Australia Secures Vital 1-0 Victory Over Japan With Aziz Behich's Last-Minute Goal

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Australia moved closer to securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup after Aziz Behich scored a last-minute goal, leading them to a 1-0 victory against Japan. The Socceroos knew that winning at Optus Stadium in Perth, combined with Saudi Arabia not winning in Bahrain later, would almost guarantee their place in the tournament.

Japan dominated the early stages of the match. Yu Hirakawa's long-range shot narrowly missed, and Daichi Kamada's attempt was deflected for a corner. Despite Australia's awareness of the match's importance, they struggled to gain control initially.

After halftime, Australia continued to face challenges as Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad nearly scored for Japan. However, in the final moments of regular time, substitute Riley McGree made a crucial play. He skillfully turned near Japan's box and passed to Behich, who scored decisively.

This victory places Australia just four points behind Japan in Group C during the third round of AFC qualification. Anthony Popovic's team is now close to automatic qualification. They can only be denied if Saudi Arabia wins both remaining matches against Bahrain and Australia while also achieving a significant goal difference shift.

Behich's Historic Goal

Aziz Behich's goal was his first for Australia since December 2012 when they defeated Chinese Taipei 7-0. On his 80th appearance for his country, the 34-year-old ended this long wait with an impressive finish into the top-right corner.

The goal also marked Australia's first win over Japan in over a decade. Their last victory against Japan was a World Cup qualifying match in June 2009. Since then, they had drawn four times and lost six matches against Japan.

This win not only brings Australia closer to another World Cup but also breaks their long-standing struggle against Japan. The Socceroos are now poised for their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.