Match report: Japan 1-1 Australia That’s all for tonight’s blog. Joey Lynch was our man in Tokyo for the game; I’ll leave you with his report. “Popovic will be satisfied but the game was perhaps there for the taking,” says Chris Paraskevas. “At 1-0, the changes weren’t quite adventurous enough and Irankunda’s night on the bench betrayed a lack of ambition. “It worked tonight but might not at a World Cup.” It’s such a difficult balance, especially when you’re 15 minutes away from such a famous victory. And it’s not like there was loads of pressure before the equaliser; it came almost out of nothing. Jackson Irvine"s reaction My experience as part of this team is that the boys stand up in the most difficult moment: no excuses. I’m very proud of that performance – the calmness and composure that we showed in defence. It’s a top foundation for us to move forward. [On the delay getting to the ground] It is what it is. When circumstances are out of your control, it makes it simple: you’ve just gotta do it. I can’t speak highly enough of all our stuff for the way they prepare us. They gave us the best opportunity to perform tonight and we did that. [On being captain] It’s tough to put into words. I’ve got a very strong emotional connection to this team and it’s a very proud moment. [Starts choking up a bit] I’ve got some family here which makes it even better.“Over the line and a great result,” says Rob Haigh. “To get anything off this machine is outstanding, well done Oz.” Absolutely. In the medium term they need to be better on the ball but in the circumstances that’s a terrific effort. A crimson-faced Harry Souttar looks utterly spent at the final whistle. He’d be my player of the match, though you could also make a good case for Kaoru Mitoma, Jackson Irvine and Jason Geria among others. Never mind the individual stuff, that completes a very good week for Australia. Four points from six was realistically as good as it was going to get, and it sets them up for the double header against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain next month. Full time: Japan 1-1 Australia What Australia lack in quality, they make up for in heart. That was a seriously hard-earned point, the result of an outstanding defensive performance. They didn’t manage a shot on target all game but took the lead when Shogo Taniguchi sliced Lewis Miller’s cross into his own net after 58 minutes. Just as Japan were getting desperate, the substitute Keito Nakamura forced an own goal from Cam Burgess. It got a bit hairy for the Socceroos after that but they held on for a terrific result. 90+6 min Ito’s inswinger is claimed well by the backpedalling Gauci. For a horrible second I thought he’d gone too far and was going to fall into the net, but he was fine. 90+6 min One last corner for Japan… 90+5 min The free-kick leads to a brief of game of pinball before a shot from the edge of the area is smothered at source. Japan come again, Ito curls a very dangerous cross that is headed behind by the heroic Souttar. 90+4 min Burgess takes one for the team, cynically pulling back Mitoma and nodding in acceptance when the referee shows him a yellow card. The resulting free-kick might be Japan’s last chance. 90+2 min Goodwin tries to run Machida, thinks he’s fouled and goes over. The assistant gives a throw-in to Japan, who are ready for one last push. 90 min There will be five minutes of added time. 89 min Goodwin’s first act is a high tackle on Machida that is punished with a yellow card. That means he’ll miss the big match against Saudi Arabia next month. 88 min: Socceroos substitution Craig Goodwin comes on for Ajdin Hrustic. 87 min Mitoma can’t quite control Tamaka’s cross after another bewitching dribbled from Nakamura on the left. It was a difficult ball to take in a crowded area but Mitoma usually has such a velvet touch. 86 min Ito goes on a mazy run across the field, plays the ball to Kamada and keeps going down the left. Kamada pushes it down the line and Ito’s cross is blocked. 84 min Ogawa’s first touch is almost a tap in from Nakamura’s cross. It’s a couple of yards in front of him and Gauci sprawls to his left to grab the ball. 84 min: Japan substitution The in-form Koki Ogawa replaces Ayase Ueda up front. 83 min Here’s Japan’s equaliser. 82 min: Australia substitution Keanu Baccus comes on for a weary, limping Lewis Miller. 80 min Yazbek is booked for a lunging foul on Ueda. Australia aren’t happy becuase they thought they should have had a free-kick moments earlier. 78 min Mitoma controls a long crossfield pass, cuts across Geria in the area and whacks a shot that hits Yazbek and flies behind. Australia looked relatively comfortable at 1-0. They do not look comfortable at 1-1. The goal was made beautifully by the substitute Keito Nakamura. He cut inside from the left, twisted Yazbek one way and then the other before sidefooting a fast low cross that was turned into his own net by Burgess. He had to play the ball with Ueda waiting behind him to score. GOAL! Japan 1-1 Australia (Burgess 76 og) Japan equalise through an own goal from Cam Burgess! 74 min Japan have won their last eight home games, scoring almost 40 goals in the process. Most were against inferior opposition, it’s true, but this would be still be a helluva result for Australia. 