Thu, Jan 17, 2019 page16

• Rogic lifts Australia to ‘helter-skelter’ win over Syria

  • AFP, AL-AIN, United Arab Emirates
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  Tom Rogic’s injury-time thunderbolt on Tuesday settled an Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup thriller as defending champions Australia beat Syria 3-2 to reach the last 16 and knock out their war-torn rivals.

  The result meant the holders finished second in Group B behind Jordan, whose simultaneous 0-0 draw gave Palestine hope of qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.

  Syria, vocally backed by thousands of their fans in al-Ain, twice fought back from a goal behind before Rogic slammed home the winner in the third minute of injury-time.

  Injury-hit Australia, with only six outfield players on the bench, needed just a draw to go through and they got there — but there were twists along the way.

  “It was a helter-skelter game at times,” Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said.

  “On another night we could’ve scored more goals, but it was a great learning process for our young players. It was a good performance just in terms of the grit and determination,” he said.

  Syria looked an early threat before Australia started to get a grip on the game and Hibernian striker Jamie Maclaren flashed a header just wide.

  There was drama on the half hour, when a Syrian free-kick bounced through a packed penalty area and into the net, but the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Mark Milligan.

  However, Australia were getting close and Awer Mabil, after seeing one raking shot blocked, unleashed a fabulous effort that curled into the top corner four minutes before halftime.

  However, the lead lasted just two minutes, as Mouaiad Alajaan’s cross picked out birthday boy Omar Khrbin, who turned 25 on Tuesday and whose header was saved by Mathew Ryan, but then gobbled up the rebound.

  There was controversy in the 54th minute, when Chris Ikonomidis’s shot was hooked away by Omar al-Midani — but the ball was judged to have crossed the line by the additional assistant referee, who was surrounded by Syria’s players.

  The incident silenced the massed ranks of Syria fans, but there was uproar around the stadium shortly afterward when their team vehemently claimed a penalty for a Milligan handball.

  Australia looked firmly in control and they could have had a third goal when substitute Apostolos Giannou saw a low shot cannon off the base of the upright.

  However, Mexican referee Cesar Ramos threw Syria a lifeline when he gave them a penalty after Omar al-Soma went down in the penalty box — and the striker stroked them level once more with 10 minutes to go.

  It looked like Syria would escape with a vital point before Celtic’s Rogic, playing the tournament with a broken hand, belted Australia’s third from distance.

  “Fitness was the critical factor,” said Syria interim coach Fajr Ibrahim, who took charge when Bernd Stange was dismissed following their defeat by Jordan. “There wasn’t a big difference apart from the fitness of the Australian team. They were superior.”

  Meanwhile, Jordan were held to a goalless draw by Palestine in a fiery clash to preserve their unbeaten record and progress as Group B winners.

  The two-time quarter-finalists, in 2004 and 2011, stunned holders Australia in their opening game before beating Syria 2-0.

  However, they found plucky Palestine a tougher nut to crack in Abu Dhabi.

  Abdallatif al-Bahdari’s header gave Jordan a scare on the hour mark of a match that was not one for soccer purists.

  Jordan went close when Ahmad Ersan’s long-range blast was blocked by Palestine goalkeeper Rami Hamada before the game petered out with both sides content to take a draw.
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