Socceroos share the spoils with Korea

Tournament heavyweights Australia and South Korea gave the Asian Cup an early high point playing out a quality 1-1 draw at Al Gharafa overnight.

The Socceroos matched a foe that has long been their superior, sharing the points and emphasising their right to be considered a winning chance in Qatar.

Australia came from behind to get a result with Mile Jedinak producing his first international goal just beyond the hour mark to cancel out Korean youngster Koo Ja Cheol's third strike of the tournament.

If Holger Osieck's men had come to be assessed few could have argued they had passed. Captain Lucas Neill told Grandstand there is much to be achieved in the next fortnight.

"There's definitely hunger in the team, there's good harmony, there's something special happening," Neill said.

"I think the boys are starting to feel this could be a special campaign."

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was similarly bullish having been part of too many campaigns that have fractured and failed.

"We said after the game how it was fantastic that the guys really came back into it after being 1-0 down," he said.

"It showed the grit and determination the players have to succeed here in this tournament."

Australia remains top of Group C on four points level with the Korea Republic.

Bahrain beat India 5-2 in a rather mad match so the Socceroos still need a draw in the final group match on Tuesday against Bahrain to progress to the knock-out phase.

Osieck assessed last night's match in front of 15,526 fans an excellent advertisement for Asian football.

"I think we have seen a high standard match, both teams have great potential and we've seen that today," said Osieck.

"It was end to end, both teams tried to play football. It was not just entertaining but from a technical point of view, it was very good."

The downside for Osieck was injuries to Jason Culina who was substituted at half-time and had a heavy limp up post-match and Luke Wilkshire who took himself from the pitch with a suspected groin injury.

Left back David Carney also sustained a suspected dislocated shoulder in the dying minutes.

Suspect defence

Australia was a constant threat through the opening half particularly through Harry Kewell, who was dynamic.

But the South Korean predictions of exploiting the Socceroo defence came to reality in a near-disastrous five-minute patch.

Koo added to his brace from the opening match capitalising on a defensive calamity in the 24rd minute.

Sasa Ognonovski and Neill were caught ball watching in what the skipper described as "an error in communication" from a Korea goal kick.

The pair failed to cover Ji Dong Won and by the time they scampered to find him Koo had swept into the box unchecked.

He coolly lashed the shot across the front of a helpless Schwarzer.

It unsettled the back and suddenly the Socceroos could neither keep possession nor clear the area.

They might have gone down a second if not for Schwarzer who blocked the shot of Ji at the end of some fine forward interplay.

Kewell had a wealth of chances taking on defenders and making intuitive runs. But he twice blazed over before switching to wide of the mark when Brett Holman put him in space.

Kewell cursed himself but not nearly as much as his striking partner Cahill who was denied a good shout for a penalty in the first quarter-hour after being muscled by Cha Du Ri while camped under a cross.

Late in the half Holman attacked, Kewell cleverly stepped over the pass opening the way for Cahill unattended at the far post.

Instead of instinctively shooting - and he must have scored - the Everton star tried to tee it up with an initial touch. It gave Cha just enough time to nudge the ball away from behind and the moment was lost.

Level terms

In the 62nd minute Australia got the prize it deserved from the glut of creativity.

Kewell industriously earned a corner kick. Wilkshire put it on the money only to see it slew off the head of Cahill. Fortuitously it flopped to Neill on the left of goal.

The skipper flicked the ball to the top of the six-yard box where Jedinak leapt for his life and nodded the ball away from the lunging keeper.

The 26-year-old's first international goal coming in his 20th cap and earning the plaudits of his goalkeeper.

"It's fantastic," Schwarzer told Grandstand.

"I can only imagine what it would be like to score your first goal for your country. I don't think it's ever going happen to me. Other than playing for your country it must be the next best thing.

"And I'm delighted for him because I think he's done extremely well in the last couple of games and I think overall for the team it was such a vital goal to score."

There was parry and thrust through the final 30 minutes. Man of the match Park Ji Sung tried desperately to snatch the lead back for the Taeguk Warriors.

Jedinak and substitute Carl Valeri both had cracks from range to break the deadlock.

But it was Schwarzer who had to protect the scoreline at the death making a brilliant reflex save low on the right to deny Ki Sung Yueng's close-range shot as the clock ticked down.

"It's just an instinct and a reaction. I'm just glad I was able to stop it going over the line because I think at that time with about five minutes to play it would have been very, very cruel for us to be behind.

"I'm happy and delighted that we, I wouldn't say held on because I don't think we held on, but we played out a result."

The Socceroos completed the warm-up in t-shirts pleading for donations to the Australian Flood Relief Appeal.

While in a poignant pre-match the Australians donned black armbands and both teams stood in formation for a moments silence for those lost in the Queensland floods.