Match Report
In the standings it was Australia 1st on 18 points, Japan 1st on 23 — separated by 5. Japan ranked just 13th in the league on five-round form despite their 1st table position. Against a league average of 1.4 goals per team per game, Australia ran at 3.67 scored and 0 conceded, Japan at 3 and 0.3.
Defeat had not touched Australia in 7 games. Japan carried an 11-game unbeaten run into this.
The head-to-head ledger counts 5 games: 0 Australia wins, 3 for Japan, 2 draws, at 2.8 goals per meeting. Only 40% of these meetings ended in a home win. Shutting the other side out is rare here — both scored in 80% of the meetings.
Optus Stadium in Perth staged the fixture, a ground that holds 6,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-0.