Five quick hits: Mitch Duke's goal, Mat Ryan's save, and the red card that wasn't as Australia beat Saudi Arabia

Australia Broadcast Center

3 days ago

The Socceroos have done it, beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in Jeddah to confirm their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
Only needing to avoid a massive defeat, the Socceroos went behind early, but fought back to win a wild game played out in 31-degree temperatures in the Middle East.
Here are the five quick hits from the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.
The Socceroos were always going to be under pressure in Jeddah, meaning that they would need to take any chance that came their way.
That first chance came in the 18th minute, when Martin Boyle was played in on the edge of the penalty area after Hassan Kadesh gave the ball away cheaply.
Boyle, who has scored 11 Premiership goals for Hibernian this season, should have done better, flashing his shot wide of the far post.
Less than a minute later, Saudi Arabia had the lead.
Salem Al-Dawsari worked his way into the box with a scything run and then his low cross was spun into the net by Abdulrahman Al-Obud on the line.
The Socceroos appealed in vain for offside but the goal stood and the pressure mounted.
There is never a bad time to score your first goal for your country, but there sure is a great time.
With Saudi Arabia pressing, the counterattack was always going to be the Socceroos' best chance of breaking the shackles, and so it proved when a long ball was gathered by Mitch Duke out on the left touchline.
He held the ball up brilliantly before flicking it back inside perfectly into the path of the rampaging St Pauli midfielder Connor Metcalfe, who hammered the ball into the ground and over the despairing, flailing arms of the Saudi keeper to score his first goal in green and gold.
Given injury has limited the 25-year-old to just 10 Bundesliga appearances this season, he may have felt a moment like this would be a long way away.
But his composure under pressure allowed the Socceroos to extinguish any hope the Saudis had of the dramatic goal-fest victory they so desperately needed.
Mitch Duke probably wasn't going to be in this squad, only being brought in when Mat Leckie went down with an injury.
But now he's here, boy did he make his moment count.
The assist for the Socceroos' first goal was special, but the header for the winner was much more in his wheelhouse.
A perfect delivery, a perfect leap, and the perfect sound of silence as the ball bulged the back of the net and the Jeddah crowd felt their dreams of direct World Cup progression evaporate.
Duke's goal makes him just the sixth Socceroo to score a goal and provide an assist in a match outside of Australia since 2015.
Once again it was the Socceroos counterattack that paid off, leaving Saudi Arabia desperately exposed at the back.
Duke and Boyle combined up top to latch onto a through ball only for Boyle to hit the deck.
Ali Majrashi was the closest player and referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim did not hesitate in reaching for the red card.
Except, that wasn't quite it.
Al Jassim was called over to the monitor after a lengthy VAR check and saw that there was barely any contact on Boyle and so the red card was rescinded.
Boyle, by the way, was already on a yellow card and may have momentarily been worried that he could have been sent off for simulation.
However, VAR cannot rule on yellow card incidents so he remained on the pitch, albeit a little miffed that he had not been fouled.
Mat Ryan admitted that he felt his career in green and gold may have been over after he was overlooked for Tony Popovic's first couple of matches in charge.
A torrid time in club-land meant that Ryan, despite his experience and expertise, was no certainty to regain his spot.
But however temporary form is, class remains permanent and by pulling on the gloves in Jeddah, the ex-Brighton man made his 100th appearance for the Socceroos.
Qualifying for the World Cup may be enough to remember such a milestone match, but that was not going to be enough for the scriptwriters.
When Salem Al-Dawsari hit the deck under Jason Geria's challenge, Ryan was to be called upon to preserve his country's lead.
He did not disappoint.
A good penalty, struck low to Ryan's left, was brilliantly saved by the Socceroos veteran to compound the Saudi's woes and enshrine Ryan into legend.