73 min: Double substitution for Australia Aziz Behich and Nishan Velupillay, who scored on his debut against China, replace Jordy Bos and Mitch Duke. Poor Duke worked his socks off on the graveyard shift. 71 min Tanaka curls a long-range shot that is easily saved by Gauci. A pleasant enough strike but nowhere near the corner. 70 min: Double substitution for Japan Daichi Kamada and Keito Nakamura replace Take Kubo and Takumi Minamino. Kubo was lively enough, Minamino had a quiet night. 68 min That’s Australia’s best bit of interplay all night, some neat one-touch football on the edge of the Japan area. It doesn’t amount to anything but maybe it’s a reflection of their growing confidence. 67 min Since the goal, Japan have been treading the line between understandable impatience and unhelpful desperation. There’s still a long way to go. 65 min That was the first goal Japan have conceded in qualification, after around 14 and a half hours. And that’s not including all the added time. 64 min Ito’s clipped cross is met by Ueda, running away from goal, and he heads straight at Gauci. For all Japan’s pressure, Gauci still hasn’t had a difficult save to make. 63 min: Japan substitution Junya Ito comes on for Ritsu Doan. 62 min Jordy Bos is booked for a tactical foul on the left wing. 61 min The home fans are still making a marvellous racket. If Australia win this game it’ll make Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope fight with George Foreman look like a slugfest in comparison. Lewis Miller, who has had a difficult time defensively, made a rare excursion forward and curled a dangerous cross into the middle. Taniguchi tried to clear it with his wrong foot, the right, and shinned a volley past Zion Suzuki! GOAL! Japan 0-1 Australia (Taniguchi og 58) Australia haven’t had a shot on target all game – and they’re ahead! 57 min: Chance for Minamino! Kubo cuts inside from the right and curls a powerful cross towards Minamino beyond the far post. He pulls away from the defender but can’t generate enough power to force his downward header on target. That was a pretty difficult chance; he’d have needed Bruce Banner’s neck muscles to generate the necessary power. 55 min Mitoma twists Miller’s blood on the left edge of the area, only to knock the ball out of play with an accidental extra touch. He remains Japan’s biggest threat, not to mention the most beautiful player to watch. 53 min Irvine makes a good interception at the near post after Kubo beats Bos stylishly on the right. Japan are starting to come to life. 52 min The danger of having the ball is that you are more susceptible to the counter-attack. Tanaka (I think) has the chance to put Mitoma through just past the halfway line but fractionally overhits his angled pass. I don’t think anyone would have caught Mitoma had the weight on that pass been better. 49 min A quiet start to the second half. Australia are trying to get on the ball, as they did at the start of the game. I don’t think it was a deliberate tactic to defend deeper and deeper as the first half progressed; it’s more than Japan parked the bus for them and then dropped the keys down a drainhole. 46 min We go again. Well, they do; we’re not really doing much. Australia have made a half-time substitution: Pat Yazbek replaces Luke Brattan, who worked very hard on his debut but didn’t see much of the ball. “For all the gushing praise about the J-League and Japan’s generation of Euro-stars, for me they have flattered to deceive in this game, as they so often do when required to take the initiative,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Moriyasu and his never-changing suit and notepad much prefer an opponent that will allow more space to play on the counter. “Popovic is calling on all of his tricks from Western Sydney’s Asian Champions League run, where they faced similiar challenges: technically superior opponents, starved of the ball. “His shape makes sense here but some of his experienced starters are letting him down: Brattan, McGree and Irvine not sure of their roles in midfield, Duke totally isolated. “The stage is set for Irankunda.” Even that early chance for Kubo wasn’t as good as I first thought. Souttar was on him quickly so his only option was to thrash it towards the near post, which Gauci had covered. Some half-time reading Half time: Japan 0-0 Australia Half full or half empty? Depending on your perspective and disposition, that was either an admirably disciplined defensive performance from the Socceroos or a desperate survival mission that can’t possibly last 90 minutes. Australia were poor in possession – that’s probably being kind – but restricted Japan to a single good chance when Take Kubo hit the side netting early on. The defence have certainly earned their half-time breather. 45 min One minute of added time. 44 min The atmosphere is tremendous. 42 min Some really neat football from Japan on the left side of the area, but again Australia keep the gaps small and Souttar (I think) comes across to clear. 41 min Ueda’s header is saved by Gauci, though it was off target and he’d been penalised anyway for a foul on Burgess. That aside it was the champagne moment of the game. 40 min Another way to look at this first half is that Joe Gauci has only had one straightforward save to make. Australia have certainly defended well but I’m not sure the concentration levels required are sustainable for 95 minutes. 