‘One of the worst nights in Socceroos history’ in 18-year Bahrain disaster

The Socceroos have suffered a historic nightmare in their opening match of the third round of World Cup qualifying against Bahrain.

The Socceroos have made a nightmare start to the third round of World Cup qualifying after a Harry Souttar own goal saw Bahrain claim a historic 1-0 win at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Ranked 24th in the world, the Socceroos were expected to make easy work of the 80th ranked Bahrain.

However, Bahrain have made history, defeating Australia for the first time ever in the sixth meeting between the teams.

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It’s just the second time Australia has lost a live World Cup qualifier on home soil.

Frustratingly, the Socceroos were a man down for the final 13 minutes after Kusini Yengi was given a red card in the 77th minute for a high boot that connected with the neck of Bahraini defender Sayed Baqer, which made it all the more difficult for Australia.

While Bahrain lived up the expectation that they would make it hard for the Socceroos to score, an 89th minute strike from Abdulla Al-Khulasi took a wicked deflection off Souttar’s boot, wrong footing goalkeeper and captain Mat Ryan and hitting the back of the net.

In those six meetings, Bahrain had only ever previously scored one goal when they took a shock halftime lead in February 2006 before losing 3-1 in the Asian Cup.

The goal left the crowd of almost 25,000 stunned, with the Socceroos unable to find a stoppage-time equaliser despite substitute Mitch Duke having a great opportunity to score with a header that failed to hit the target.

That was a disaster. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Duke’s miss was part of an ordinary night in attack for the hosts, who had been expected to dominate on home soil.

Instead, they too often looked devoid of ideas in attack against the resolute visitors.

In commentary, Simon Hill said the result would “send a few shockwaves around Asia”.

Aussie defender Alessandro Circati was not happy after the loss, but was already looking at the next match against Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday night.

“Everyone hates losing, everyone in the team — you come here to win,” Circati said.

“We travel — personally myself, 25 hours to come here — and the last thing we want to do is lose.

“From my behalf and the boys’ behalf, we gave everything today. I think it showed. I think we can play better. I think we should play better.

“But I think regarding effort, we put 100 per cent in.

“I played a new position (at right-back) I’d never played and I think I gave everything that I had.

“But we will go back in the change room and focus on Indonesia, and the important thing is winning that game. This game is passed — nothing more to do.”

Mat Ryan reacts to the loss. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images

While the Socceroos did their best to put a good face on the disaster, the social media reaction said it all.

Aussie journalist Brad Davidson wrote on Twitter: “What a terrible night for Australian football. Terrible tactics, terrible game to watch (time wasting at unbelievable levels) and just utterly poor skill level and no cohesion at all. Just so uninspiring. Surely we’re not this bad!? Last WC feels 2 decades ago.”

Veteran football reporter Vince Rugari tweeted: “One of the worst nights in Socceroo history. It’s as simple as that.”

Hill wasn’t as forceful as Rugari but was still disappointed.

“Not a good night for the Socceroos. Constantly frustrated, found it hard to create chances. A Hrustic type player badly missed tonight. Still, early days…,” he tweeted.

WWOS’ The Mole tweeted: “The @Socceroos about to lose to Bahrain at home... how embarrassing...”

The West’s Ben Smith posted: “Well. That game happened. It was not fun or good. Bahrain land a historic win over Australia after Harry Souttar’s 89th-minute own goal. A sucker punch, but the Socceroos were not good.”

Another fan framed it, saying: “Bahrain has a population of less than 1.5 million. Complete humiliation for Australia. These things happen in sport though.”

Circati had an early chance for the Socceroos with a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area in the second minute that forced a save out of Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla.

But Lutfalla wasn’t tested for the rest of the first half as the Socceroos struggled to break down a well-organised and resolute Bahrain defence.

Genuine chances were few and far between for a Socceroos outfit that became increasingly frustrated and lost for ideas.

Pure joy for Bahrain. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Australia have to regroup. Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images

But Circati was also fuming over the tactics from Bahrain, alluding to plenty of flopping and diving throughout the second half.

“As you said, I don’t think we played five minutes continuously,” Circati said. “Every three minutes there was someone on the floor, something happening. I can’t comment on that, but it’s disappointing.”

Similarly, winger Craig Goodwin said it was “what Middle Eastern football is about”.

“That’s the way it will be, that’s how it has always been,” Goodwin said. “We have to be better than what we were tonight.

“We were told by a couple of the coaches there were 36 minutes of actual playing time, extremely low. That’s the style we know we will encounter.

“We have to find ways to be better, stay out of the situations where they will milk everything they can. That is what they did at every moment but that aside, it is on us.

“We lose this game because of us, not them. We lose it because we weren’t good enough.”

Goodwin said there was just 36 minutes of actual play. Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Sports reporter Bernie Coen also hit out at the tactics.

“Players who carry on like idiots like the Bahrain players are at the moment should be given yellow cards,” he tweeted.

The FootballFocusAU account added: “There’s nothing else more frustrating than watching the @Socceroos playing against a Middle Eastern team.”

The way World Cup qualifying works is that the 18 teams that have made it through to the AFC third round were divided into three groups of six teams with the top two in each group qualifying directly through to the 2026 World Cup, while the third and fourth placed teams will go into a fourth round.

There will be 48 teams for the first time at the next World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

Post-match, coach Graham Arnold said the team would “learn a lot from these types of games”.

“When players get frustrated, a lot of fouls and time-wasting,” he said.
“For the boys, especially the younger boys, it’s a learning process. It was not our night. We had the chances, and if you put one in against these nations they tend to fall apart.
“But we didn’t do that, and it kept them in the game.”

With Marco Monteverde, NewsWire