Qatar World Cup: Australia qualified, Peru defeated on penalties

After 120 minutes without clean sheets, Australia beat Gianluca Lapadula’s Peru on penalties and got the ticket to Qatar, qualifying for the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time. Al Rayyan’s playoff challenge ends 5-4: the Benevento striker transforms the first penalty for the South Americans, but in the end the save of the newly entered Redmayne on the conclusion of Valera is decisive. The national team led by Graham Arnold will be included in group D of the tournament, where they will meet France, Denmark and Tunisia.

He matches

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Australia relies on Duke at the center of the attack, deploying the loyal coaches in midfield. He starts from 1 ‘Mooy, flanked by Hrustic and Irvine, decisive goalscorers in the first play-off against the United Arab Emirates. Peru is betting everything on Lapadula (with 8 goals in 22 appearances), who in the 4 ‘touches the advantage with a header. The stakes are very high, the teams do not risk and avoid unbalancing. In the first half, the South Americans conceded too much, but at half-time the score was still 0-0. History repeats itself during the second half: Australia (which in the meantime inserts Karacic, the Brescia defender) pushes but is not dangerous. An exception was a shot by Hrustic in the 88th minute, rejected by the opposing goalkeeper. The best Peru is seen in the second extra period: in the 107th minute Cueva wastes from a good position, then a shot by Edison Flores hits the post. The hosts hold up, in the end it goes to penalties. The unexpected protagonist is the Australian Redmayne, inserted in the 120th minute in place of the owner Ryan. The number 12 takes the stage, neutralizing Valera’s shot (the sixth for the Peruvians), with a save that is worth the qualification.

The other playoff

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This leaves only one free “slot” available in the list of 32 teams that will participate in the next World Cup. It will be occupied by one between Costa Rica and New Zealand, opponents in the last playoff scheduled for Tuesday evening at 20.