Asian Cup Match 16: Australia Ease Off in Second Period After Three First-Half Goals

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

Asian Cup Match 16: Australia v Tajikistan

Australia Ease Off in Second Period After Three First-Half Goals

January 8th, 2020

Australia 3 Tajikistan 0

 

Australia scored three first-half goals against Tajikistan to gain their second win for the Asian Cup, leaving the Tajiks in a precarious position of being eliminated.

 

Tom Rogic, the first goal scorer last game, set up Aaron Mooy early, only for Rustam Yatimov to stop the shot.

 

It took another sixteen minutes before Awer Mabil scored with his right boot, shooting from long range. Then, Mooy worked around defenders on the left wing and crossed into Rogic, who hooped his header out of reach of the Tajik goalkeeper.

 

Adam Taggart made it three goals when he received a ball from Jackson Irvine out on the right wing. Taggart found the gap towards goal and slotted into the net.

 

Mabil nearly had a second, but the tight angle favoured the Tajiks.

 

After the break, the ball was played mostly in the middle as the Socceroos eased off, and Tajikstan stepped up. Mooy found Taggart’s head, but he was unable to hit the back of the net. At the other end, Alişer Çalilov led onto a ball at the semicircle but Mathew Ryan stopped the shot. Substitute Muhammadjon Rahimov had a shot, again making it too easy for the Australian goalkeeper.

 

In the end, the three first-half goals proved the difference and Australia will look to their third game and beyond to the Round of 16.

 

Important aspects of the match:

Australia’s best: Aziz Behich deemed Player of the Match at left back with most passes for Australia, plus three clearances and one key intercept; Mooy with a goal assist and multiple crosses; Ryan in goalkeeper.

Taggart and Mabil with two shots on target each.

Irvine with most dribbles.

James Jeggo with most tackles for Australia.

 

Tajikistan’s best: Amirbek Çuraboev in defensive midfielder with most passes overall, most dribbles overall and most tackles overall; Farhod Vasiev and Manucehr Safarov as left and right back respectively.

Xurşed Beknazarov with four intercepts and a clearance.

 

Group B

Australia should keep first place, with the possibility of losing to the Philippines making the difference. If that happens, and Kuwait also wins against Tajikistan, then all three teams will progress to the Round of 16, since six points will be high for the third-placed side. Whoever finishes first will come down to goal difference, since the head-to-head rule will be nullified if each team has won against one of the teams and lost to the other. The likely outcome, however, is that Australia defeats the Philippines, as does Kuwait over Tajikistan, and these two teams progress, while the Philippines wait on results in other groups to see if they advance as well.

 

	Group B	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Australia	2	2	0	0	6	+5
2	Kuwait	2	1	0	1	3	-1
3	Philippines	2	1	0	1	3	+1
4	Tajikistan	2	0	0	2	0	-5