ADELAIDE: Australia got their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track by beating China 3-1 on Thursday in coach Tony Popovic’s first game in charge.
The Socceroos had picked up just one point from their opening two Group C games in September, and they feared the worst after 19 minutes at the Adelaide Oval.
Xie Wenneng ran onto a Zhang Yuning header to shoot powerfully into the net and silence the majority of the 46,000 crowd.
Australia, going for a sixth straight World Cup appearance, struggled to turn possession into clear chances but just before the break, Lewis Miller headed Craig Goodwin’s free kick into the net for his first international goal.
Goodwin fired home a spectacular second from outside the area eight minutes after the restart to put Australia ahead 2-1. Nishan Velupillay added a third in stoppage time in his debut international appearance to seal the win and condemn China to a third loss in three games.
Popovic was hired last month after the resignation of Graham Arnold as head coach.
Australia are second in the group above Saudi Arabia, which takes on leader Japan later Thursday in Jeddah.
The top two from each of the three six-team groups qualify directly for the World Cup while the third- and fourth-place finishers advance to a fourth stage of qualification to compete for Asia’s two remaining automatic berths.
Australia revive World Cup hopes with 3-1 win over China
https://arab.news/ntwzb
Australia revive World Cup hopes with 3-1 win over China
- The Socceroos had picked up just one point from their opening two Group C games in September
- Popovic was hired last month after the resignation of Graham Arnold as head coach
Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne
- The 22-year-old Spaniard can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his latest bid for a career Grand Slam by dismantling unseeded Australian Adam Walton 6-3 7-6(2) 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday, as the world number one showcased the power and precision befitting a player chasing history.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once, gave a packed Rod Laver Arena an exhibition in shot-making that had fans either glued to their seats or rising in ovation.
“I’m really happy to step on to the court for the first time this season. I think it couldn’t be better than here at Rod Laver Arena. It was a good match, I felt great,” Alcaraz said.
“Adam (showed) a great level in the match so I had to stay there. Overall, I’m happy with the level I played at today.
“It was difficult to find good spots (against him) ... he was always in a good position, long rallies and solid from the baseline. His flat ball was sometimes really difficult for me.
“It was a really solid match and when he was able to step in on the court and play aggressive, he did, and that made it really difficult in the match.”
A ferocious forehand helped Alcaraz to grab the first break for a 5-3 lead and the six-times Grand Slam champion closed out the opening set on his retooled serve, which now bears more than a passing resemblance to the delivery of Novak Djokovic.
That technical tweak followed Alcaraz’s abrupt split last month with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose steadying influence was missing when the Spaniard was dragged into a second-set tiebreak after a spell of loose, crowd-pleasing tennis.
A ruthless Alcaraz came out all guns blazing to double his advantage in the clash and then rode the momentum to ease through the third set, booking a second-round meeting with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
