LIVE UPDATES: Socceroos World Cup hope's on the line in Perth against Japan
The Socceroos face their biggest-ever match in Perth with a victory over Japan all but sending them to the next FIFA World Cup in North America.
The Aussies come into this one off back-to-back wins, knowing victory puts them on the brink of qualification for soccer's showcase event.
Japan have made a whopping 10 changes to their line-up in a huge boost to the home sides' aspirations.
Follow all the action from Optus Stadium in our live blog.
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Perth Now
28 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Young Nipper makes history for North Cott SLSC
A 13-year-old champion surf lifesaver from North Cottesloe is making waves across the country after taking home multiple medals from this year's Australian championships — something his coach said is 'unheard of'. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year, where he claimed two individual silver medals in sprints and flags events, was part of North Cott's triumphant U13 beach relay team and landed a bronze as part of his club's U13 mixed beach relay team. He backed up all that success on the Queensland sand by being named Nipper of the Year at Surf Life Saving WA's annual awards last month. Your local paper, whenever you want it. His coach for the past four summers, Renee Gibbs, said Edward's national achievements in his final year as a nippers competitor were a huge moment for the club. 'The Aussies are a lot more competitive than the State comp ... there's something like 5000 competitors in the Australian titles every year over in Queensland,' Mrs Gibbs said. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper / Perth Now 'Edward got four medals at Aussies, which is unheard of really. It's an unbelievable result. 'And the team also won gold in the rally, which was one of the very first gold we've had, so it was a really amazing moment.' Edward praised his teammates for their success in the challenging conditions that Queensland threw up, which included event delays. 'It was in pretty difficult weather conditions and there were a lot of strong competitors from other States,' Edward said. 'WA has some strong runners and our North Cott relay team got gold, which was really fun to race in.' Edward is just five years into surf lifesaving, having first joined the North Cott SLSC after his parents thought it would be a good idea to build some water sense. I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals 'Nippers is such a great way for them to gain more experience in the water and have fun at the same time,' Edwards' father Jayden Wallis said. 'It's been an enjoyable outlet for Ed and he is keen to keep pursuing the sport into the senior ranks.' Next summer Edward moves up from Nippers to the cadet program at North Cottesloe, where he will look to attain his surf rescue certificate and compete in more carnivals. 'I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals,' he said. 'I'm really looking forward to being able to do patrols, train and compete again next year.' Mrs Gibbs and her husband have coached North Cottesloe nippers for several years to help youngsters with their beach safety and to foster WA's surf life saving community. 'Joining a surf club is all about being part of a team ... it's really nurturing, really supportive and just a fun kind of environment,' she said. 'And that's something Edward really understands ... I think he loves that it's not all about him, you know, it's actually about the club and the team.'
West Australian
12 hours ago
- West Australian
Socceroos forward Brandon Borrello says they want to beat Saudi Arabia, not just qualify for World Cup
Australia might simply need to avoid a thrashing in Jeddah to secure World Cup qualification — but in the minds of Brandon Borrello and his Socceroos teammates, they are going to Saudi Arabia to win. The relief of Aziz Behich's late winner against Japan to put Australia within a whisker of a sixth-straight FIFA World Cup has subsided, even if the glow is yet to. But it has already been replaced within the Socceroos' camp by a laser-focus on Wednesday morning's (WST) against the Saudis. Behich's 90th minute goal to rescue an undeserved win for the Socceroos after they were put to the sword by Samurai Blue has deservedly grabbed the headlines all around Australia. After Saudi Arabia's overnight win over Bahrain, all the Socceroos have to do to officially rubber-stamp their ticket to next year's World Cup in North America is avoid a five-goal thumping. Tony Popovic's side have a +8 advantage on goal difference over their third-placed rivals, meaning even a 4-0 win to Saudi Arabia would not be enough for them to usurp the Socceroos in the standings. Had Behich not found the net and Australia merely clung on for a 0-0 draw against an impressive Japan, it would have meant they only had a one-point lead heading into the Saudi Arabia game. 