The Socceroos have drawn 1-1 with Japan in their 2014 World Cup Qualifier in Saitama, with a 90th-minute Keisuke Honda penalty denying Australia what would have been a famous victory.
Referee Nawaf Shukralla awarded the penalty after adjudging Socceroos defender Matt McKay to have handballed a Japanese cross.
A cross-turned-shot from Tommy Oar, who was one of Australia’s best with his speed on the left, had earlier put Australia 1-0 up in the 81st minute.
Led by captain Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski, Australia’s defence had scrambled well on several occasions with the likes of Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Yasuhito Endo all creating chances for Japan.
A superb reflex save from Mark Schwarzer kept out Kagawa early on in the game, as Australia struggled to come to terms with the speed and movement of their opponents.
But Australia were having success on the counter, directed by the distribution of Mark Bresciano and Brett Holman, and could have gone ahead midway through the first half when Holman released Robbie Kruse.
Kruse’s shot couldn’t beat an advancing Eiji Kawashima in the Japan goal, and Tim Cahill could only hit a difficult rebound over the crossbar from distance.
Australia’s pressing of Japan had begun to tire older legs and the home side began to dictate possession in the second half, with Kagawa going close with a chip that shaved the apex of the goal.
Oar’s goal had given the visitors an unlikely lead and while Japan committed numbers forward in search of the equaliser, the Socceroos seemed to be doing well to shut the Blue Samurai out.
That was until McKay’s indiscretion as the final minute of normal time elapsed, and Honda made no mistake with the penalty to cruelly deny Australia a victory that would have taken them a long way toward qualification for Brazil.
The result leaves Australia second in the Group B on seven points, with home matches against Jordan and Iraq to come.
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