Australia national team made a surprise and near to grab a ticket to finals round after beating Japan national team scoring 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers Round 3 Group C at Perth Stadium, Perth.
Socceroos boss Tony Popovic made three changes from the team that defeated China PR 2-0 in March. Jackson Irvine and Nishan Velupillay were ruled out through injury, opening the door for Connor Metcalfe and Alessandro Circati to step in. Despite limited possession and long spells under pressure, the Australians showed grit, discipline, and a killer instinct when it mattered most.
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu, with one eye on squad depth and the future, fielded a much-changed lineup. Only Daichi Kamada and Koki Machida remained from his usual starters, with fresh faces Hiroki Sekine, Yu Hirakawa, and Kota Tawaratsumida earning their debuts.
Despite the inexperience, the Samurai Blue dictated the tempo for large parts of the first half. Yuki Ohashi, in just his second cap, tested the waters with a long-range effort early on, while Yuito Suzuki and Hirakawa both came close to breaking the deadlock. Yet, time and again, Japan lacked the finishing touch, with Maty Ryan providing a calming presence in the Australian goal.
Australia offered little going forward in the first half, with Connor Metcalfe heading narrowly wide from a rare Ryan Teague corner. However, they grew into the match after the break, nearly punishing a rare error from Japanese keeper Kosei Tani, only for Behich to blaze over.
Japan introduced Takefusa Kubo and Keito Nakamura in search of a breakthrough. Kubo came closest, latching onto a loose clearance in the 80th minute, but dragged his shot wide with Ryan rooted to the spot.
Just as a stalemate seemed inevitable, Riley McGree drove down the flank and delivered a precise cut-back. Behich, making amends for his earlier miss, arrived late and calmly slotted home with his right foot in the 89th minute — a dagger through the heart of the Japanese defense.
Credit Photo : AFC
