Socceroos haunted by mediocrity before surviving late scare in Saudi stumble

That the player of the match award at Australia’s World Cup qualifier in Melbourne on Thursday was sponsored by the Saudi Tourism Authority is somehow fitting. This was indeed a never-ending night of contradictions, a match that the Socceroos managed to make a scoreless home draw feel like a victory.

As the clock ticked towards 93 minutes, the brilliant strike by Sultan al-Ghannam billows the net and prompts wild celebrations among the Saudi players and travelling supporters. Just what the Socceroos needed, another home capitulation, think 27,000 fans inside AAMI Park.

Related: Australia squander chances before late reprieve in 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia

But their eyes are soon drawn to the players in white surrounding the linesman, his yellow and orange flag enraging them like a mosquito in a bedroom. And then more movement as hopeful Socceroos take flight, optimistically believing they can play on from the free-kick quickly. It is a cacophony of confusion before reality dawns: decision under review.

For seconds, then minutes, the result hangs in the balance, the implications of this one VAR call rippling across Asia from Melbourne, through Indonesia all the way to Bahrain. As soon as the Saudi crowd dissipates around the linesman, it gathers around the referee. Australian captain Jackson Irvine, a man always up for a chat, loiters too.

And then 146 seconds after Saudi Arabia’s celebrations began, VAR’s decision arrives. All the passion, all the delight, all the anger and sheer outpouring of energy, all for nothing.

That was largely the theme of the evening. Socceroos goalkeeper Joe Gauci knows better than anyone, after his dramatic double save in the first half appeared to keep the match scoreless. But the whole sequence was deemed null and void by a linesman’s offside flag, leaving Gauci’s heroics drifting off into another strand of the multiverse.

This was a night when almighty mediocrity pierced the space-time continuum, and took those watching back three years, to the 0-0 draw in Parramatta between the same teams. Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard managed to slip through as well, somehow fitting in a whole other career as France’s women’s team coach in between, Mackenzie Arnold’s saves squeezed between Socceroos stalemates.

There Renard was at the final whistle, despite his team’s perceived injustice, smiling and as handsome as ever. While he smothered his trademark white shirt in the second half by a team puffer, he remained cool throughout. The 56-year-old even gave one of his assistants the message to chill out during the second half, after an argument with Irvine over who should get the ball from a restart. Renard gestured with palms out facing down, his calming hands ready to play football’s grandest piano.

It’s not yet clear to Socceroos fans what tune Tony Popovic whistles, but he seems to know what he likes. Over in the Australian dugout, watching his five defenders chase the three points with barely 10 minutes remaining, the former central defender turned to his assistant and former Socceroos central defender Hayden Foxe. The pair settled on a bold plan, and Aziz Behich – the Socceroos’ left defender – was brought on.

It almost worked too, when Behich’s late interplay with another substitute Kusini Yengi created enough space for Cam Burgess to knock in a ball for Riley McGree, whose bicycle kick in the game’s dying embers almost ignited it once again.

Despite the late drama, for the sold out crowd this was night of frustration. The memories of a glut of missed chances amplified the pain of the Australian players’ inability to keep possession. There was the early skied shot from Harry Souttar barely six yards out. Irvine and Ajdn Hrustic whiffing on chances from the edge of the area after hard-earned turnovers. And in the second half, a one-on-one for Brandon Borrello that he failed to square to McGree.

The frustration for poor Nishan Velupillay was biggest of all. Brought on for Ajdin Hrustic – taken off at half-time by Popovic, who made clear afterwards it was not due to injury – the Victory winger didn’t last 30 minutes. A driving run into the box ended in a tangle of legs that another day would have been a penalty. But on this night of opposites, a blow to the ankle he sustained in the rugged challenge forced him from the field.

Related: Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 qualifier – as it happened

After the match Aiden O’Neill – the Saudi Tourism Authority award winner – said he was “a little bit worried,” recounting the disallowed goal. “I haven’t seen it, but obviously they made the right decision with VAR.” Renard wanted to watch it again. And Popovic added “these things are a fine line sometimes”.

As contentious as it may have been, the call leaves the Socceroos largely in the same position as they were beforehand. Halfway through the World Cup qualifying group – a full five games – they have won just won once. Towards this bloated 48-team World Cup in 2026, the Socceroos continue to stumble.

And based on Thursday night’s display, the two sides are once again on a collision course, culminating in the final group match in Saudi Arabia in June. According to the banner behind O’Neill saying “Welcome to Arabia”, they might as well go straight there.