The Socceroos are off to the Qatar World Cup after defeating Peru in a penalty shootout on Tuesday morning Australia time.
Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was the hero, making the winning save as Australia won the shootout 5-4 after the match finished 0-0 after extra-time.
Australia will now face Denmark, France and Tunisia at November’s World Cup in Qatar.
Australia emulated their 2005 heroics against Uruguay and won the shootout, qualifying for a fifth-straight World Cup.
AS IT HAPPENED: See The Roar’s live match coverage here.
During the match, Peruvian substitute Edison Flores went closest to breaking the deadlock for either team with a header which hit the post in the second half of extra-time but the match finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Australia coach Graham Arnold gambled by bringing on Sydney FC goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne for the shootout, replacing captain Mat Ryan just before fulltime.
Redmayne saved Peru’s sixth penalty as Australia won the shootout 5-4 to qualify for November’s tournament.
After 120 goalless minutes, Aaron Mooy, Craig Goodwin, Ajdin Hrustic, Jamie Maclaren and Awer Mabil all scored from the spot to make up for Martin Boyle’s miss before Redmayne denied Peru’s Alex Valera to spark joyous celebrations at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES: SEE WHEN THE SOCCEROOS PLAY IN QATAR
The victory is also a triumph for Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who will now lead the country to a World Cup finals after fighting to save his job when he missed out on automatic qualification in March.
His decision to bring on Redmayne in place of Ryan just before fulltime will go down as a master-stroke with the Sydney FC goalkeeper joining Mark Schwarzer and John Aloisi as a World Cup penalty shootout hero.
Australia win after an arm wrestle
Earlier, Australia made the early running in a stadium dominated by Peruvian fans, with Mitch Duke flashing a couple of early efforts past the goal.
Nathaniel Atkinson gave Australia an early headache when he was booked in just the 12th minute for pulling back Peru star Christian Cueva.
The most dangerous moments for the Socceroos in the opening term came via Scottish-born winger Boyle.
In the 20th minute, Boyle surged past two defenders into the box but his driven cross was just too far in front of Duke for the striker to make any contact.
Boyle was key again when the Socceroos had a penalty shout in the 32nd minute.
Crowded by three Peruvian defenders, Boyle was cut down on the edge of the area but replays showed the South Americans had won the ball cleanly and play continued.
Peru grew into the half but also failed to get an effort on target in the opening 45, with Andre Carrillo and Luis Advincula in particular combining dangerously on the right.
Both teams kept scrapping for the upper hand in the second-half with Peru carving out the clearer opportunities.
Carillo forced Ryan to palm away a floated cross at full stretch in the 63rd minute before Cueva lashed a shot into the side-netting just minutes later.
The first shot on target for either team came via Hrustic in the 81st minute but his long-range free-kick was easily claimed by Peru captain Pedro Gallese.
Four minutes later, Aziz Behich just failed to bend a skidding effort on target after the left-back picked up a loose ball and beat two Peruvians before having a shot from outside the box.
Hrustic nearly stole the win for Australia in the 88th minute when he was found by substitute Mabil’s cutback but Gallese just managed to keep the midfielder’s shot from squirming in.
Flores had Peru’s first shot on target in the game in the first period of extra-time but his effort from outside the box was straight at Ryan, who comfortably saved.
Cueva then had a great chance to put the South Americans ahead at the start of the second period of extra-time but blazed wide after being set up by the dangerous Flores.
Flores then hit the post with a header after getting the jump on Behich at the backpost in the closest moment for either team.
Arnold then turned to Redmayne moments before the final whistle, in a decision which will now go down in Australian sporting folklore.
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
they should have - still ,should be a good test for our boys
Grem
Roar Rookie
To the World Cup. I finished the sentence for you. His commitment to football can never be questioned, but his tactics at times can be.
Grem
Roar Rookie
We're playing NZ and as of tomorrow they'll be qualified.
Blue
Guest
NOBODY should be going to Qatar. Unless it doesn't bother you that the person who laid the concrete under your feet at the stadium might be dead. Then, by all means, go.
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
Redders you beauty! I was stunned to see Redmayne come in. A major gamble by Arnie which paid off. His jumping around like a madman (Grey Wiggle) did not appear effective, until it was effective and he saved that final kick from Valera. Not a match to treasure for its aesthetics but what a win for the Socceroos. I think my having low expectations after the way this team ended qualifying makes this qualification even more special. Five months to work on bettering the team but for now let's celebrate!
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
Yes, with Alou Kuol
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
Duke started very well but after the first 20-25 minutes was missing in action. Some of that was lack of service, some of it due to his lack of clarity. But Arnold was wise to take him off when he did. I thought Rowles and Wright were each superb in central defence. They took Lapadula out of the game. Other than the late Edison Flores header off the post, when he beat Behich in the air, Peru's strategy of hitting crosses inside the box was baffling to me as Rowles and Wright ate those up. Not an aesthetically pleasing game but World Cup playoffs rarely are, the important thing obviously is to qualify and now Australia can work on fine tuning its team for November.
