AFC Asian Qualifiers
The result sees Australia top the group with a 100% record, while Palestine sit in third place joint on points with Bangladesh, who are fourth. Both teams’ next games will see them contest the AFC Asian Cup 2023™ in the middle of January, with the next set of AFC Asian Cup 2027 and FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers taking place in March.
Palestine could have gotten themselves in front inside 5 minutes, when the Socceroos conceded a foul outside the area, which Tamer Seyam fired goalwards but was met by an alert Matt Ryan.
At the other end just a few minutes later, Kye Rowles ended a move that saw Australia pass their way up field from their area, but the centre-back opted to fire from range straight into keeper Rami Hamadeh’s hands.
With 18 minutes having passed, Australia took the lead from a well-executed corner routine, when Craig Goodwin floated a cross into the six yard box that was met by Leicester City centre back who rose highest to head home.
At the half-hour mark, Australia almost doubled their lead when they broke forward in numbers and the ball reached Martin Boyle, who crossed from deep a ball that fell perfectly to Connor Metcalfe, but his volley was held by Hamadeh.
Just before the referee blew the whistle for the break, Seyam missed a golden chance to equalise for the Palestinian side when full-back Musaab Al Batat received the ball outside the area and sent it inside the box, with a scramble in front of goal ensuing, Seyam couldn’t get a clean shot it was parried out by Ryan.
Hamadeh was on hand again to deny Australia’s second after substitutes Jordan Bos and Brandon Borello combined in exquisite fashion to go forward, exchanging passes almost at will with the final pass being a beautiful backheel by Bos that saw Borello fire home but Hamadeh fisted the ball out.
Bos almost got his first international goal a few minutes later when a corner was sent into the Palestinian area and he met it with a powerful header, but he failed to get it on target as Hamadeh got his fingertips on it, deflecting it to the crossbar before it bounced away.
