The Qantas Young Socceroos have suffered an agonizing exit from the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005 when an equalizing goal three minutes from full time ensured the match against Japan finished 1-1 with the Australians needing a win to progress to the knockout round of 16.
Australia appeared destined for victory and secure an appointment with Morocco in the next round, after defender Ryan Townsend had scored with 15 minutes remaining, before Shunsuke Maeda scored the leveller for Japan .
’ÄùIt is a desperately disappointing and heartbreaking way to go out,’Äù said Qantas Young Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou
’ÄùI thought all the boys played very well today and did everything right. I certainly can’Äôt question their commitment but it seems it just wasn’Äôt meant to be.
’ÄùA lot of little things didn’Äôt go our way both today and at times in the other games but that is world cup football.’Äù
Postecoglou made six changes from the team that lost three days earlier with one enforced change after co-captain Vince Lia was ruled out with a foot injury. Sydney FC’Äôs Jacob Timpano assuming the captaincy role in this match.
The match at the Parkstad Limburg Stadium in Kerkrade was played in warm conditions with the temperature in the mid-to-high 20s.
Australia were always shading what was an arm-wrestle of a match and the statistics verified that fact, with the Qantas Young Socceroos having the greater time in possession and quantity of shots on goal.
Melbourne Victory’Äôs Chris Tadrosse perhaps had the best chance of the first half but his superb strike was narrowly finger-tipped around the post by the Japanese goalkeeper.
Indeed it was Tadrosse who played a major role in the Australian goal when he whipped in a free-kick from the left flank, which, under pressure from a number of opponents, was spilled by the Japanese goalkeeper and swept home by defender Ryan Townsend.
Lucas appeared likely to make the game safe only to have an apparently goal-bound shot deflected wide by a covering defender.
Then substitute Kristian Sarkies swooped on another Japanese goalkeeping error but his shot was somehow deflected wide.
The Japanese upped the ante late on as they stared down the barrel of elimination, and 17-year-old midfield dynamo James Wesolowski, who impressed on his tournament debut, was forced to head off the line.
Despite Australia generally holding possession well the Japanese made another foray upfield and substitute Maede scored the heartbreaking goal when he had a ball played to him on the edge of the penalty area and he was able to finish with Australian goalkeeper Justin Pasfield completely exposed.