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
A goalie can not only move laterally but can move forward as well so long as he keeps one foot on the line until the penalty taker strikes the ball.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
haha i was waiting for someone to mention this my 'opinion' on redders hasnt changed since his late teens, i didnt think he would make it as a professional - he didnt then (and to a certain degree now) doesnt have the basic fundamentals downpat as a goalkeeper and still makes too many mistakes. hes spent the majority of his career with a team (sydney) that always has had quality centrebacks and a very good defensive setup - he has been extremely well protected. based on form, there is no way he should've been selected this campaign - if you want purely a 'penalty saving keeper' for moments like this morning (who was in form) there's joe gauci, jamie young and to a lesser exten mark birighitti. im shocked sydney actually gave him an extension, he would've been one of of the first names axed this off season if i was manager lol in saying all that, i cant fault him with his performance this morning - extremely unorthodox stance on his line and can make a penalty taker really second guess themselves
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Would like to see a few friendly's played in Australia for the build up, we have the New Zealand games but surely we should be able to play some qualified teams.
striker
Guest
This result is as big as 2005 for me in the way the game was headed and the issues we had, incredible effort with an average team, this should put the doomsdayers to sleep once and for all,well done socceroos.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I thought it was great move to bring in Duke and get rid of Goodwin, Goodwin is a bit of a weakling these days, Leckie and Duke provided the muscle . Peru what part of Spain did they stay in, which way was the wind blowing, in June the mediterranean is still quite cold, that keeps temps down as well. The Peru coach said he stayed in Spain because you could train in the temps there. The heat in Qatar even if you dont spend a lot of time in it outside it can really hit you. If they had played in the heat like Australia have had to do in the past I would gave gone for 3-0 to the Socceroos . As it was with air conditioned they looked a bit off the pace, and Australia dominated the match.That Boyle penalty was as clear as day, and they had other chances as well. The Peru coach settled for penalties but he didnt know what awaited him.
Nick
Roar Guru
Give the man a day off, yeah? You can whine tomorrow
Nick Symonds
Guest
THIS IS THE SEA – THE WATERBOYS These things you keep You'd better throw them away You wanna turn your back On your soulless days Once you were tethered And now you are free Once you were tethered Well now you are free That was the river This is the sea!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The goal keeper is not allowed to move off the goal line , as long as they stay on the goal line they can do all the moves they want. Though Remayne is overdoing the dancing these days, he was better when he wasn't doing as many moves. He did it against Perth in the grandfinal but Perth they were calamitous with the penalties against Adelaide, Adelaide missed 4 for them to go through, what made Popovic think he could defeat Redmayne in a penalty shoot they only got 1 penalty against Redmayne
Just call me Campo
Roar Rookie
good on the goalie but I thought you (goalie) weren't allowed to move during s penalty. Has the rule changed?
AGO74
Guest
Copa America I should say.
AGO74
Guest
My biggest fear for the game was that there wasn’t much difference between the players and that it’d be down to coaches. Given Gareca has gotten Peru to first World Cup finals and Copa libertadores final in 40 years - then surely Gareca amd by virtue Peru come out on top. But Arnie had it tonight most obviously with Redders but the subs and when they came on I thought gave us more than what perus gave their team. And as I said below credit to selecting the absolute rookie in Rowles (who was very good in both games) whereas the more conservative option was to play Degenek.
AGO74
Guest
Good luck to the All Whites. Hope they can do it.
AGO74
Guest
Jackson Irvine hasn’t played two better games for Australia than what he has done against uae and Peru. Credit to Arnie for throwing Kai Rowles in for his debut rather than the known quantity of Degenek. Rowles was immense. And Bailey Wright was fantastic tonight. Credit to Andrew Clark and Aaron mooy for their work in getting him ready to run out two enormous matches comfortably. I don’t think anyone believed that would be possible. Credit to Arnie and the team for adjusting with the disappointing late withdrawal our best player of last 12 months Tom Rogic. Everyone stepped up. Everyone played well. Arnie deserved brickbats previously but he deserves plaudits for the way this camp has gone. His whole team has managed it pretty much without fault. To be fair to Arnie this is the only sustained time he has had as manager since the Kuwait mini-camp last year. I’m not saying all is forgiven but you have to be balanced in your view - be that negative or positive. I think we were all (rightfully) nervous about how Arnie would go against a manager who has taken Peru to a level they haven’t enjoyed in 40 years yet I’d say of the managers in terms of prep, tactics and subs that Arnie got the better of Gareca in this match. It honestly looked like Peru thought they could just turn up and win. The thing is now we can improve further. Let’s hope we don’t waste this opportunity. Lastly - I’d really like to know the statistical probability of Peru winning vs Australia winning when Peru led 2-1. That was absolute nerves of steel to come back from that. Brilliant!