Sport

Socceroos take down Indonesia 4-0 to qualify for Asian Cup quarterfinals

Well, that sure was a rollercoaster.

The Socceroos have emerged from a crash-and-bash game 4-0 winners, including two goals in three minutes towards the very end of the second half.

Indonesia were far better than this scoreline implies, really taking it to Australia in the first half, and were unlucky to be down 1-0 after a Jackson Irvine cross was deflected into their own net in the 12th minute.

The Socceroos struggled to create their own attacking chances throughout the first half - which has been the story of their Asian Cup so far, really - but, thanks to a couple smart substitutions, were able to add something different to the back third of the game to extend their lead as Indonesia faded.

Martin Boyle, Craig Goodwin, and Harry Souttar all got on the score-sheet in the second half, which has got to encourage head coach Graham Arnold heading into the quarterfinal leg against either Saudi Arabia or South Korea: two teams which you'd think will pose a much more difficult challenge than the 144th-ranked Indonesians did tonight.

That also means I get one more night with you all! Until then, have a great couple of days, and I'll see you again on the ABC Sport liveblog in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The defender was beaten to the ball as he tried to work it backwards, flying in to try and win it back from Rafael Struick.

The Indonesian forward doesn't take kindly to the tackle, though, and shoves Atkinson over as he tried to get up to take the throw-in. Red shirts flood around the sideline, tempers potentially reaching boiling-point, but the referees are able to throw a blanket on the emotions and get the game back underway.

Two of them have already passed.

Big Harry Souttar makes it four!

A Craig Goodwin in-swinging free kick from the yellow-card tussle a second ago is fizzed in at the front post, where the towering centre-back is charging in.

He beats everybody around him to the ball, redirecting it into the far corner of the net.

4-0.

Stand-in captain Jordi Amat earns another slice of cheese after a tussle with (I think) Martin Boyle on the right wing. The Socceroo doesn't take it well, standing up to the experienced defender, puffing out their chests at one another. But the linesman intervenes and calms things down.

And the substitute Craig Goodwin's first contribution is putting the ball in the back of the net to make it 3-0.

Another great cut-back cross from Nathaniel Atkinson on the right wing curls back onto the head of Jackson Irvine, whose header is brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper, but he slaps it right into the path of Goodwin, who volleys it low and hard into the bottom corner.

3-0.

Jordy Bos is replaced by Craig Goodwin, while Keanu Baccus comes off for Aiden O'Neill.

The right-back had advanced far up the field into the pocket of space left just beyond the top of the box as the Socceroos tried some combos down the left.

None of them come off - the players running into a cul-de-sac of red - so the play is switched across to Atkinson, who takes a steadying touch before opening up his body and shooting low and hard through two diving Indonesian defenders.

It's just off target though and bangs off the advertising boards to the right of the post.

He flew into a tackle alongside Jordy Bos to squeeze it away from an Indonesian player, who's sandwiched between the two Aussies, and the referee blows his whistle to signal a free kick.

Irvine is pissed, feeling he won the ball fairly. He picks it up and walks away with it for a couple of steps before throwing it behind him back towards where the foul happened.

He's gotta be careful.

The Socceroos substitute zips in behind Indonesia's two centre-backs to latch onto a gorgeous diagonal through-ball by Martin Boyle from the right.

He's one-on-one with the goalkeeper, who sprints off his line to try and make himself as big as possible, throwing his big arms wide like a starfish.

Duke tries to chip him, but his technique isn't quite right and his shot has too much power, flying over the crossbar instead.

Duke will be filthy at that. A golden chance missed.

It's their first of the whole game, I think!

A rare attack down the left wing sees the ball cut back but not controlled well in the box, with a backtracking Keanu Baccus coming in to support his team-mates, only for the ball to bounce off him and out for a corner.

The set-piece is quick and dangerous, an out-swinging corner that is almost lost in the sun by Mat Ryan, but Indonesia isn't able to meet it at the back post and it's cleared.

Indonesia haven't been as threatening in this second half, though they haven't stopped coming.

Australia have done better to hold them at bay and shut down the passing shapes they were finding freely in the opening 45.

The Socceroos haven't been much better going forward, though. Mitch Duke has been chasing shadows since he came on, while Connor Metcalfe has struggled to get his foot on the ball and create very much for his wingers.

Jackson Irvine has done a mountain of running to try and keep Indonesia's midfielders at bay, but he could run out of legs soon.

Yakob Sayuri is off, Rizky Ridho (kickass name) is on.