Australia edge out Syria and seal spot in Asian Cup last 16

Australia sealed their spot in the Asian Cup knockout stages but will have to improve on the performance that saw them edge out Syria if they have any desires on lifting the trophy in Qatar.

Jackson Irvine grabbed the winner on the hour with his second goal of the tournament – after also scoring in the opening win over India – swiveling in the box before poking the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh.

While the performance at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday was far from convincing, it does mean the Socceroos are through to the last 16 with a game – against Uzbekistan on Tuesday – still to play.

“It’s about winning football matches,” said match-winner Irvine. “That’s tournament mode: clean sheets, scoring goals, winning goals, getting through to the next round.

“It was a hard-fought win. The boys had to dig in against a team that threw everything at us at the end of the game. We’re pleased with the win.

“You’ve gotta be in there to score. We’ve got good quality in the final third; if you get yourself in there enough times, something will drop for you.

“In games like these the first goal is so important. We probably should have put it to bed – we had a lot of open spaces after the goal – but that’s something we can work on. A clean sheet’s the most important thing.”

It was the unfancied Syrians who nearly took the lead inside five minutes when their Colombian-born striker Pablo Sabbag's left-footed shot beat Australia goalkeeper Maty Ryan, only to strike the foot of the post before being scrambled away.

FT |