2021 Australia national soccer team season

Australia

2021 season
Chairman	Chris Nikou
Manager	Graham Arnold
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This page summarises the Australia men's national soccer team fixtures and results in 2021.

Summary[]

Australia played half of the qualifiers in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup in 2019. Following these four matches, they sat first place in the group having won all the matches, scoring 16 goals and conceding only one goal to Chinese Taipei.^[1][2] The remaining matches were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and rescheduled to be played in June 2021 in Kuwait as a centralised venue.^[3][4]

On 3 June, Australia played their first match after 567 days without playing, beating Kuwait 3–0 in the Asian qualifiers. Acting captain Mathew Leckie headed in the opener, Jackson Irvine scored the second from a rebound of a saved penalty, and Ajdin Hrustic scored the third from a free kick. The game also had 3 national team debutants, with Fran Karacic starting the match and Kenny Dougall and Riley McGree being substituted on from the bench.^[5][6] Four days later, Australia beat Chinese Taipei, marking six consecutive victories for the first time in 20 years. In the first half Harry Souttar and captain Trent Sainsbury headed goals either side of Jamie Maclaren's penalty and Mitchell Duke scored a brace in the second half either side of Chinese Taipei's goal, scored by Gao Wei-jie. In the game Denis Genreau, Connor Metcalfe, and Ruon Tongyik were handed their international debuts.^[7][8] Four days later, Australia extended their winning streak to seven consecutive victories, marking the first time in 24 years, beating Nepal 3–0 and securing the top place in their group. In the first half Leckie scored a header before assisting Karacic's maiden international goal and in the second half Martin Boyle scored the third goal before Lawrence Thomas was substituted on to make his international debut.^[9][10] After another four days, Australia beat Jordan 1–0 thanks to a header by Souttar. This win marked the first time in history that they won eight consecutive matches in a World Cup campaign.^[11][12]

After finishing top of the group in the second and qualifying for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, in the last few months of the year, Australia began the third round of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.^[13] On 2 September, Australia "hosted" China at a neutral venue in Qatar due to quarantine restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.^[14] They won the match 3–0, with Awer Mabil, Boyle, and Duke scoring, while Callum Elder made his international debut.^[15] A few days later, Australia travelled to Vietnam where Rhyan Grant scored his first international goal to give Australia a 1–0 victory.^[16] It was their tenth consecutive win, which broke the record of the best run of form in the Asian Football Confederation.^[17]

Record[]

As of match played 7 September 2021

Type	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
Friendly	0	0	0	0	0	0
World Cup & Asian Cup qualifiers	6	6	0	0	16	1
Total	6	6	0	0	16	1

Match results[]

Friendlies[]

This section is for matches confirmed by the FFA, please do not add speculative fixtures.

World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers[]

Player statistics[]

Correct as of 7 September 2021 (v.  Vietnam).
Numbers are listed by player's number in last match played

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Friendlies		World Cup qualifiers
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK		Mathew Ryan	4	0	0+0	0	4+0	0
12	GK		Andrew Redmayne	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
12	GK		Lawrence Thomas	1	0	0+0	0	0+1	0
18	GK		Danny Vukovic	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
2	DF		Milos Degenek	3	0	0+0	0	3+0	0
3	DF		Fran Karacic	3	1	0+0	0	2+1	1
3	DF		Brad Smith	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
4	DF		Rhyan Grant	4	1	0+0	0	4+0	1
5	DF		Ryan McGowan	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
6	DF		Callum Elder	1	0	0+0	0	0+1	0
8	DF		Bailey Wright	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
14	DF		Connor Metcalfe	2	0	0+0	0	1+1	0
16	DF		Aziz Behich	5	0	0+0	0	4+1	0
19	DF		Harry Souttar	5	2	0+0	0	5+0	2
20	DF		Trent Sainsbury	4	1	0+0	0	4+0	1
23	DF		Curtis Good	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
23	DF		Ruon Tongyik	2	0	0+0	0	0+2	0
5	MF		James Holland	2	0	0+0	0	1+1	0
7	MF		James Jeggo	2	0	0+0	0	0+2	0
10	MF		Ajdin Hrustic	6	1	0+0	0	5+1	1
13	MF		Aaron Mooy	2	0	0+0	0	0+2	0
14	MF		Brandon Borrello	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
14	MF		Riley McGree	5	0	0+0	0	2+3	0
17	MF		Kenny Dougall	3	0	0+0	0	2+1	0
17	MF		Denis Genreau	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
21	MF		Daniel Arzani	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
22	MF		Jackson Irvine	5	1	0+0	0	5+0	1
23	MF		Tom Rogic	2	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
6	FW		Martin Boyle	4	2	0+0	0	4+0	2
7	FW		Mathew Leckie	2	2	0+0	0	2+0	2
9	FW		Jamie Maclaren	3	1	0+0	0	2+1	1
9	FW		Adam Taggart	3	0	0+0	0	2+1	0
11	FW		Awer Mabil	5	1	0+0	0	3+2	1
13	FW		Nikita Rukavytsya	2	0	0+0	0	0+2	0
15	FW		Mitchell Duke	5	3	0+0	0	2+3	3
17	FW		Chris Ikonomidis	2	0	0+0	0	0+2	0

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Australia: Fixtures and Results