SCCIEROOS can book their 2026 place with a last push after the victory over China

The 16th minute curling goal of Jackson Irvine was adorable, but was able to recover his initial blocked shot by the feet of two Chinese defenders with ease consumed. Good teams don’t allow you.

And as for the 29-minute goal by Nishan Velupillay-his third in international football-he did well to put him in target. The rest of the merit is due to goalkeeper Wang Dalei, who could also have thrown the ball into his net, so poor was his management error to allow him to score.

It was not possible to return from those demoralizing Downers for the Dragon team, even if the inevitable attempts have arrived in the second half; The SCCIEROOS replied as if they were rubbing the flies on the rear patio and the work was done. The first clean sheet of the Popovic era in the bag. Complete mission. Six points of six from the March window and the conservation of control over their destiny in the qualifications of the World Cup.

With a three -point gap on the closest rivals in group C, Saudi Arabia, as well as a nine -year -old margin of difference, the equation is simple now: winning and are inside.

Japan beats in the next game, on June 5 at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and the Australian place at the 2026 World Cup will be sealed.

It is not up to par, and there is a security network: do not miss against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on June 10, and they are probably still inside, thanks to that goal difference buffer. And this assumes that the Saudis first beat Bahrain, which is not a guarantee.

Even if the SCCEROOS cannot do it, there is still another safety network through the playoffs, thanks to the expansion of the world cup to 48 teams.

It would have been nice if the Samurai Blue, who became the first non -host nation to qualify for the World Cup last week, had eliminated the Saudis in the other game on Tuesday evening, which began 25 minutes earlier. This would have made him a gap in four points, a little more breath and a really perfect night.

Instead, their Saitama clash ended in a 0-0 tie, but this also bodes well for the Socceros. It could be that, with their complete mission, they bring a second or third rope team to Australia, and as far as they were good, that certain something certain in a game of zero consequences could be missing.

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Yes, the SCCIEROOS beat Japan only once in 13 attempts from the 2006 World Cup. But they designed with them in Japan at the end of last year and perhaps they deserved more from that game. It is far from an insurmountable task, especially considering the other possibility: the SCCEROOS could improve further, as they progressively have under Popovic.

He did a wonderful job in difficult circumstances, not only by saving the qualified campaign of Australia, but rejuvenated this team on the run in all facets, staff, tactics and mentality. They still have to taste the defeat in his short kingdom.

If it is reduced to a winning clash for everyone in Riyadh, they have at least shown that they will not be exaggerated.

“They can certainly play under pressure. They can manage expectations and have improved,” Popovic said after the game, when he was asked what he had learned about his team from their clashes with Indonesia and China.

“Now the challenge is exceptional. Can we improve once again in June, against the best team in Asia?”

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