Socceroos Fail To Fire In Wet World Cup Qualifier Against Saudi Arabia

The Socceroos were unable to find the back of the net against Saudi Arabia, the score ending 0-0 in their World Cup qualifier.

Australia were playing on home soil for the first time since October 2019 - 736 days to be exact.

But even the boost from the passionate, partisan crowd inside CommBank Stadium wasn't enough to guide the side on to a win.

As soon as the referee blew his whistle to start the game, both teams came out flying.

The high intensity back-and-forth saw both sides enjoy spells of possession as the wet weather continued to wreak havoc.

The Socceroos eventually started taking control of the game, although there wasn't a huge amount goal mouth action or chances to show for it.

After 45 minutes, it was 0-0.

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With neither team able to break the stalemate, the Socceroos needed to have a big second half if they stood any chance of knocking the undefeated Saudis off top spot in their World Cup Qualifying group.

With the rain still poring down, Mathew Leckie had a golden opportunity to put his side 1-0 up early on.

The Aussie veteran showed great strength to shrug off a Saudi defender but was unable to beat the keeper with his shot.

Jackson Irvine had arguably the best chance of the game shortly after, steering his effort agonisingly wide of the post from close range - a golden opportunity which, if truth be told, he should have buried.

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An Awer Mabil free kick then tested the Saudi keeper and the rebound sailed just wide of the sticks.

The Saudi Arabian players, who had been time-wasting for almost the entire 90 minutes, then decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck and mount a few threatening attacks on the Australian defence.

Despite dominating for much of the game, it was actually the Saudis who had some decent chances to nick a result in the final 10 minutes.

Mat Ryan and the back four did well to keep them out, but the sudden shift in momentum left us Socceroos fans sweating.

But in a huge blow to Australia, star defender Harry Souttar was stretchered off the field after going down awkwardly late in the game.

Clutching his knee, the 23-year-old will now undergo scans but looks set to be sidelined for some time.

As for the rest of the team, they now face a tough test in China as they look to hold onto that second spot in the group.

Topics: Saudi Arabia, Football, score, Result, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry