The Socceroos have crashed out of the Asian Cup in heartbreaking fashion, suffering a dramatic 2-1 extra-time loss to South Korea after throwing away a 1-0 lead.
The irrepressible Craig Goodwin had given Australia the lead on Friday (Saturday AEDT) when he volleyed home in the 42nd minute in front of 39,632 fans at the Al Janoub Stadium.
Australia then spurned multiple chances to double their lead before a nightmare stint off the bench from right-back Lewis Miller, and two big moments from Son Heung-min turned the game in the favour of Jurgen Klinsmann’s side.
With Graham Arnold’s charges up 1-0 deep into stoppage time, Miller needlessly dived in late on South Korea’s superstar captain Son, giving away a penalty.
Hwang Hee-chan coolly slammed the spot-kick into the top corner in the sixth minute of injury time to take the game to extra-time.
In the 104th minute, Miller was the culprit again, bringing down Hwang on the edge of the area, only for Spurs’ Son to lift a wonderful free kick into the top corner to put South Korea in front.
Australia’s hopes of a comeback all but evaporated minutes later when they were reduced to 10 men.
Aiden O’Neill lunged in on the ball and caught Hwang with his studs, with his initial yellow card upgraded to a straight red after a VAR referral.
“I put my arm around him and gave him a hug and told him that these things are lessons in life and you learn from these type of things and you move forward,” Arnold said when asked about Miller.
“These boys will be on the plane in the next five or six hours to get back to their clubs and he’s got to get back to his club and obviously it’s a different environment to here and he’ll be fine.”
Miller, 23, wouldn’t stop to speak to media in the mixed zone, but his senior teammates went in to bat for the Hibernian defender.
“It’s quite devastating, quite emotional for the players and staff how we finished the game. We played well for the first 90 minutes till we conceded the penalty,” said Arnold.
“South Korea’s players play in top leagues with a fast tempo and they can keep it up. They’re playing for teams like Tottenham, Wolves – they can run the legs off teams and punish us in the end.”
Goalscorer Goodwin was crestfallen to have come so close to progressing.
“It’s just disappointment at the moment, you know?” he said.
“We were one minute away from going through. We had chances to put the game away in the second half. We should have scored a second goal.
(Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
“To be honest I don’t really know what to say. Korea’s a great side, and we gave them opportunities from set pieces that we didn’t need to. When they’ve got quality like that, they punished us.
“For him (Miller), it’s just a learning curve. For anyone in that position it’s about trying to keep your head, stay present in the moment and in the game.
“He’s been unlucky to give away that penalty because I feel it was one that could have gone the other way, but it’s done now. We’re all just disappointed.
Keeper Mat Ryan was equally downbeat.
“It’s painful,” said the keeper.
“It’s hard not to get caught up in the emotions. The chances were there but we just couldn’t get that extra goal to give us a little bit of a buffer. Moments decide matches, you know? Not to blame one particular moment, there’s 120 minutes in the game where we could have done better.
“All we can do is use this adversity to spur us on to bigger and better things.”
Centre-back Harry Souttar said: “We win as a team, we lose as a team.
“We’ve got to learn from it. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes in games … everyone makes mistakes and that’s one of them.
“We’re not going to sit and criticise him and point him out because we can’t let it get to that moment.
“Can we defend it better when he (Son) comes inside first and foremost? For me personally, probably.”
South Korea comfortably saw out the game to send Australia packing and tee up a semi-final against Jordan, who beat Tajikistan 1-0 earlier on Friday.
It is Australia’s second consecutive Asian Cup quarter-final exit and until Miller’s error, the Socceroos would have arguably deserved progression.
South Korea had the bulk of possession but Australia pressed with purpose from the opening whistle, were disciplined defensively and patient in attack.
Goalkeeper Mat Ryan, without his protective face mask for the first time all tournament, made multiple big saves.
Goodwin and Mitch Duke started after returning from injury via the bench against Indonesia, replacing Jordy Bos and Bruno Fornaroli respectively among four changes.
Hwang tapped home in the 32nd minute but it was ruled offside and Australia took the lead 10 minutes later.
Goodwin pounced on a loose pass then worked the ball to Duke, who found Connor Metcalfe, who slipped through Nathaniel Atkinson out wide.
Atkinson lofted the ball to the back post where Goodwin drilled a skidding volley home.
Harry Souttar was carded just before halftime after catching Cho Gue-sung high and would have missed the semi-final through suspension had Australia progressed.
In the 53rd minute, Jo Hyeon-woo saved a seemingly goal-bound header from Martin Boyle, then his follow-up shot, before Duke hooked the rebound over the bar.
Then, in the 84th minute, Bos lofted the ball across goal to Duke, but he turned his diving far post header wide.
Australia attempted to close out the game, but it all blew up in smoke when Miller dived in on Son.
