Australia’s defender Jordan Bos celebrates after scoring his staff’s second aim throughout the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group B soccer match in opposition to India in Al-Rayyan, on January 13, 2024.
| Picture Credit score: AFP
Australia cruised to a 2-0 victory of their Asian Cup opener in opposition to India on January 13, Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos scoring from shut vary to launch their title bid.
In entrance of a deafeningly pro-Indian crowd on the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Australia made exhausting work of the primary half, squandering just a few respectable probabilities whereas the underdogs defended raggedly and eyed alternatives to pounce on the break.
However Irvine opened the scoring simply after the restart, the moustachioed midfielder driving residence from 10 yards after India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu got here for a cross solely to flap it again into the hazard zone.
The 2015 Asian Cup champions had been in full management from then on, as Indian legs drained and Australia coach Graham Arnold took benefit of the depth in his squad.
Bos doubled Australia’s benefit shortly after the seventieth minute.
A matter of seconds after coming off the bench, the 21-year-old slotted residence from six yards after fellow substitute Riley McGree fizzed the ball exhausting and low throughout the field from the byline.
Bos went shut with a couple of minutes remaining when unmarked on the left-hand submit, however dragged his shot vast.
A largely unremarkable match did provide one second of regional soccer historical past, as Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita turned the primary lady to referee at an Asian Cup.
Indian followers among the many official attendance of 36,253 saved up their nice voice all through, at the same time as their staff’s probabilities of a aim light with the desert solar.
In a bunch nation with a large Indian inhabitants, Igor Stimac’s aspect will be positive of a rowdy following for all of their video games in Group B.
Subsequent up they face Uzbekistan on Thursday, when Australia tackle Syria.
