Australia revives World Cup hopes with 3-1 win over China
Australia's Lewis Miller, top left, heads the ball to score his team's first goal during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and China at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia, Thursday Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/James Elsby)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/James Elsby]
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Australia got its 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track by beating China 3-1 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 when Xie Wenneng scored after 19 minutes at the Adelaide Oval. Lewis Miller evened the score before the break. Craig Goodwin made it 2-1 and Nishan Velupillay added a third in stoppage time. Popovic was hired last month after the resignation of Graham Arnold as head coach.
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