38 min A better couple of minutes for the Socceroos, most of which is spent in the Japan half. 36 min Doan shuffles menacingly into the area only to leave the ball behind and lose it to Burgess. Australia need half time. 34 min The corner is half cleared, then belted back across goal and just in front of a lunging Japan player at the far post. Australia are living dangerously. 33 min Mitoma runs at poor Lewis Miller again. This time he cuts inside, onto his right foot, and curls a shot that hits Geria’s shoulder and deflects behind. That may well have been going in the far corner. 31 min That was a slightly risky tackle from Itakura, who had to get between Bos and the ball and then drag it away. It would have been a penalty had he got it wrong but his timing was immaculate. 30 min Foul or not, the Socceroos aren’t keeping the ball well enough. They didn’t park the bus at the start but they have now. I don’t think that’s necessarily the plan, just a natural retreat. Bos tries to change the mood with a thrilling run. He won the ball off Kubo near the halfway line and went straight for goal, no other thought in his mind. He reached the edge of the area before trying to slither between Taniguchi and Itakura; the latter made a really good tackle. 29 min Duke complains to the referee that Taniguchi seems to go through the back of him. The referee doesn’t give a free-kick, never mind a yellow card. I thought Duke slipped but the impassioned nature of his complaint suggests that might not have been the case. 27 min Another corner for Japan. Harry Souttar, who has already made multiple interceptions, is blowing. Kubo’s outswinging corner is headed over by Taniguchi, a tough chance as he was moving away from goal. 26 min “Do let Peter Adams know my Paramount is working (annoying for him it seems like it’s just his system),” says Dechlan Brennan. “As a side note, in Aus, we used to just have football on one pay TV channel. Now it’s four different streaming services needed. More and more like the UK.” 23 min Australia are starting to look a little strained. A cross from the right leads to a couple of mishit shots, the second of which dribbles through to Gauci. 22 min Japan are starting to get round the back in wide positions. Taniguchi’s long driven pass is controlled adroitly on the run by Kubo, who moves away from Bos and into the area. Burgess comes across to concede a corner. 20 min Mitoma beats Miller with ease down the left. His cutback from the byline is intercepted and, though Japan recycle possession, Itakura eventually overhits a cross out of play. Mitoma, surprise surprise, looks a big threat. 19 min The atmosphere sounds tremendous. Australia have at least quietened the crowd in a metaphorical sense by restricting Japan to a single chance in the first 19 minutes. 17 min “Paramount+ not working,” says Peter Adams. “Content not available. Please try again. Are others having trouble?” I’m in the UK, watching it on onefootball.com. Not sure it it’s available in Australia though. 16 min Possession percentage: Japan 68-32 Australia. 15 min A clever corner from Japan. Kubo curls it deep towards Doan, arriving late and unmarked in the box. He mishits a difficult volley into the ground and Gauci saves comfortably. 15 min Mitoma beats Miller for the first time with that beautiful change of pace he has. His low cross is cut out at the near post by the well-positioned Geria. 14 min I should stress that Australia haven’t parked the bus. They’re getting on the ball when they can and Hrustic has just been sent flying by Machida after laying the ball off. There’s a VAR check for a possible red card but it’s cleared very quickly. 12 min On Chris Paraskevas’s point (2 mins), I’ve just become aware of this recent business. Whatever happened to Gary Cooper? 10 min That Kubo chance is the only time Japan have got behind Australia and that involved a fairly significant deflection. It’s been a good start, all told, and there’s only another 80 minutes plus added time left. 9 min Japan are playing some clever, intricate football. But so far Australia, as requested by Rob Haigh, have been compactness itself. 8 min “This is a backs-to-the-wall match now,” says Rob Haigh. “Japan are the big opposition. It’s about being compact, squeezing the pitch, a tight press when not in possession, not allowing Japan to play through the middle, draw them in then hit them on the counter. Oz do have intelligent players, Goodwin is the key man who pulls it altogether. It’s not going to be an easy game whatsoever, they have to be patient and concentrate.” It’s a worry if Craig Goodwin is the key man as he’s on the bench. Maybe it’s part of the plan: keep it tight for another, then get him on the ball when the game opens up in the last 30 minutes. I’m surprised more coaches don’t do that. 7 min Hrustic’s free-kick from the right is headed well wide by Duke on the edge of the area. He got up well but it’s a big ask to score from there. 6 min: Chance for Japan Kubo cuts inside from the right and finds Tanaka near the edge of the area. He produces a bit of fancy footwork and then flicks a pass that deflects back towards Kubo, who belts a first-time shot into the side netting. Not a sitter, but certainly a chance. 