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The All Whites have edged the possession 52-48% while the shots are even at 6 (2) after the Socceroos had their moments late in the half. But the state of the game, outside of the 0-1 scoreline, is perhaps shown by New Zealand dominating the final third entries 38-11.
New Zealand are always going to have some hope of mounting a comeback while Chris Wood is still on the pitch. The All Whites and Nottingham Forest forward might have his allegiances stretched in the near future if a certain Australian manager takes charge of his club side.
Mo Toure’s first goal for Australia will send a warning shot to any international defence as the 21-year-old powers over the top of and past the New Zealand centre-backs. The right-foot snap is the sort of clinical finish the Socceroos have been searching for as well.
The All Whites have controlled enough of the possession to create a handful of chances but, in a repeat of the first leg, they just haven’t been able to find a way into the Socceroos net. That task has been made all the harder with Paul Izzo playing out of his skin across the one-and-a-half games so far.
Half-time: New Zealand 0-1 Australia
The Socceroos take a narrow lead into the break after Mo Toure scored a wonderful solo goal but the All Whites have had their chances.
45 mins: The Socceroos are camped in their own half with half-time approaching. The All Whites are forced into a long ball over the top of the midfield but Paul Izzo has little trouble collecting. One minute of added time.
43 mins: Sarprett Singh has been lively for New Zealand but takes on too much with a long-range free kick that is still rising as it clears the crossbar.
41 mins: The All Whites have sparked back to life. The hosts keep searching for a way through the Socceroos defence which is now banked outside the penalty box but unable to clear the danger.
39 mins: Oh my, how have the All Whites not equalised! It’s chaos in the box and Tim Payne has the better of two very promising chances. Socceroos keeper Paul Izzo was player of the match in Canberra, but he has outdone himself this time with an incredible, reflex save.
36 mins: This game has turned. Kye Rowles chips over the All Whites defence and very nearly sets Nestory Irankunda free. The teenage sensation can’t quite get the ball under control and the moment passes.
GOAL! New Zealand 0-1 Australia (Toure '34)
Mohamed Toure scores his first goal for the Socceroos. It was all but a solo goal built on the 21-year-old’s brute strength as he holds off the New Zealand defenders then dribbles the ball in from long range. Power and precision!
33 mins: The Socceroos almost score against the run of play. It was the visitors’ best chance so far. Max Balard finds Lewis Miller on the right sideline and the wing-back hooks a darting cross toward Kye Rowles in the box. There was nothing wrong with the header but Max Crocombe dives to keep the ball out of the net.
31 mins: Socceroos defender Ale Circati is forced to defend a one-on-one with Sarprett Singh in a dangerous area in the All Whites left forward pocket. But nothing is getting past Circati this evening, including the cause of that problem as he sends a knowing look in the direction of Mohamed Toure after the attacker gave the ball away.
29 mins: The All Whites have not beaten the Socceroos since 2002, or even scored against their neighbouring rivals since 2010, but they are making a good fist of breaking those hoodoos this evening in Auckland.
27 mins: Chris Wood shoots from the edge of the six-yard box but can’t get enough power through the ball and keeper Paul Izzo casually dives low to collect. It came from a sublime move and one-touch passing from the All Whites, ending with Singh setting up their star strike. But Wood, unusually, can’t make the most of the opportunity.
25 mins: Connor Metcalfe gives the ball away cheaply in the centre of the park then is determined to make matters worse as he grabs at the All Whites. The Socceroos midfield has no cause to argue with going in the referee’s notebook.
23 mins: Mohamed Toure has not seen much action so far with the ball rarely entering the Socceroos attacking third. But the 21-year-old is making his presence felt at any opportunity. Let’s hope we also get to see more of Toure’s talents with the ball this evening, because the kid can play.
21 mins: Sarprett Singh is shown an early yellow after his own darting run ends with studs on the top of Max Balard’s boot. Singh beat a couple of Socceroos before losing the ball on the edge of the penalty box and lunging into a challenge.
19 mins: Milos Degenek gives the ball away cheaply in the back half but the All Whites hand it back almost immediately. Kye Rowles sets off on a short dash from left back but a long ball toward Mohamed Toure misses its mark.
17 mins: The Socceroos begin to get a foothold in the game with a decent stint with possession. But there is progression up the field with both sides giving the ball away in the midfield.
