37 min A quiet period. China are doing their best to haul themselves back into the game, but are struggling to find the attacking edge. Still, again they get down the right, forcing Burgess to slide a cross behind at cost of a corner.
35 min Better from China, Xu getting around the side of the Australia defence and cutting back, but there’s no one there to collect; no matter. Wei then picks up possession and from the edge, unleashes a nasty outswinger that flies just past the far post.
