Behich's unlikely hero moment puts Socceroos on brink of 2026 World Cup

In the ninety-first minute of a match Australia had spent almost entirely defending, a left wing-back who had not scored for his country in thirteen years struck a shot that may well carry the Socceroos to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Aziz Behich's improbable goal against Japan in Perth was not merely a sporting result — it was the punctuation mark on a nine-month redemption story, a reminder that football, like most human endeavours, reserves its most meaningful moments for those who endure rather than those who dazzle. Under Tony Popovic, a team that had seemed lost found its shape, its discipli