13 mins: The Socceroos remain on the back foot but their defence continues to hold firm. Francis De Vries swings a cross in from the left side but Australia clear and follow up to close down the second ball. Tony Popovic wanted more energy and positivity from the first whistle, but New Zealand are hardly letting Australia play so far.
11 mins: The All Whites are on the attack again and a high ball causes panic in the box. But Ryan Thomas is not the player New Zealand want to be taking on an aerial chance as Izzo comfortably collects. It’s one-way traffic at the moment.
9 mins: The All Whites create the first opportunity of the game but the shot inside the box is blocked before it tests Socceroos keeper Paul Izzo. New Zealand attacker Ben Old is looking the most likely to spark this game.
5 mins: Hearts leap into Socceroos mouths as Nestory Irankunda is brought to ground in a frightening tackle. Tim Payne didn’t do a great deal wrong as he tried to prevent the Australia livewire from spinning around and taking off down the left sideline. But the manner that Irankunda fell to ground was a worry. The 19-year-old is finally able to get to his feet and limp away.
3 mins: The Socceroos are sporting a new, dark away kit for the first time. Thoughts on an Australian side playing in an all black strip on New Zealand soil? A shot across the bow, perhaps.
3 mins: The All Whites go searching for an opening down the left flank but neither is able to connect a series of passes during a messy opening.
1 min: A cagey opening as the Socceroos lose the ball in their attacking third and the All Whites knock it around the back.
Kickoff
Peeeeeeep! Socceroos attacker Mohamed Toure gets the second leg of the Soccer Ashes started at Go Media Stadium in Auckland
The national anthems are complete and we are just a few minutes away from kickoff.
The average age of the Socceroos starting XI is just 25 years and 331 days.
The last time they fielded a younger starting line up was against Cameroon at the 2017 Confederations Cup. h/t @OptaJason
Australia XI
Socceroos: Paul Izzo, Lewis Miller, Alessandro Circati (capt), Milos Degenek, Cam Burgess, Kye Rowles, Aiden O’Neill, Max Balard, Connor Metcalfe, Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic kept his cards close to his chest in the pre-match press conference yesterday but is ready to unleash close friends Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Toure, as well as first-leg goalscorer Max Balard from the first whistle.
But the bigger news is Alessandro Circati being handed the captain’s armband in just his seventh international.
New Zealand XI
All Whites: Max Crocombe, Tim Payne, Francis De Vries, Tyler Bindon, Joe Bell, Chris Wood (capt), Sarprett Singh, Eli Just, Finn Surman, Ben Old, Ryan Thomas.
New Zealand name a strong starting XI as they seek to chase down Australia’s 1-0 aggregate lead. Premier League star striker Chris Wood leads the All Whites.
Tony Popovic has called for his side to play with more “confidence and belief” in the second leg against New Zealand. But the Socceroos boss continues to insist that the young players need to earn their stripes rather than expect to be handed opportunities and international caps.
The point of this exercise was to bring young, talented, potential players for the future and see where they fit in. We’ll be happy either way. We have learnt a lot about them regardless of who gets minutes in this game.
The Socceroos took until the 87th minute to break the deadlock against the All Whites in Canberra on Friday night. A new-look lineup lacked urgency in the midfield potency in the attacking third until coach Tony Popovic injected substitutes Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure and Max Balard into the game. Balard was the last of that trio to join the action and, after picking up a pinpoint pass from Toure, scored just two minutes later to cap a memorable debut.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the “Soccer Ashes” football friendly between Australia and New Zealand at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. This is the second match of the double-header after the Socceroos edged the All Whites in a 1-0 victory in Canberra on Friday night.
The Soccer Ashes might be a relatively new concern for the traditional Trans-Tasman sporting rivals to compete over but it comes with an intriguing twist. The winner is decided by the aggregate score over both games – and if scores are level at the end of the second leg tonight, the players head into a penalty shootout.
New Zealand last won the Soccer Ashes back in 1923 but have reason to believe they can reclaim the crown in Auckland. Like the Socceroos, the All Whites have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup and are using these matches as much to hand opportunities to new players as prepare for the global tournament next year.
Australia hold an imposing 42-13 lead in the head-to-head battle, with 11 draws in their 66 clashes, but as we saw on Friday night there is little separating the No 24 and 82-ranked teams at this stage.
Kick-off is at 7pm local time in Auckland / 5pm AEST. I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. Remember to get in touch with any comments, questions, thoughts and predictions – shoot me an email. Let’s get into it!
