Egypt reaches first World Cup round of 16 after penalty shootout win over Australia, goalkeeper substitution backfires
A late goalkeeper substitution by Australia coach Tony Popovic failed to deliver as Egypt won a penalty shootout 4-2 in Dallas, reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Match summary
Australia started brightly when Cristian Volpato struck the crossbar from distance in the 5th minute, but Egypt took the lead in the 13th. Karim Hafez crossed from the right and Emam Ashour headed past Patrick Beach from seven metres. The tempo dropped after the goal, with both sides struggling to create clear chances.
Egypt should have doubled their lead just after half-time when Omar Marmoush went one-on-one with Beach but shot wide. Instead, Australia equalised in the 55th minute. Aiden O'Neill's free-kick caused chaos and defender Mohamed Hany headed into his own net, his second own goal of the tournament after one against Belgium.
Late drama saw Beach deny Ramy Rabia's header in stoppage time and Harry Souttar block Haissem Hassan's shot moments later. Extra time was dominated by Egypt but remained goalless, with Mohamed Salah firing over the bar early on.
- Cristian Volpato hits the crossbar from distance for Australia.
- Emam Ashour heads Egypt into the lead from Karim Hafez's cross.
- Mohamed Hany scores an own goal, levelling the match at 1-1.
- Patrick Beach makes a crucial save to deny Ramy Rabia's header in stoppage time.
- Harry Souttar blocks Haissem Hassan's shot on the line.
- Tony Popovic substitutes goalkeeper Patrick Beach for Mathew Ryan ahead of penalties.
- Egypt wins penalty shootout 4-2; Australia's Souttar and Herrington miss.
Goalkeeper substitution controversy
In the 119th minute, Popovic replaced Beach with 34-year-old Mathew Ryan, a move he later said was pre-planned. Ryan did not save any of Egypt's four penalties, while Australia missed two. Harry Souttar blazed over and Lucas Herrington hit the crossbar.
It was always one of the options. You have to see how the match goes. Sometimes in extra time players get injuries and you have to use substitutions. We had one left, so we brought Maty on.
Australian media criticised the decision. Simon Smale of ABC Sport said he did not like it, noting Beach had been excellent and Ryan had not played a minute at the tournament. Former international Mark Milligan added that without Beach, Australia's tournament would have looked very different.
Fox Sports reported that Beach only learned of the substitution when his number appeared on the stadium screen. Cameras also captured Egyptian staff analysing footage of Ryan conceding a penalty to Kylian Mbappé during a Real Madrid match, which went viral on social media.
Egypt's historic achievement
Egypt had never before reached the World Cup knockout stage. They advanced from Group G unbeaten, beating New Zealand 3-1 and drawing with Belgium and Iran. Australia finished second in Group D after a win over Turkey, a loss to the USA and a draw with Paraguay.
If it weren't for Beach, this tournament would have looked completely different even before this match.
Penalty shootout drama
Egypt converted all four attempts. Mahmoud Saber, Rami Rabia, Mohamed Salah (with a panenka) and Hossam Ab... all scored. Australia's Jackson Irvine and Awer Mabil converted their kicks, but the two misses proved decisive. Mostafa Shobeir did not save any Australian penalties either, but his teammates' accuracy was enough.
What's next
Egypt will face the winner of Argentina versus Cape Verde in the quarter-finals. The match is scheduled for the next round of the tournament in the United States.
