Socceroos sink Syria in extra-time thriller
The Socceroos have taken one step closer to qualifying for Russia 2018 with a thrilling victory over Syria in the second leg of their World Cup play-off.
Aussie talisman Tim Cahill was the hero for the Socceroos on Tuesday night, bagging a double in a 2-1 victory, including the winner in extra-time.
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Twenty qualifying matches over 28 months of gruelling travel to far-flung parts of Asia all came down to this breathless, slightly skittish affair that had the 42,136 crowd in raptures at times and stunned silence at others.
The odds were stacked against Syria, who made do with a heavily depleted squad at a venue historically favouring their better-resourced Australian hosts.
Disaster struck anyway not six minutes in when Mark Milligan turned over possession and, after a swift counter-attack, Al Somah popped the ball over Mat Ryan's head with ease.
The away goal advantage was gone in an instant and Australia's woes soon compounded when Brad Smith went down with an apparent hip injury.
Suddenly Aaron Mooy was warming up and on the pitch, his hugely controversially omission lasting a mere 10 minutes.
The equaliser, though, came from the veteran famous for making magic when the chips are down.
Cahill was already planning his run into the box when Tom Rogic unleashed Mat Leckie, who placed a perfect arcing cross on a platter for the 37-year-old to head home with trademark gusto for goal No.49.
Australia's attack was fluid, Aaron Mooy the fulcrum and Rogic the centrepiece, the Celtic star running through red-shirted defenders and sending one particularly venomous shot whistling just shy of the right-hand upright.
Leckie, restored to right wing-back, followed a cute backheel with a pirouette and then stung the palms of Syria goalkeeper Ibrahim Alma.
The Socceroos pushed higher after the break, shutting down opposing forays with increasing regularity but enduring nervy moments as their visitors repeatedly won the second ball.
The introduction of Syrian hero Firas Al Khatib injected drive and composure into his country's disjointed attack.
In response, Australia pounded their penalty area and Rogic came agonisingly close to netting the winner twice in quick succession.
His frustration descended into a collective scrap as both sides searched for the deciding regulation-time goal that would not come, substitute Nikita Rukavytsya fluffing his lines and Al Khatib thwarted by the slippery surface.
Extra-time had barely begun when Mahmoud Al Mawas was shown his second yellow card and given his marching orders for a stamp on Robbie Kruse.
A man down and with penalties looming, Syria upped the time-wasting antics as Australia rallied, Rukavytsya very nearly put a volley in at Alma's near post.
Then, in the 109th minute, Mooy slipped Kruse the ball and he whipped in a cross for Cahill to bury his 50th international goal.
A Syrian free kick hit the post at the death but the Socceroos' Russia 2018 aspirations stayed on track.
The 2-1 victory gave the Socceroos a 3-2 advantage on aggregate, the Aussies now advancing to a final World Cup play-off against the fourth-placed CONCACAF finisher, likely at this stage to be Panama or Honduras.
with AAP