The Olyroos’ dream of constructing it to the Paris Olympics has suffered a grievous blow as Australia’s younger soccer hopefuls crashed to a woeful 1-0 defeat by the hands of Indonesia in qualifying in Qatar.
Nonetheless unable to attain a single aim after 180 minutes within the males’s U23 Asian Cup, coach Tony Vidmar’s outfit could have suffered a terminal blow after Indonesian Komang Teguh netted the aim simply earlier than halftime on Friday (AEST) that gave the event debutants a shock win in Doha.
The nightmare situation for the dominant Australians on the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium unfolded after 20-year-old Socceroo Mohamed Toure had his Twenty fifth-minute penalty saved by Indonesia’s diving hero Ernando Ari Sutaryadi.
It is left the blunt Olyroos with only one level from their two video games and the grim prospect of not even reaching the knockout levels of an occasion wherein they’ve to complete third to ensure a spot in Paris.
Qatar gained their later recreation 2-1 in opposition to Jordan to ensure qualification for the knockouts with a most six factors, and Vidmar’s facet should now beat the hosts on Monday morning to present themselves any slim probability of getting by means of.
However having drawn in opposition to Jordan 0-0 of their opening match, the Olyroos’ destiny is out of their fingers, with their Paris ambitions over if Singapore beat Jordan.
The Olyroos’ much-vaunted attacking high quality, with Garang Kuol, Alou Kuol and Toure up entrance, as soon as once more didn’t materialise as solely 4 of their 16 makes an attempt on aim discovered the goal.
In the meantime, Komang’s close-range headed aim was Indonesia’s solely effort on track in 4 makes an attempt.
The closest Australia got here to scoring was when Toure, moments after his penalty miss, virtually made amends by heading in opposition to the bar from a nook.
World Cup hero Garang Kuol got here on as a part of a triple substitution within the seventy fifth minute with Vidmar getting ever extra determined, however even with 11 minutes of time added on, his facet nonetheless could not break down some cussed defending.
The opposite recreation ended dramatically, with Qatar’s Mohamed Manai heading residence the winner within the thirteenth minute of added time, after which, absurdly, one other six minutes was spent by VAR deliberating whether or not the aim ought to stand.
It did — and it’s a aim that would spell curtains for the Olyroos’ hopes of becoming a member of their Matildas counterparts on the July/August Video games in France.
AAP
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