Australia 4-2 Saudi Arabia: Three in three knock Saudis out

Australia celebrate
Photo: Anita Milas of Goal! Weekly

Three goals in three minutes from Australia gave the Socceroos a 4-2 win over Saudi Arabia which eliminates the Green Falcons from the World Cup.

The game was played at a fast pace and the first chance came on three minutes for the Socceroos. James Troisi found Brett Emerton who headed back to Harry Kewell to tap home but the referee ruled it out correctly for offside.

After a couple small chances and a great percent of possession the Saudi’s opened the scoring on 19 minutes thanks to a great strike by Salem Mohammed Aldawsari. The Al Hilal midfielder ran at the Australian defence beating Mark Milligan before finishing brilliantly into the bottom corner.

Three minutes later Australia were looking for an equaliser and after Harry Kewell played in Alex Brosque the Shimizu forward put his effort into the side netting.

Kewell almost scored a great driven free-kick but his effort once again was deflected wide, the Saudi defence was doing quite well.

But two minutes before the break Brosque equalised for the hosts with a good poked finish.

Just when the Socceroos thought they were going into the break level the Saudi’s took the lead in stoppage time. After Milligan failed to track Nassir Ali Alshamrani the 28-year-old finished into the bottom corner from Hassan Muath Fallatah’s low cross.

In the opening minutes of the second-half both sides had chances through Troisi, Kewell for Australia and Mohammed Bandar Alshalhoub for the visitors.

Australia on 60 minutes thought they took the lead when Lucas Neill’s header from Matthew Spiranovic’s cross squeezed through Waleed Abdullah Ali in goals. However the referee incorrectly ruled it out for offside. That would have been the Australian Captain’s first goal for his country in 80 appearances.

The Green Falcons had a huge chance to finish it off with Fallatah continuing to cause damage on the right flank and he laid a ball on the plate for an on rushing Alshamrani but his effort was poked wide.

That miss would haunt the Green Falcons when one minute later Australia equalised. Substitute Archie Thompson found Brosque on the left flank that crossed for an on rushing Kewell to finish in the bottom corner.

Two minutes later Australia remarkably took the lead when Emerton played a great ball right onto the head of an unmarked Brosque who headed home.

Immediately from the kick-off, Australia scored their third goal in three minutes when Bresciano played a lovely ball for Emerton. However Kamil Saddiq Almousa reached the ball first but accidently played the ball off Emerton before the ball flew into the net.

In stoppage time substitute Naid Ahmed Hazazi almost got one back but his effort was well saved by Mark Schwarzer who didn’t have much to do all game.

So Australia finish top of the group on 15 points from a possible 18 and with Oman’s 2-0 defeat of Thailand the Omani’s go through in second with 8 points.

Match Stats:

Australia
1. Mark Schwarzer (GK), 2. Lucas Neill (C), 4. Matthew Spiranovic (3. David Carney 82’), 5. Jade North, 6. Sasa Ognenovski, 7. Brett Emerton, 8. Mark Milligan, 10. Harry Kewell, 11. James Troisi (9. Archie Thompson 63’), 20. Alex Brosque (16. Nick Carle 87’), 23. Mark Bresciano
Unused Substitutes:  12. Erik Paartalu, 13. Adam Sarota, 14. Michael Marrone, 15. Michael Thwaite, 18. Mat Ryan (GK)

Coach: Holger Osieck

Goals
Brosque 43’, 75’, Kewell 73’, Emerton 76’

Saudi Arabia
1. Waleed Abdullah Ali (GK), 3. Osama Abdulrzag Hawsawi (C), 4. Abdulla Mohammed Aldossary, 7. Kamil Saddiq Almousa, 10. Mohammed Bandar Alshalhoub (9. Naid Ahmed Hazazi 79’), 11. Nassir Ali Alshamrani (20. Yasser Saeed Al Qahtani 72’), 12. Hassan Muath Fallatah, 14. Saud Ali Khariri, 15. Ahmed Mohamed Alfraidi (6. Ahmed Inrahim Ateef 66’), 17. Taiseer Jabir Aljassam, 19. Salem Mohammed Aldawsari,
Unused Substitutes: 2. Yasir Gharsan Alshahrani, 5. Mohammed Eid Albishi, 8. Yahia Sulaiman Alshehri, 13. Ibrahim, Jahshan, 16. Yousef Mansour Alsalem, 18. Hamad Alhamad, 21. Yasser Adbullah Al Mosailem, 22. Ahmed Ali Alkassar, 23. Kamil Omar Fallata

Coach: Frank Rijkaard

Goals
Aldawsari 19’, Alshamrani 45+2

Yellow Cards
Khariri 62’, Alshamrani 64’

MOTM: Harry Kewell

Crowd: 24, 214@AAMI Park

Piece also here