Australia produced their best performance of the Asia Cup, but it was not good enough to beat Japan.
The game ended 1-1 after extra time, and Japan won 4-3 on penalties.
Australian fans went into the game with some concerns given their defensive performances over the last twelve months.
Japan had a new coach, Ivica Osim, since the last world cup. He'd also made six changes to the team.
It was a good game. Tense and tactical. Both teams playing to their maximum. Japan kept the ball, moved it around and changed tempo.
Australia produced flashes of play from David Carney and Brett Emerton on the flanks. But Mark Scharzwer's distribution was woeful all night. And Mark Viduka and John Aloisi found it very difficult to find other Australian players when they did receive the ball.
But Australia scrapped and the defence was stronger than its been for months.
Mark Milligan Michael Beauchamp and Lucas Neill all started the game well.
Finally Australia took the lead in the Asia Cup. A Kewell corner bundled home by Aloisi.
The reward for effort and determination throughout the night.
They kept the lead for one minute. Just one.
Woeful defence from Neill and Milligan allowed Naohiro Takahara to turn in the box and shoot home.
Then disaster struck. A great game of football was ruined, once more by the referee. The ref, from Kuwait, had a strange game all night. Booking Carney and Kewell for diving. But more amazingly refusing free kicks on Aloisi time and time again.
Vince Grella jumped for a ball. His arm was out, but little intent or power. Takahara coming in from behind went down like he'd been hit by a tank.
Ref showed Grella a straight red, and he was gone.
Pity because this was an epic battle.
And the Aussies battled on. For the last fifteen of the game...and then all through extra-time.
Shunsuke Nakamura should have won it in the ninety. Scharzwer made a superb save. But apart from a similar chance at the end of extra-time, Australia played exceptionally well with ten men. Sure Japan had plenty of the ball but the Aussies were compact and kept the Japanese threats to a minimum.
It felt like the goal was to get to penalties, and that would be our best chance.
We did it. But of course the penalties are always a lottery.
Significantly Scharzwer saved nothing int he shoot-out. And Harry Kewell missed, followed by Lucas Neill. 0-2 is not how you win penalty shoot-outs.
And why did Neill take a two step walk up. Is it just me or do fans hate this approach, especially when they miss.
So Japan the Asian Cup Champions march on.
It was a great game. I loved every minute, but the ref spoiled the fare.
Australia may say they were unlucky, but in truth they lost this tournament they day they produced insipid performances against Oman and Iraq.
Arnold improved his defence only because Patrick Kisnorbo needed a break under the United Nations Human Rights Charter. Rule 30: All Centre Halves who make simple errors in major tournaments mus t be given a two week break form the glare of the fans and media. Without this rule Arnold would still have played him. Of that you can be sure.
And secondly when Neill was suspended he had to change his defence. And it worked against Thailand and against Japan despite Milligans error.
Australia were good enough to be playing Vietnam for a place in the semi-final not Japan.
And who takes responsibility for that?
It has to be Arnold.
Football is a tough business. Arnold should recognise his achievements and do the honourable thing.
Well it is for me, because I'm back in Canberra where the temperature is around 2 degrees at the moment!
My trip is over, I did it!
But the games go on.
Saturday's will be a cracker.
The winners of the Asia Cup get to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009. Lots of dosh for that one. Australia could do with it.
If we win tonight we play in the semi's and obviously assured of a top four position. Top four Asian Cup finishers are seeded for World Cup qualifiers which start next year.
Can we win?
Of course. Japan have a new coach and new team and are playing the best football of the tournament.
But in many ways they are more professional and more predictable than other sides. This will help Australia.
The Aussies will lift. They have been clearly lifted by moving hotels, and countries.
And they know this is a d0-or die game.
Arnold will not drop Neill, so expect Emerton to push into midfield to replace the suspended Luke Wilkshire.
Milligan may go to right back, but he must start surely.
One forward will be the go, in the first part of the match. Can we afford two attackers as our midfield and defence got over run against Thailand on Monday. How would we keep out Japan?
Vinny Grella, Jason Culina and Marco Bresciano are key men. Can they lift. Can they stay the distance.
Bresciano linked well with Emerton against Iraq for periods, but beyond that has found it hard to play decent forward balls despite receiving plenty of it.
Grella. What is wrong with Vinnie? Looks exhausted and doesn't seem to be able to dig himself out of this whole. Culina meanwhile slashed and thrashed the ball against Thailand. Maybe he too, was tired.
Grella and Culina are our core, if they can't keep the ball and play the other guys in, then Australia will have a torrid night.
I expect the spirit of the team to shine through. The team is now fitter, so no more fitness excuses allowed.
The players all seemed lighter after the Thailand victory. Clearly pleased to be moving on.
It's do-or-die stuff now and Australia will not go down without a fight.
Can we win. Of course we can.
Keep a clean sheet for as long as possible. Mess with Japanese minds, and then release Cahill and Kewell and seal it in the last ten minutes.
We haven't scored the opening goal in any World Cup or Asian Cup qualifier, bar Thailand.
Tonight if we go behind, we may not be good enough to get back.
Throwing four forwards on is fine, but Japan have seen it before. Also Ivica Osim is a coach, Zico, Coach in the World Cup, wasn't.
Do we have the Aussie equivalent?
Time for that analysis later.
Now it's time to support the team and whoever is chosen to play. Come on Australia. This could go to penalties, it could be that sort of night.
Australia v Japan.. the game we all wanted, even FoxSports.
Simon Hill, "It could be the biggest PayTV rating show of the year. Prime time on Saturday night, Australia v Japan."
