Australia’s Olympic football hopes will rest solely on the Matildas after the men’s team failed to qualify.
The Olyroos were held 0-0 by hosts Qatar in their final group game of the Under-23 Asian Cup, which serves as an Olympic qualifying tournament, leaving them with two points and no goals from three games.
Australia applied pressure for much of the match and created a series of chances, but as in their previous matches, they failed to convert those opportunities.
In fact, it wouldn’t have mattered if they had.
For Australia to qualify, Indonesia not only had to win, but also lose. Indonesia, which had beaten Australia 1-0, beat Jordan 4-1.
Even if the Olyroos had beaten Qatar, they still wouldn’t have progressed. (Getty Images: Mohamed Farag)
Qatar and Indonesia advance from the group to the quarter-finals, with the top three teams qualifying for Paris.
The Olyroos will miss the Games for the fourth time in the last three editions, having failed to qualify for London 2012 and Rio 2016, before a third-place finish at the 2020 Under-23 Asian Cup booked them a ticket to Tokyo, where they crashed out in the group stage.
After drawing 0-0 with Jordan and losing 1-0 to Indonesia, Tony Vidmar’s side faced Qatar at Al Rayyan’s Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Sunday (early Monday AEDT) hoping to break their scoring duck and gain a lifeline from the other group game being played simultaneously.
Vidmar made three changes from the defeat to Indonesia with Rhys Youlley, Lachlan Brook and Nicolas Milanovic returning to the starting XI.
Although Qatar had already qualified, the first half was hesitant and nothing happened until Australia were forced to make a change after Jake Hollman came on. Keegan Jelacic replaced him.
Australia then began to apply pressure and should have been ahead at the break.
Youlley made a fine save at the near post, then Jacob Italiano fired over from a good position, before Milanovic headed across goal from the far post.
At half-time, news broke that Indonesia were leading 2-0, but Australia’s game remained resolutely goalless.
With 20 minutes to go, the Kuol brothers – Alou and Garang – were introduced as the Green and Golds searched in vain to get something out of the match.
Jelacic came closest, a volley parried onto the post as Indonesia, near Doha, wrapped up their victory.
PAA
