The Futsalroos concluded their AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ campaign with a stalemate against Tajikistan.
A contest which could’ve gone either way finished 1-1 after 40 minutes of stop-clock futsal at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
On the selection table, Miles Downie elected Futsalroo veteran Adam Cooper to replace the suspended Wade Giovenali following his red card dismissal against Uzbekistan.
Cooper was a late replacement in the Australian camp only days before the competition began, replacing Moreland Blues Fc teammate Ahmed Swedan.
Jamie Dib was also unavailable for selection due to suspension following two yellow cards he accumulated in previous matches.
The starting five was completed by Grant Lynch, Ethan De Melo, Dominic Cox and goalkeeper Noah Feilich who retained their starting positions.
Tajikistan entered their final group stage match sitting in third place in the Group C standings, needing three points and Japan to defeat Uzbekistan to have any hopes of advancing into the competition's quarter-finals.
Although the Futsalroos were mathematically unable to qualify for the quarter-finals, their determination to end their Indonesian expedition on a high was evident.
Momentum shifted between both sides from kick off.
Grant Lynch worked opposition goalkeeper Firuz Bekmurodov into an early save, while Tajikistan would strike the woodwork shortly after.
Noah Feilich progressed up the court with the ball at his feet, providing his teammates offensive support as a passing option.
Both sides showcased an endeavour to score with attacking, fast-paced futsal on display.
The match's first crucial moment came in the 8th minute after Dominic Cox impeded Umed Kuziev inside the Tajikistan semi-circle.
Despite Australia challenging the call, match officials utilised video support to not overturn the original penalty decision.
Noah Feilich provided heroics from in-between the sticks, denying Samandar Rizomov from the penalty spot to keep the scores level.
The ascendancy grapple continued in the second half, with the deadlock not broken until the match's dramatic conclusion.
Idris Yorov pounced upon a goalkeeper rebound to award Tajikistan's persistence in the final two minutes.
Jordan Guerreiro was swift to exchange his playing kit for the fifth man-goalkeeper jersey in one last roll of the dice for the Futsalroos.
Only moments after conceding, the extra on-court player enabled a quick scoreline response with Guerreiro prodding home a close-range effort following some slick interplay between Lynch and Harb.
Although both sides threw everything at a dramatic last-minute goal, the match ended with the spoils shared as in their final group stage clash.
