The Socceroos defied the odds – and a two-hour pre-match traffic jam – to draw 1-1 with Japan on Tuesday night and bag a precious point that greatly boosts their hopes of sealing direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Few thought Tony Popovic’s side stood a chance of getting anything from the world No.16-ranked Samurai Blue – until Lewis Miller’s cross was turned in for an own goal by Shogo Taniguchi in the 58th minute, the first goal Japan had conceded in nine matches of this hitherto unblemished World Cup qualifying campaign.

It sparked hopes of an unlikely first win on Japanese soil for Australia, only for another own goal 18 minutes later – this time off the shin of defender Cameron Burgess – to erase their advantage.

However, an otherwise highly creditable defensive performance from the Socceroos blunted the previously free-scoring Samurai Blue and enabled them to escape with a share of the spoils, even though they finished with just one shot for the entire match, and zero on target.

The result completes an encouraging first window in charge of the national team for Popovic, who only took over as coach three weeks ago but has managed to breathe new life into a team that had grown stale under his predecessor Graham Arnold. With a 3-1 win over China last week and now this draw against Japan, their qualification mission is back on track, the new 3-4-3 formation Popovic unveiled in Adelaide smoothly reverting to a more defensively minded set-up here.

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A straight shootout with Saudi Arabia, Australia’s next opponents, is looming for second spot in Group C and the automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup that comes with it. The Socceroos will host the Saudis on November 14 at Melbourne’s AAMI Park, with the winner to move into a commanding position in the race for the top two – but star attacker Craig Goodwin will be suspended after earning a second-half yellow card against Japan.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Socceroos against the fast-rising Japanese, but a car accident before the match on a nearby freeway made it even tougher. Due to the resultant traffic, players and staff were trapped on the team bus for more than two hours, and so they didn’t arrive at Saitama Stadium until 45 minutes before kick-off, with outfield players only emerging for their warm-ups with less than half an hour to go. Despite petitioning from not only Football Australia but their counterparts from the Japanese Football Association, who argued their opponents deserved a fairer go, the AFC refused to delay kick-off.

So, all things considered, Australia’s performance was simply terrific, and more evidence of the grit and determination they showed in coming from behind to beat China on Thursday. Of course, they spent almost the entire 90 minutes under siege, with the Samurai Blue pinning them back in defence and hogging 65 per cent of possession. And with every sublime first touch, crisp pass or clever scything run, the gulf in individual class was made more evident.