Australia–Japan football rivalry

Australia–Japan football rivalry

Other names	Socceroos vs Samurai Blue
Locale	Asia
Teams	Australia  Japan
First meeting	27 November 1956
Latest meeting	Australia 1–1 Japan World Cup qualification (11 October 2016)
Next meeting	31 August 2017
Statistics
Meetings total	24
Most wins	Japan (8)
All-time series	7–9–8

The Australia–Japan football rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists between the national association football teams of each country, regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries.^[1] The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from a number of highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006.^[2] The two teams have played each other in several significant matches, including a World Cup group stage match and the 2011 Asian Cup Final.

Origins

Socceroos supporters at a Japan match in Kaiserslautern

The first match between the two teams was played at the 1956 Olympics, ending in a 2–0 win for the Australians.^[3] Another dozen matches were played between Australia and Japan until a semi-final match at the 2001 Confederations Cup which ended in a 1–0 for Japan, but the match-up really only emerged as a rivalry after 2006, when Australia joined the AFC, especially the FIFA World Cup qualification games. The first match between the two sides after this was during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a group stage game where Australia were still technically competing as Oceania representatives. With just six minutes left, Japan led by a single goal, only for Australia to score thrice in succession to secure their first ever win in a World Cup Finals match in what is regarded as one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history.^[4] A number of fierce qualifying matches over the next few years enhanced the rivalry, and Japan got revenge for their World Cup defeat by knocking the Socceroos out of the 2007 Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage via penalty shootout. In 2011, Japan again beat the Socceroos in an Asian Cup, this time in the 2011 final with a solitary goal in extra time sealing the championship.

Matches

#	Date	Competition	Home team	Score	Away team	Venue
1	27 November 1956	1956 Olympic Games	Australia	2–0	Japan	Olympic Park, Melbourne
2	30 March 1968	International Friendly	Australia	2–2	Japan	Sydney
3	31 March 1968	International Friendly	Australia	3–1	Japan	Melbourne
4	4 April 1968	International Friendly	Australia	1–3	Japan	Adelaide
5	10 October 1969	1970 World Cup Qualification	Japan	1–3	Australia	Seoul
6	16 October 1969	1970 World Cup Qualification	Japan	1–1	Australia	Seoul
7	22 May 1994	Kirin Cup	Japan	1–1	Australia	Big Arch Stadium, Hiroshima
8	29 September 1994	International Friendly	Japan	0–0	Australia	National Stadium, Tokyo
9	15 February 1995	International Friendly	Australia	2–1	Japan	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
10	10 February 1996	International Friendly	Australia	1–4	Japan	Brandon Park, Wollongong
11	14 February 1996	International Friendly	Australia	3–0	Japan	Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne
12	15 February 1998	International Friendly	Australia	0–3	Japan	Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
13	8 June 2001	2001 Confederations Cup	Japan	1–0	Australia	International Stadium, Yokohama
14	15 August 2001	AFC – OFC Challenge Cup	Japan	3–0	Australia	Shizuoka Stadium, Shizuoka
15	12 June 2006	2006 World Cup	Australia	3–1	Japan	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern
16	21 July 2007	2007 Asian Cup	Japan	1–1 (4-3)	Australia	My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi
17	11 February 2009	2010 World Cup Qualification	Japan	0–0	Australia	International Stadium, Yokohama
18	17 June 2009	2010 World Cup Qualification	Australia	2–1	Japan	MCG, Melbourne
19	29 January 2011	2011 Asian Cup Final	Australia	0–1 (a.e.t)	Japan	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
20	12 June 2012	2014 World Cup Qualification	Australia	1–1	Japan	Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
21	4 June 2013	2014 World Cup Qualification	Japan	1–1	Australia	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
22	25 July 2013	2013 East Asian Cup	Japan	3–2	Australia	Hwaseong Stadium, Hwaseong
23	18 November 2014	International Friendly	Japan	2–1	Australia	Nagai Stadium, Osaka
24	11 October 2016	2018 World Cup Qualification	Australia	1–1	Japan	Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
25	31 August 2017	2018 World Cup Qualification	Japan		Australia	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama

Overall

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Australia	24	7	9	8	31	33	-2
Japan	24	8	9	7	33	31	+2

Top scorers

Players in bold are still available for selection.

Rank	Player	Goals
1	Tim Cahill	5
2	Kunishige Kamamoto	4
3	Tommy McColl	3
4	John Aloisi	2
Ray Baartz
Takashi Hirano
Hidetoshi Nakata
Yuya Osako
Takuya Takagi

References