Australia reach FIFA World Cup knockout phase after goalless draw with Paraguay

Australia booked their place in the World Cup’s round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that delighted pragmatic coach Tony Popovic but left the South Americans with a nervous wait to see if they will advance.

In a physical, scrappy contest at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Paraguay pushed late after being dominated early but it ended with the Socceroos holding on to make the tournament’s knockout phase for a third time, four years after reaching the last 16 in Qatar.

Popovic’s team sealed second place in Group D behind the United States and will head to Dallas to meet the second-placed team in Group G, which remains wide open before Egypt face Iran and Belgium meet New Zealand on Friday.

It was hardly a performance that will have Australia’s next opponents shaking in their boots, but players and staff celebrated with hugs and back-slapping, and soaked up a warm ovation from thousands of lingering Aussie fans.

“I’d like to think that we dominated the game in a crucial World Cup qualifier with a very young squad in the third match, when everything’s on the line, and the players showed composure, patience, quality, and resilience,” Popovic told reporters.

“Well, now go to Dallas and try and do something special.

“Overall we deserved it. We were very good today.”

Paraguay, on four points, may have done enough to advance as one of the eight best-finishing, third-placed sides but the 2010 quarter-finalists will need to wait for other results in the final group matches.

“Well, the feeling I have is that that was not enough, that was not the result we were aiming for,” said Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro.

“Now we have to wait, there is some uncertainty … I’m very optimistic, however, and I think that we will go to the knockout stage and we will continue in the World Cup.”

Popovic made six changes to his starting 11 in a bold shake-up, bringing back livewire Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, while adding Cristian Volpato to his forward line in a signal of attacking intent.

The changes came after he was roundly criticised for benching Irankunda and Metcalfe for the 2-0 defeat against the US, with both having scored goals in the 2-0 win over Turkiye.

With Jordan Bos switching from left back to right to cover for the injured Jacob Italiano, Australia made promising raids down the right but the finishing touch proved elusive. Minutes after kickoff, Volpato set up Jackson Irvine on the right of the penalty area but he thumped an angled shot straight at Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

Bos and Volpato drew saves from Gill late in the half without genuinely testing him. With Paraguay restricted to one shot in the half, Alfaro injected Mauricio at the break, and the Brazilian-born attacker blazed fruitlessly from distance five minutes after the restart.

The Paraguayans grew into the contest with the help of the energetic Julio Enciso, who repeatedly sliced through Australia’s defence.

He blew one of Paraguay’s better chances with a low shot that flashed well wide of the left post eight minutes from time.

In an end-to-end finish, Bos had Socceroos fans rising from their seats in the 89th minute as he split two defenders, charged into the box from the right and sent his shot fizzing by the far post.

Mauricio gave Beach a late test when he found a sliver of room on the edge of the area but his tepid, low shot was easily dealt with and Australia held on to advance with more substance than style. ...