Aus v Japan - must win

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Just home from a meeting.

0-0 (60 mins)

We’re starting to try and force things. Midfield starting to be stretched, leaving us vulnerable when we turn the ball over.

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Duke keeps surprising me. Wins everything in the air of course, but deceptively quick, good brain and awareness of options, and good feet.

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Fornaroli on
Duke off

Tilio on
Mabil off - hasn’t shown anything in the 10 mins I’ve been watching.

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0-0 (70 mins) - another good free kick into a good area, but again without creating a clear cut chance.

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Tilio’s first touch - dribbles past 3 players, passes forward centrally …. we pass back … and back again … instead of getting out to the other wing.

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Japan creating chances at will. We’re defending we’ll mostly, scrambling when we must. (Off the goal line just then.)

We’re mishitting crosses, misplacing passes, not creating shots on target. Japan defence not really troubled.

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0-0 (80 mins)

Hrustic starting to get frustrated and showing it.
Well lad, stop trying to dribble between two of their players.

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Oz corner. We can’t get a player at the fall of the ball and Japan has a feee header to clear.

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(84 mins)

Maclaren on
Boyle off

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Only chance we’ve had in 25 mins was a Hrustic free kick from 22m - powerful, but the keeper saw it all the way.

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87 mins
All or nothing now. Can’t hit the man with passes out of defence.

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89th minute 0-1 Japan bundle the ball home after a move of I lost count of how many passes. Just probed and probed and we couldn’t get it off them, until the gap opened up … goal.

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4 mins added but we need 2 goals.
Direct qualification is gone, barring an absolute miracle.

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We can’t even get the ball off them.
Second goal for Japan.
Individual dribble from the wing deep into the massed ranks of our defenders in the penalty area … shoots low … through Ryan’s hands … goal.

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Game over.
Best we can hope for is to make it through the playoff to a South American team.
First home defeat for Australia in a live World Cup qualifier since 1981.