Australia’s World Cup 2026 dream is alive after a come-from-behind 3-1 win over China in Adelaide on Thursday night.

At 1-0 down nearing half time the Socceroos stared into the abyss, the very real prospect of World Cup failure staring back at them. But goals by Lewis Miller and Craig Goodwin either side of half time, and a stoppage time effort from Nishan Velupillay, rescued a valuable three points in Tony Popovic’s first outing as Socceroos manager.

Related: Australia 3-1 China: 2026 World Cup qualifier – as it happened

It gets their campaign back on track ahead of a daunting trip to Saitama Stadium next week to face Japan, the continent’s standard bearers who scored 12 unanswered in their opening two games.

Any doubts this was a new era in Australian football were dispelled 80 minutes before kick off when, with hope and optimism filling the spring air at Adelaide Oval, it emerged that Popovic had made five changes to the side the faced Indonesia last month.

The headline change was that of hometown hero Joe Gauci, the 24-year-old now on the books of Aston Villa, given the nod over incumbent goalkepper and former captain, Mat Ryan, who appears to have paid the price for a lack of game time at his new Italian side, AS Roma.

The changes offered not just fresh faces but a fresh tactical approach with either a back three or five, depending on your view of the game, and early on they appeared to have had the desired effect with Australia playing with the dynamism that Popovic promised.

Balls were being played forward, players were finding the half spaces between the lines and Australia had China where they wanted them – camped in their own half. Popovic liked what he saw, perched on the edge of his technical area, applauding and encouraging every action.

The early optimism gave way to a sense of frustration as the half wore on.

Popovic asked to be judged on the football his side played against China and while the early intent was there, the quality, more often than not, was not, with the same issues of a lack of invention and creativity in the final third rearing their ugly head.

What the crowd of 46,291, a record for the Socceroos in Adelaide, wasn’t expecting was for China to take the lead, but the air was sucked out of the stadium when Xie Wenneng did exactly that after 20 minutes, capitalising on a slack piece of Australian defending.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Australia, who headed towards half-time a shadow of the side that had started it, the reality of the situation seemingly weighing them down.

But when Lewis Miller headed home an inch-perfect free kick from Goodwin just before the break, the relief was etched all over his face. Relief not just for his side, but for himself as the Scotland-based fullback made his first appearance since a nightmare performance against South Korea in the quarter finals of the Asian Cup in January.

He was more assured this time, as were Australia in the second half after Popovic rung the changes at half-time, hooking Thomas Deng and Nestory Irankunda for Jason Geria and Riley McGree.

The switch had the desired effect, with Australia returning to the more dynamic side they had been to start the game and eight minutes into the half Goodwin found all the space he needed to unleash a 25-yard thunderbolt to the delight of not only his coach, but his adoring home crowd as well.

The three points were secured two minutes into stoppage time when, after a flurry in the box, Velpillay scored on his international debut.