Costly missed chances could come back to haunt the Socceroos, but Saudi Arabia were equally aggrieved after they were denied an injury-time winner in a dramatic goalless draw in Melbourne.
Australian hearts sank when Saudi substitute Sultan Al-Ghannam fired low into the bottom left corner from distance with just seconds remaining, but amid jubilant celebrations, the goal was disallowed after a player was deemed offside. game interfered with goalie Joe Gauci.
If the Saudi attacker was offside, it was by little more than a toe, as the visitors protested angrily and play was stopped for several minutes while the decision was reviewed by the video referee.
The offside call was upheld, only for Australia to come down the other end and almost score with a stunning overhead kick attempt by Riley McGree that missed.
The Socceroos’ biggest chance to break the deadlock came in the 84th minute, when substitute Brandon Borrello broke clear but opted to play a pass to McGree on his left rather than bring down the goalkeeper.
Australia were held to a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia on Thursday night but struggled to capitalize on their chances.
Riley McGree (third from left) produced a sensational overhead kick but cut a distraught figure as his team struggled to find the back of the net.
Australia must now secure victory against Bahrain next week to move closer to a World Cup qualifying spot.
A desperate challenge from Saud Abdulhamid took the ball out of McGree’s path.
After starting slowly but taking control on the half-hour mark, the Socceroos lost key playmaker Ajdin Hrustic at half-time after he looked sore before the break.
His substitute Nishan Velupillay was the brightest spark in the second half but suffered an ankle injury when he fell tangled 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 daringly slid in from behind to strip a Saudi defender of the ball and leave his teammate on his side preferred left on the edge of the area. .
But Hrustic failed to connect his shot and barely tested the goalkeeper, before local teammate Jackson Irvine was left bitterly disappointed on the stroke of half-time when he approached the area but fired his shot just over the top right corner.
The draw left the two teams on equal points halfway through the third qualifying round, with a win over Bahrain crucial for Australia to move towards the top two spots needed to book a place in the World Cup in June next year.
PENALTY VOID
Expulsion of the rival goalkeeper and penalty in the first 15 minutes? Christmas almost came early for the Socceroos when Saudi gloveman Ahmed Alkassar got in the way of Mitch Duke and the pair collided in the 13th minute.
But despite the referee pointing to the spot after both players fell to the ground, on the first replay it was obvious that the collision had occurred outside the area and the decision was quickly downgraded.
It looked like Sultan Al-Ghannam had scored in stoppage time, but his shot was ruled out due to an offside interference on goalkeeper Joe Gauci.
Tony Popovic’s team equals Saudi Arabia on points after the third qualifying round
Socceroos’ Joe Gauci kicks the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round 3 AFC Asian Qualifying 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, completely motionless, for two minutes after the collision, escaped with a yellow card and did not need to enter concussion protocols.
GAUCI’S GLOVES TO LOSE
Mathew Ryan retained the Socceroos captaincy ahead of this window, but a dramatic change would be needed 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 with the ball early on but gained confidence when he produced a stunning double save on the stroke of half-time .
An eventual offside call erased most of the meaning of a dangerous counter-attack by Marwan Al-Sahafi, but Gauci did well in one-on-one before getting back to his feet and parrying a follow-up shot to safety.
IN FULL VOICE
The size of Melbourne’s Saudi community is often underestimated, but there was no shortage of active support from the Green Falcons despite organizers cramming them into a single corner at the end of the stadium, next to the river.
Buoyed by a significant international student population, the Saudi team drummed, sang and jumped to easily become the loudest group in the room, stripping away any home crowd advantage the Socceroos had hoped to exploit.