Costly missed chances could come back to haunt the Socceroos but Saudi Arabia felt equally aggrieved after they were denied a stoppage-time winner in a dramatic goalless draw in Melbourne.
Australia’s hearts sank when Saudi substitute Sultan Al-Ghannam fired a low shot into the bottom left corner from distance with just seconds left, but amid jubilant celebrations the goal was disallowed after goalkeeper Joe Gauci was deemed to have been obstructed by an offside player .
If the Saudi striker was offside it was just a toe as the visitors protested angrily and play was halted for several minutes as the decision was checked by the video referee.
The offside decision was upheld, but Australia went down the other end and almost scored through a stunning bicycle kick attempt from Riley McGree, which missed to the right.
The Socceroos’ best chance to break the deadlock had come in the 84th minute, when substitute Brandon Borrello broke clear but opted to pass to McGree on his left rather than chip the keeper.
Australia played out a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening but struggled to convert their chances
Riley McGree (third from left) scored a sensational bicycle kick but cut an anguished figure as his side struggled to find the back of the net
Australia must now secure victory against Bahrain next week to move themselves closer to a World Cup qualifying place
A desperate sliding challenge from Saud Abdulhamid knocked the ball out of McGree’s path.
After starting slowly but taking control after half an hour, the Socceroos lost key playmaker Ajdin Hrustic at half-time after appearing sore before the break.
His replacement Nishan Velupillay was the brightest spark in the second half but suffered an ankle injury when he was brought down in a tangle of limbs in the penalty area in the 69th minute.
Melbourne-born Hrustic missed a golden opportunity to open the Socceroos’ account in the 45th minute when Aiden O’Neill boldly slid from behind to deprive a Saudi defender of the ball and put his teammate on his favored left on the edge of the penalty area. .
But Hrustic failed to connect with his shot and barely tested the keeper before compatriot Jackson Irvine was left bitterly disappointed on the stroke of half-time when he got into the box but fired his shot just over the top right corner.
The draw left the two sides level on points halfway through the third qualifying round, with a win over Bahrain crucial for Australia to move into the top two needed to book a World Cup place in June next year.
PUNISHMENT WRONG
The opponent’s goalkeeper was sent off and given a penalty in the first 15 minutes? Christmas almost came early for the Socceroos when Saudi gloveman Ahmed Alkassar was pulled into the path of Mitch Duke and the pair collided in the 13th minute.
But despite the referee pointing to the spot after both players touched the card, it was clear on the first replay that the collision had occurred outside the penalty area and the decision was quickly overturned.
Sultan Al-Ghannam appeared to have scored in injury time, but his goal was disallowed due to offside interference on goalkeeper Joe Gauci
Tony Popovic’s side are now level on points with Saudi Arabia after the third qualifying round
Joe Gauci of the Socceroos kicks the ball during the Round 3 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Saudi Arabia at AAMI Park on November 14, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Alkassar, who lay on his back with his legs spread apart, completely still, for two minutes after the collision, escaped with a yellow card and did not have to enter concussion protocols.
GAUCI’S GLOVES TO LOSE
Mathew Ryan retained the Socceroos captaincy heading into this window, but it would take a dramatic change for him to remain in the role after Tony Popovic opted for Joe Gauci in goal for the third successive game.
Gauci, who has made just two cup appearances for Aston Villa so far this season, had two heart-in-mouth moments on the ball early on but was given a confidence boost when he pulled off an impressive double save on the edge of half-time .
An eventual offside move largely erased the significance of a dangerous counter-attack from Marwan Al-Sahafi, but Gauci did well in a one-on-one before getting back to his feet and parrying a follow-up shot to safety.
WITH FULL VOICE
The size of Melbourne’s Saudi Arabian community is often underestimated, but there was no shortage of active support from the Green Falcons, despite organizers cramming them into a single corner on the riverside of the stadium.
Driven by a sizeable international student population, the Saudi crew drummed, sang and bounced to easily be the loudest bay in the room, taking away any home crowd advantage the Socceroos had hoped to capitalize on.