Socceroos draw 2-2 against Oman, hurting World Cup qualification hopes

The Socceroos have suffered a heavy blow to their hopes of automatic World Cup qualification, with a 2-2 draw against Oman in Muscat. 

The draw means the men's national team is now 3 points behind Japan and 4 points behind group B leaders Saudi Arabia, with the top two sides earning automatic qualification to the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The Socceroos twice led the match, first through a 15th-minute penalty to Jamie Maclaren and later through an Aaron Mooy strike.

But those goals were both cancelled out by a brace from midfielder Abdullah Fawaz.

Fawaz first scored with a beautiful curling strike into the top corner of Mat Ryan's goal but Mooy would later send a thunderbolt of a volley into the Oman net to give Australian what could have been a winning 2-1 lead.

Oman had other ideas and when Australia defender Fran Karanic gave up a penalty with a clumsy challenge, Fawaz made no mistake from the penalty spot to secure a draw in the 89th minute.

The loss means Australia faces a must-win match with an in-form Samurai Blue in Sydney on March 24 to avoid having to reach Qatar via the playoffs.

If Graham Arnold's team can achieve that feat it will then have to travel to group leaders Saudi Arabia needing a result to have any chance of avoiding a playoff.

Japan presents no easy win for the Socceroos, and beat them 2-1 earlier in the campaign.

The Samurai Blue had earlier in the evening defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Saitama.

Goals from Liverpool's Takumi Minamino and Genk's Junya Ito were the difference between the two sides.

Minamino scored after 31 minutes converting a pass from Ito. Five minutes after the break Ito scored himself, drilling in a fine shot from the edge of the area. 

The victory brought Japan within a point of