Socceroos edge UAE to keep FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 hopes alive

DPA/AFC Doha Ajdin Hrustic’s late deflected strike sealed a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday that put Australia one win away from the W...

DPA/AFCDohaAjdin Hrustic’s late deflected strike sealed a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday that put Australia one win away from the World Cup.The Socceroos could not muster a shot on target in the first half of a do-or-die play-off at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and they were indebted to Mat Ryan for twice denying Harib Abdalla Suhail at his near post.Australia got into their stride after break and were in front when Jackson Irvine turned in Martin Boyle’s cross from close range with 53 minutes gone.The UAE were level four minutes later when Caio Canedo fired into the roof of the net from six yards out with his left foot after Suhail’s cross caused panic in the Socceroos defence.Craig Goodwin missed a great chance to put Graham Arnold’s side back in front, but the decisive moment came six minutes from time as Hrustic let fly with a powerful left-foot strike that hit Ali Salmeen and gave goalkeeper Khalid Eisa no chance.Australia will face Peru in an intercontinental play-off at the same venue next Monday, with the winner sealing their place in the showpiece in Qatar later this year. The UAE’s wait for a first World Cup appearance since 1990 goes on.With Australia contesting their seventh FIFA World Cup playoff and the UAE at this stage for the first time in their history, both teams looked to attack from the start as Harib Suhail was caught narrowly offside and Jackson Irvine saw his cross cleared at the far post all inside the first three minutes.Despite the promising start, the first real chance of the game did not arrive until halfway through the opening period when Martin Boyle beat his marker on the right flank and floated a cross for Irvine whose headed attempt failed to find the direction of the target.Later, as the game looked headed towards extra time, an Aaron Mooy corner kick was cleared by the Emirati defence but only as far as the edge of the box where Ajdin Hrustic awaited. Helped by a lucky deflection off Ali Salmin, the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder’s powerful half-volley beat Eisa to seal the win for Australia.