The Socceroos' 11-game winning streak has travel to an extremity aft going down to Japan 2-1 successful a World Cup qualifier successful Saitama.
It was a heartbreaking decorativeness for Australia aft a precocious ain extremity rubbed retired a stunning escaped footwear from Ajdin Hrustic that had conscionable levelled the match.
The ain extremity to Aziz Behich successful the 85th infinitesimal proved the quality arsenic the defender's effort to wide a deflected changeable took a crook for the worst.
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There was small Behich could bash aft a large prevention from Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan deflected onto the backmost station earlier making interaction with the defender.
"With however it played out, it hurts," Ryan said aft the game.
"I consciousness hard done by with the atrocious luck and however that 2nd extremity went in.
"It hurts to concede late."
Tonight's clash looked destined to caput for a gully erstwhile Hrustic's 69th-minute escaped footwear bushed Japanese goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda earlier hitting the crossbar and bouncing in.
But for astir of the night, the Socceroos were forced to play from behind.
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Japan, who were successful hopeless request of a win, couldn't person asked for a amended commencement aft Ao Tanaka recovered the nett successful the opening 10 minutes.
Tanaka's extremity came connected the backmost of a fantastic transverse from Liverpool prima Takumi Minamino, which Behich attempted to wide but was incapable to, missing the shot which rolled to Tanaka who made the astir of the opportunity.
"I thought it was a large spectacle to ticker ... it was an breathtaking crippled and astatine the extremity of the day, we were unlucky and conceded a deflected goal," said Socceroos manager Graham Arnold.
"Both teams had a spell astatine each other," Socceroos manager Graham Arnold said.
"We were unlucky that we deed the station but ... astatine the extremity of the day, it wasn't meant to beryllium but we are connected 9 points aft 4 games."
With six games to go, Australia is present with 3 wins and 1 nonaccomplishment successful Group B.
They look Saudi Arabia next.
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Australia indispensable decorativeness either archetypal oregon 2nd successful Group B to suffice for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
A third-place decorativeness would nonstop the Socceroos to a dreaded play-off with the federation who finishes 3rd from Group A.
Meanwhile, Japan's hopes of making it a creaseless qualification for their athletics successful the World Cup improved.
Having won lone 1 lucifer from their archetypal 3 games, the Samurai Blue and manager Hajime Moriyasu were nether unit to perform.
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