China v Australia: World Cup 2026 qualifying – live
Key events
22 min I said China had to answer a question, but so do Australia: do they sit on their lead and look to counter, or keep doing what they were doing? So far it looks like the former and, as I type, Wei wins a corner down the left.
20 min Already, China are looking to get the ball forward quicker, Zhang caught offside looking to run in behind – though actually, I think he was on.
18 min China must now answer a question: do they look to stay in the match for the next hour or so, then have a dart at attacking in the closing stages, or do they look to be more offensive immediately?
GOAL! China 0-1 Australia (Irvine 16)
That’s what a record collection does for you! Irvine collects a decent square-pass on the edge of the box, looks to shoot and collects the loose ball when his effort is blocked, then picks past a couple of challenges while moving inside, before curling a lush left-footer between two defenders and into the far side-netting, halfway up! That’s a lovely finish, and Australia have earned it with their aggressive start.
15 min Australia are constantly keeping the width, looking for the big switch, but China are doing a decent job of shuffling side to side.
13 min Miller dashes down the right and past Xie, who scythes him down and is booked.
12 min The China ultras are making a decent racket as Wei cuts in off the right, looking to curl right-footed; his shot is blocked.
10 min It’s still 0-0, by the way, which isn’t exactly what Australia want. But it looks likely that the second automatic qualification spot will be decided when they travel to Saudi in June.
8 min “There’s a real party atmosphere at Saitama Stadium.,” advises Kári Tulinius of the Japan v Saudi game. “One reason is that Japan are well on top, but apparently this is also graduation day, so the stands are full of young folk who are very much ready to celebrate. It feels like that if Samurai Blue score, the collective joy will register on seismographs.”
This sounds like the start of a Haruki Murakami novel. Any Chivas Regal and/or ears present?
7 min Boyle swings in but beyond the back post, and Miller can’t keep the ball in play. Australia have started pretty well.
6 min Another nice touch from Borrello, who looks in the mood, finds Boyle, who wins a corner down the right; it yields another, this time down the left.
5 min Borrrello pulls left and curves a terrific cross to the back post, where Li clears fresh air, allowing Boyle to … shoot into the side-netting. That was a bad miss.
4 min Australia are playing with the right mindset, looking to run in behind and move the ball quickly. So far, though, China are doing a decent job of closing spaces and forcing them backwards.
3 min China are playing a diamond, a formation the principal weakness of which is too many players ahead of the ball. That feels unlikely here, instead meaning that Australia will have to go around the outsdie of them, the middle being congested.
2 min China let Australia build, then Li flattens Miller and the visitors recommence, some nice one-touch stuff allowing the switch to Irvine, who’s crowded out.
1 min And away we go! With commentary!
We have coverage!
Email! “The Plan to defeat China,” begins Chris Paraskevas, presumably not trying to reignite the Cold War.
“P̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶:̶ ̶G̶o̶ ̶L̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶M̶i̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶D̶u̶k̶e̶
P̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶B̶:̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶S̶o̶u̶t̶t̶a̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶p̶i̶e̶c̶e̶s̶
P̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶C̶:̶ ̶N̶e̶s̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶I̶r̶a̶n̶k̶u̶n̶d̶a̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶o̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶e̶r̶s̶t̶a̶r̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶
Plan D: Hope the vibe of Jackson Irvine’s vinyl collection gets us over the line.”
That sounds a decent way of settling anything.
Er, my promised stream has yet to materailise. But worry not: if the worst comes to the worst, we can brings you this game without the aid of commentary, which sounds absolutely ideal.
I’m going to write those down, but in the meantime and after 12 minutes, it’s Japan 0-0 Saudi.
Teams!
China (4-4-2 diamond): Wang; Han, Li, Yang, Jiang; Huang , Xu, Xie, Cao; Zhang, Wei. Subs: Yan, Wu, Wei, Seginho, Wang Yudong, Liu, Hu, Jin, Wang Zhen’ao,, Wang Haijian, Wang Ziming, Abduweli.
Australia (3-4-2-1): Ryan; Degenek, Geria, Burgess; Miller, Teague, Irvine, Behich; Velupillay, Boyle; Borrello. Subs: Rowles, Caceres, Trewin, Arzani, Izzo, O’Neill, Davidson, Duke, Glover, Karacic, Grant, Goodwin.
Preamble
Daniel Harris
This was supposed to be easy. Asian qualifying Group C hardly boasts the greatest teams in the world, but a home defeat to Bahrain and a draw with Saudi, added to away draws with Japan, Indonesia and pesky Bahrain again, leaves the Socceroos under pressure.
The Land of the Rising Sun have fittingly become the first to qualify for World Cup 2026, but behind them in the scuffle for the second automatic spot, Australia lead Saudi by just a point and goal difference, with matches with Japan, then one in Riyadh, their two to come after tonight’s contest.
As such, the Socceroos really must win here and, in China, face the bottom team in the group. The are, though, struggling to score goals – the days of Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell are long gone – which makes every match a potential struggle.
Kick-off: 7pm local, 10pm AEDT, 11am GMT
