Australia faced a tough challenge against Palestine but managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory in their World Cup qualifying match at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on November 21, 2023.
The match commenced with Palestine putting Australia under immense pressure, as their aggressive tactics caught the Socceroos off balance. In the opening minutes, Tamer Seyam almost broke through Australia's defence with a menacing free-kick that goalkeeper Mathew Ryan was forced to palm away at the near post. The Socceroos responded with an attempt of their own when Connor Metcalfe tested the Palestinian keeper from a distance, but his shot was easily saved.
Despite a challenging start, Australia regained their rhythm and opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Harry Souttar showcased his aerial prowess by connecting with Craig Goodwin's swirling corner kick, executing a precise header that crashed into the net, marking his 10th international goal.
The Socceroos continued to press forward, with Goodwin delivering a tempting cross that nearly resulted in another goal as Metcalfe connected at the back post. However, his volley posed no threat to the Palestinian goalkeeper. Approaching halftime, Palestine came close to equalising from a corner, but Ryan exhibited his reflexes with a remarkable save to thwart their attempt.
In the second half, Australia found it challenging to keep up their attacking momentum, and scoring opportunities were hard to come by. However, the arrival of substitutes Mitchell Duke and Brandon Borrello provided a boost of energy to the team. Borrello's sharp run and shot forced a great save from the Palestinian goalkeeper, and Jordan Bos came very close to scoring a second goal, with his header hitting the crossbar.
Palestine continued to pose a threat, particularly on the counter-attack and came close to scoring when Oday Dabbagh's shot deflected narrowly wide. In the closing stages of the match, the Socceroos faced a challenging test of their determination as the Palestinian team took control of the game.
Souttar and Kye Rowles showed strong defensive performances, intercepting crosses and preventing Palestinian advances.
The Socceroos earned three more points on their path to World Cup qualification and preserved their flawless start to the campaign.
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