Tom Rogic, who managed to score during injury time, earned the Socceroos a sensational 3-2 victory against Syria as well as a place in the AFC Asian Cup knockout stages during their match last week Tuesday at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium.
The Celtic midfielder managed to strike the ball from 25 yards away to finally destroy a Syrian side that was extremely determined to win and secure a crucial point for their team to advance to the next phase.
However, Rogic’s stunning goal only managed to ensure that the Socceroos progress to the next phase in Group B and eliminated Syria from the tournament after they finished at the bottom of Group B following Palestine who managed to score a point after their clash against Jordan.
Syria seemed that they would earn a much-needed draw after coming from behind twice to level with Australia, where Khrbin managed to cancel out
Australia vs Syria
Syria had a far better first half than Australia when Al Soma gave the Socceroos a huge fright after 12 minutes into the game when he managed to head over. Just a few seconds later a shot from Khrbin went across the goal after Mat Ryan couldn’t clear it properly which allowed the ball to end up at the feet of the former Player of the Year in the Asian Cup.
Australia struggled to deal with the Syrians intensity, and towards the end of the first half, Syria was under the impression that they took the lead when the free-kick from Al Ajaan found its way past Mat Ryan. However, the referee ruled it ours on a foul.
The referee’s decision provided a huge boost for Australia where two attempts were blocked by the Syrian goalie. Meanwhile, Mabil’s efforts were also blocked by the Australian goalie.
During the 41st minute, Mabil managed to decrease the pressure by curling a perfect left foot strike which arched into the right post of the goal. However, Australia’s lead only lasted for two minutes as Al Ajaan provided the perfect cross to Khrbin who headed the ball into the net. Although Ryan made an impressive save, it still allowed Khrbin to convert the rebound.
Australia managed to score within the first 9 minutes of the second half thanks to Rogic’s phenomenal cross to Ikonomidis who managed to drive the ball over the line. Although Syria through it wasn’t in, the referee still awarded the goal. With 15 minutes remaining, Syria managed to equalise the game, making the match even more dramatic than before. However, during injury time, Australia provided the perfect lead when Rogic scored a remarkable goal from 25 yards away to seal their victory.
Australia is set to face Uzbekistan this week during the knockout stages of the Asian Cup. Let’s hope they can perform here as well to further advance in this tournament.