Australia beat UAE to set up clash with Peru for World Cup spot
Sports Desk, Jun 7 (EFE).- Adjin Hrustic scored with six minutes left in regulation Tuesday to power Australia 2-1 past the United Arab Emirates and put the Socceroos in next week’s intercontinental playoff against Peru for a place at World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
The vast majority of the 25,000 people in the stands at Al Rayyan Stadium in suburban Doha – which will be a venue for World Cup matches – were there to cheer on the UAE, trying to advance to the quadrennial tournament for only the second time.
The sides held each other scoreless in the first half, but Jackson Irvine gave Australia the lead with a goal from close range in the 53rd minute.
Just four minutes later, however, Brazilian-born Caio Cacedo brought Emirates level with an assist from budding star Suhail, far and away the best player for the UAE.
The score remained 1-1 going into the final 10 minutes and overtime loomed until Hrustic, who lifted the Europa League trophy a few weeks ago with Eintracht Frankfurt beat Emirati goalkeeper Khalid Eisa with a strike off Aaron Mooy’s corner.
The Socceroos are trying to extend their streak of consecutive World Cup appearances to five, while Peru, who qualified in 2018 for the first time since 1982, hope to make it two in a row. EFE
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