Australia staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-1 victory over China on Thursday, revitalizing their World Cup qualifying journey and marking a successful beginning to Tony Popovic’s tenure as coach.
The Socceroos entered the match at Adelaide Oval following a surprising 1-0 defeat to Bahrain at home and a goalless draw in Indonesia last month, placing them in a precarious position in Asian Group C.
Currently positioned second in the group with four points, Australia shares this standing with Saudi Arabia, who are set to face Japan later on Thursday.
This triumph comes on the heels of the departure of former coach Graham Arnold, with Popovic stepping in as his successor.
Goals from Lewis Miller, Craig Goodwin, and debutant Nishan Velupillay turned the tide after initially falling behind in the 20th minute, much to the delight of the 46,291 spectators in attendance.
This crucial win sets Australia up for a challenging away fixture against Japan next week, while condemning China to their third consecutive qualifying defeat.
In this six-team group, only the top two contenders secure direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, leaving the third and fourth-placed teams to navigate another qualifying phase.
World Cup Qualifiers Group Ranking
Struggling at the bottom of the group, China faces mounting pressure on Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic, whose leadership has come under scrutiny amidst a string of poor performances.
Despite limited time to prepare with the squad, Popovic made significant changes, notably opting for Joe Gauci over captain Mat Ryan in goal, and assigning Jackson Irvine the captain’s armband.
China also fielded a reshuffled lineup, missing key players such as long-serving stalwart Wu Lei and Brazilian-born Alan Carvalho due to injuries.
Australia displayed early dominance, controlling possession and earning numerous set-pieces near the box.
However, China’s steadfast defense thwarted their efforts, leading to a surprise lead for the visitors through Xie Wenneng’s left-footed strike.
The hosts persisted and finally found the breakthrough just before halftime, as Hibernian defender Miller netted his first international goal from a Goodwin free-kick, breaking a 207-minute goal drought in qualifying matches.
Popovic’s halftime substitutions of Nestory Irankunda and Thomas Deng for Riley McGree and Jason Geria injected fresh energy into the team.
This revitalization culminated in Goodwin’s spectacular 30-meter strike, followed by Velupillay’s late goal in stoppage time, sealing a convincing 3-1 victory for Australia.
