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Australia’s hopes of automatically qualifying for the 2022 World Cup have been all but dashed after twice surrendering leads to draw 2-2 with a depleted Oman on Wednesday morning.
Though good value for the 1-0 lead they took into the dressing room at half-time in Muscat — delivered thanks to a 15th-minute penalty from Jamie Maclaren — another dispiriting second half fadeout prevented coach Graham Arnold’s side from finishing the job against Al-Ahmar, who themselves needed a win to keep their campaign alive.
Despite being able to re-take their lead through Aaron Mooy with just over 10 minutes to go after Abdullah Fawaz had tied things up in the 49th minute, Fran Karacic’s inelegant challenge on Muhsen Al-Ghassani in the dying stages would prove disastrous: giving Fawaz a chance to tie things up from the spot that the 25-year-old duly took.
– Full AFC World Cup Qualifying standings
– AFC recap: South Korea joins Iran in booking spots to Qatar
– World Cup 2022 qualifying: How it works around the world
With only first and second place in their qualification group assured a place in Qatar, the Socceroos now head into the final international window needing to beat the two nations that reside in those places, Japan and Saudi Arabia, to maintain any hope of avoiding an intercontinental playoff pathway.
Even two wins, though, unlikely as they may be, might not prove enough: Japan — on a five-game winning run after impressing in a 2-0 win over the Saudis overnight and three points clear of Australia — able to pad their goal difference against Vietnam on the final matchday and The Green Falcons able to clinch automatic qualification with a win over China, regardless of what they subsequently do against the Socceroos. Indeed, from a results perspective, the only benefit that Arnold’s side can take from their trip to Muscat is that it has ensured that their campaign won’t end following the next international window.
But with that Pyrrhic victory secured, the question now facing…
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Source : espn
