CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! The Socceroos have booked a place in the 2022 World Cup after downing Peru in a thrilling penalty shootout 🥲🥲🥲 STORY 👉
Coach Graham Arnold was lost for words. He told Channel 10: “I’m just... So proud of the players, you know? No one knows what those boys have been through to get to hear. It was so hard, the whole campaign, and the way they’ve stuck at it and committed themselves to it, incredible.
Striker Mitch Duke said: Honestly, I have never been involved in this situation before. Incredible, credit to everyone involved. So proud of the boys. We have gone the hard way. So many people wrote us off. I’m having a f***ing panic attack, speechless, so proud of boys. Redmayne has done unbelievable.
Striker Mitch Duke – the only change from the team that beat UAE 2-1 last week for a place in this intercontinental playoff – twice struck long shots from outside the box in the opening seven minutes, an early warning shot from the underdog Australian side. The Socceroos continued to threaten, taking five shots to Peru’s two in the first half.
But Peru – unlike when the teams met in the Russia 2018 World Cup – began to drop deeper and offered the Socceroos greater opportunity to play the ball out wide and create chances. Dangerous Australian winger Martin Boyle threatened regularly, running at – and beating – defenders and whipping in a number of dangerous crosses.
With just over 20 minutes to go, the hard-working Duke was replaced by winger Awer Mabil. The pace of the game slowed significantly as players tired, with both sides happy to sit back and counter-attack, but still struggling to carve out golden scoring opportunities. And in stoppage time - just three minutes despite Peru regularly taking extended pauses at stoppages - Jackson Irvine went down in the penalty area - off the ball - claiming he was shoved in the back. But the referee waved his appeals away, and VAR did not intervene.The pattern of play resumed in the additional period - Australia being marginally better in possession but struggling to create much of note, while Peru were similarly ineffective, knocking the ball patiently but without impact.
Fran Karacic launched a long throw in that Irvine leaped highest to head to Mabil, who scuffed his shot wide. Jamie Maclaren had been seen as more likely to start in the number nine role, having come off the bench in the second half against the UAE in an impressive effort. But Arnold seemingly prioritised the ability of Duke to hold up possession and involve his teammates.
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