Australia secured a comfortable 2-0 victory in their opening match of the Asian Cup against India on Saturday, with Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos scoring from close range to kickstart their title bid.
Despite facing a boisterously pro-Indian crowd at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Australia faced some challenges in the first half, missing a few decent opportunities while India defended unevenly and looked for chances on the counterattack.
The breakthrough came just after the restart when Jackson Irvine, the mustachioed midfielder, capitalized on a goalkeeper error. India’s Gurpreet Singh Sandhu came for a cross but could only flap it back into the danger zone, allowing Irvine to score from 10 yards.
From that point on, the 2015 Asian Cup champions were in control, taking advantage of India’s tiring legs as Australia’s coach, Graham Arnold, utilized the depth of his squad.
Jordan Bos extended Australia’s lead shortly after the 70th minute. Coming off the bench, the 21-year-old slotted home from six yards after a well-placed cross from fellow substitute Riley McGree.
Despite a late chance for Bos that went wide, the outcome remained largely unremarkable. However, the match did make regional football history, with Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita becoming the first woman to referee at an Asian Cup.
Indian fans, a significant presence among the 36,253 in attendance, maintained their vocal support even as their team’s chances of scoring dwindled in the desert sun. In a host country with a sizable Indian population, Igor Stimac’s team can expect enthusiastic support for all their Group B games. Their next match is against Uzbekistan on Thursday, while Australia faces Syria.