4 min “Gee Rob,” says James Cahill. “Early start for the Pakistan v England Test match and then a swift switch to this. Have you annoyed off The Man this much?” As long as He is dispensing beans, I’ll dance for them. 3 min Plenty of early possession for Japan. I feel like I type that in every MBM these days, apart from the ‘Japan’ bit. The point being, I suppose, that in terms of intent there are fewer 50/50 games than there used to be. 2 min “I see the mind games are well underway with the old ‘Bus broke down/reverse Don Revie’ trick,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Can you imagine having to be the driver to tell Tony Popovic that the engine won’t start? “Many years ago when I p̶l̶a̶y̶e̶d̶ embarrassed myself at junior cricket, I remember one team would consistently use the same move: 15 minutes to the toss, 10 minutes... no sight of the reigning champions. “Of course, they’d all pile out of a single van five minutes before play, proceeding to humiliate all of us. Arguably this is a different dynamic but maybe the Japanese genuinely didn’t expect us to turn up tonight?” I mean there is precedent of sorts. 1 min Peep peep! After a small, unofficial delay to the kick-off time, Australia get the match under way. They’re kicking from right to left as we watch. “Luke Brattan is an interesting player,” writes Phil Withall. “I’m glad he’s finally getting his chance on the international stage, his sterling work for Brisbane during the Ange years will never be forgotten. Although the marvellous moment he signed for Man City, posted a picture of himself in an alley in Manchester and promptly left the club will probably remain his career highlight...” You could make a very fine XI of players who signed for City and never kicked a ball. Our man in Tokyo says both teams requested a delay to the kick-off and were rejected by the Asian Football Confederation. That’s pretty ordinary, and there are a few alternative words as well. The story so far A reminder that the top two qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup; the teams in third and fourth go forward to yet another round of qualification, from which they may never escape. A reminder of the two teams Japan (3-4-2-1) Suzuki; Itakura, Taniguchi, Machida; Doan, Tanaka, Morita, Mitoma; Minamino, Kubo; Ueda. Substitutes: Sugawara, Fujita, Maeda, Osako, Nakamura, Ito, Kamada, Mochizuki, Ogawa, Hatate, Seko, Tani. Australia (3-4-2-1) Gauci; Geria, Souttar, Burgess; Miller, Irvine, Brattan, Bos; McGree, Hrustic; Duke. Substitutes: Ryan, Izzo, Deng, Rowles, Yazbek, Velupillay, Stamatelopoulos, Irankunda, Arzani, Behich, Baccus, Goodwin. As you were. But it’s far from ideal preparation for such a tough game. We may have a delayed kick off. No official word yet but we’ll keep you posted. Joey Lynch on Australia"s new regime In the aftermath of the win in Adelaide last Thursday, Popovic preached that the national team needed to be a more difficult environment for players than they encountered at their clubs. He concedes that it to be hard work for those that come in and, if they wish to return, they need to maintain an elite level outside international duty. Indeed, if there has been one theme that has run through the Socceroos since Popovic’s arrival, it has been a demand to be elite each and every day, not just in green and gold. Japan team news Hajime Moriyasu makes two change from the team that beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Jeddah: Real Sociedad’s Take Kubo and Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka replace Daichi Kamada and the captain Wataru Endo, who isn’t in the squad. Japan (3-4-2-1) Suzuki; Itakura, Taniguchi, Machida; Doan, Tanaka, Morita, Mitoma; Minamino, Kubo; Ueda. Substitutes: Sugawara, Fujita, Maeda, Osako, Nakamura, Ito, Kamada, Mochizuki, Ogawa, Hatate, Seko, Tani. Socceroos team news: Brattan to make debut Tony Popovic has changed more than half the XI that started against China on Thursday. Not sure anyone saw that coming. Luke Brattan, 34, will make his international debut in midfield. In Jason Geria, Cam Burgess, Jordy Bos, Luke Brattan, Ajdin Hrustic, Riley McGree Out Thomas Deng, Kye Rowles, Aiden O’Neill, Aziz Behich, Craig Goodwin, Nestory Irankunda. Paul Williams on Japan’s rise The foundation for Japan’s modern-day success, with a depth of talent the envy of the continent, is the domestic J League, founded in 1993 and now boasting 60 teams across three divisions – all connected by promotion and relegation. The A-League, by comparison, still has only 13 teams and no prospect of an aligned second division on the horizon. Preamble Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier against Japan in Saitama. It’s not often Australia are rank outsiders in an Asian Federation game but that’s the case tonight. They haven’t beaten Japan since 2009 and are already five points behind them in Group C. The 3-1 win over China on Thursday restored a bit of order but the fact Japan won the equivalent fixture 7-0 tells you where Australia are right now. While the games against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will probably determine whether Australia take the second automatic qualification place, this match is a useful health check against the highest-ranked team in Asia. A draw would a terrific result; a win would be one for the books. Kick off 9.35pm AEDT/7.35pm local