“Obviously it was another drama, we’re extremely happy and thrilled to go through. It was a hard fight with Australia, we expected it. But to go 120 minutes again, I’m proud of this team and their spirit,” Klinsmann said.
(with AAP)
sheek
Roar Guru
Thanks Blink. Unfortunately I don't give a stuff what you think...
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
I had hoped the sarcasm was obvious. Next time I’ll try harder.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Some facts Ad: 1. Football (Soccer) is the 2nd biggest participation sport in the USA. 2. The MLS is around the 8th or 9th highest attended Soccer league in the world. 3. Six clubs have average attendances over 25,000 - Atlanta's is closer to 50,000. 4. Most clubs have average attendances that are close to the seating capacity of their home ground. 5. While Messi might be boosting these figures the vast bulk of Soccer's rise is through its participation base and widespread and growing interest in the game. 6. Soccer and Basketball are taking over US sport, with Baseball maintaining a strong participation base but in decline commercially. 7. NFL is the weird one - probably headed for a concussion-driven oblivion, unless AI enables robots to play.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
What fact? There may or may not be a 400% increase in interest but that doesnt mean football isnt a distant 5th, probably lower, in the American sporting hierachy. Guys like you can go round calling people names, it doesnt change the facts.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
MLS is moving slowly in the right direction off the back of Messi and a lot of good work, but government funding isnt what got them there. While the MLS has improved, football is still a niche sport despite decades of US administrators getting a lot right. Football is probably more popular in Australia. Dont forget the NFL and the NBA are not exactly standing still.
Blink
Roar Rookie
But the Chinese govt haven't spent a fortune on Football. They're like our lot. That is why their top league fell over and the international stars departed. Economy downturn, sponsors departed the game. They will succeed one day as they have the numbers and talent spotting will improve.
Blink
Roar Rookie
What complete nonsense again Sheek. Take the high ground and pretend we're good or should be. Why? The Matildas made the semi-final of the World Cup, maybe to far back for you to remember, and the men made it the knockout stage of the World Cup and played great. While we tell ourselves we're a great sporting nation it is BS. We win where there's not World Competition. You can pretend all you like and most prefer to pretend and blame. Talk rubbish all you like but we're doing ok with the talent available!
Redondo
Roar Rookie
There are several ways to answer that question... 1. Maybe Arnie picked the best players available but, as has been obvious for the last few world cup cycles (Ange, van Marwijk, Arnie), we don't have many highly skilled footballers. Good teams pressure us hard and although we defend desperately it's usually not enough. 2. Maybe Arnie didn't pick the best players available...but if so who should he have picked? We most sorely lack a quality striker and a creative midfielder - name anyone who fits that bill. Regardless, and I suspect we agree here, the real problem is that Arnie's preferred style of play is to invite stronger teams to pummel us in the hope we can catch them on the break and then doggedly defend a narrow lead. Since Arnie took over in 2018 we have managed just 1 draw against Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan, with the rest being losses. That kind of suggests that Arnie's approach is not working against the better teams (and also sees us struggling against the poorer ones). Weirdly, Arnie's approach is pretty much the reverse of Ange's. Both come/came unstuck because we struggle to hold the ball, both individually and collectively. Individually, Mooy was an exception but he was often so ponderously slow and conservative with his passing it negated his ability to hold the ball and steady the game. But...despite their limitations, I think the players we have deserve better than Arnie's current approach. Iran, for example, has a good but not great squad, much like Australia's. But their style of play is much more positive and proactive - they're good on the break but they also try to make things happen. So they don't spend the whole game chasing opponents all over the park, and instead make their opponents do a lot of that as well. Therefore...#ArnieOut, just so we can try something new as the next gen arrives on the scene.
Beach
Roar Rookie
And how is the weather in la la land?
Beach
Roar Rookie
Well what we saw in the Asian Cup from Australia was certainly a form of brain death.
Beach
Roar Rookie
An addicted goal scorer?
Beach
Roar Rookie
I suspect that he won't be chucking often if he is unwise enough to read the forum.
Beach
Roar Rookie
You have a very singular view of what 26% possession means.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Let’s move on then? Why did Arnie pick these players that can’t keep the ball? He’s been in post long enough to know all these players - ???
chris1
Roar Rookie
Redondo loudmouths don't like facts
Punter
Roar Rookie
Yes & I was answering as to why football celebrate a goal.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Well that's a much sillier answer than I was expecting. I expect Arnie had a chuckle when he read it as well.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Every. Single. Player. In. His. Squad. Then add to they pretty much every professional player in the A League
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Tell me who they are Waz.
chris1
Roar Rookie
Yes and I said early on that a lot of good players were left behind. S Korea and Japan sent their best possible squad. We didn't. Japan are also out and I'm sure there are cries to sack Moriyasu. Klinsman was also on the chopping block. Everyone wants everyone sacked, change this player and that. Change the tactics. Change players, sack the coach and change the tactics. Blah blah blah.