'It was just euphoria at that time. But then the realisation sets in, there's still a game to be played in terms of not us, but Saudi and Bahrain,' he said. 'The boss spoke to us about moments; it only took one moment for us to win the game, and we celebrated in that moment. 'And then, it was straight back to the thought process of 'we have to go to Saudi now and get a result regardless.'' Borrello said they would head to Jeddah imbued with confidence having not just kept a clean sheet against Japan, but also a first win over the Asian powerhouse since 2009. 'If I'm being honest, without sounding arrogant, our intention was to beat Japan. That was the way we spoke, that was the language we used around it, we're going to win and obviously, last night, we created a bit of history,' he said. 'Playing World Cup qualifiers, every goal you score counts, and every goal you don't concede counts so it's a great feat for the boys as a team that can sort of band together and grind out a result like that.' However, Borrello also said any talk of simply avoiding a heavy defeat is banned in the Socceroos camp. 'If they have to win by five, that shouldn't be the talk of the town. We're going there to win regardless,' he said. 'I don't want to speak about going over there and losing. That's not really the language we want to use, we want to go over there and win. 'It feels embarrassing to go over there and say, 'Saudi need to beat us 5-0'. It's this mentality of 'we're winning, we're going to qualify for the World Cup, we're gonna celebrate together and it's going to be great for the country.' With the Saudis' overnight match against Bahrain having kicked off at midnight, Borrello said the squad were permitted to stay up and watch the game, but Popovic had stressed the importance of recovery, given the grueling nature of the Japan game and the looming, arduous 15-hour flight to Jeddah. 'When we go to Saudi, it's business as usual. We haven't achieved anything yet, and our eyes are on the prize of qualifying for the World Cup,' he said. At the squad's training at HBF Park on Friday morning, only those not involved in the previous night's match trained fully. After just his third 90-minute game back from a torn ACL, Perth-raised young gun Alessandro Circati spent time speaking with the national team's physios. He did not even join his teammates in a light jog and was instead restricted to gingerly walking laps alongside right-back Lewis Miller and midfielder Connor Metcalfe. Popovic will not want to break up his back three of Circati, Milos Degenek and Cameron Burgess, but might opt to safeguard the former given his only recent return to action. Borrello admitted Saudi Arabia's 2-0 win over Bahrain was frustrating, given the emotional highs they had experienced a few hours before. But all that frustration will flicker and fade quickly is the final whistle blows in Jeddah and Australia's place at next year's marquee tournament is confirmed. 'I don't think it matters how you qualify, as long as you do qualify,' Borrello said. 'That's football sometimes, and obviously, with our results going the way they've gone, we could have qualified earlier, we could have qualified later, but this is just our route.'
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Perth Now
Arnold starts Iraq tenure with defeat
Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold remains confident he can guide Iraq to next year's FIFA World Cup despite tasting defeat in his first game in charge of the Lions of Mesopotamia. Iraq, who had striker Ali Al-Hamadi sent off in the first half, suffered a 2-0 home loss to South Korea in an AFC third-round Group B qualifier on Friday morning (AEST). Second-half goals to substitutes Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu not only secured victory for the South Koreans but also sealed their World Cup qualification. Also qualifying from Group B is Jordan, who beat Oman 3-0 in Muscat on Friday morning. Arnold's Iraq, who meet Jordan in Amman on Wednesday morning, will finish in either third or fourth place in Group B. That will ensure Arnold's men have another chance to reach the World Cup through the fourth-round of AFC qualifiers, which involves the nations placing third and fourth from each of the three third-round groups. 'We have a real chance to qualify through the playoffs,' Arnold said after Iraq's loss. 'I've done it before with the Australian national team (to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar).' Arnold said striker Al-Hamadi's 26th-minute dismissal for a high boot to the face of South Korean defender Cho Yu-min 'affected' Iraq a 'lot'. 'We were playing very well until the red card,' he said.
