Australia won their first World Cup game ever on 12 June 2006 with three goals in the last six minutes in one of the games of the tournament so far.

Australia's line up was:
                                                            Schwarzer

                   Chipperfield                           Neill                            Moore
                                                                                                   (Kennedy 61)

            Wilkshire            Emerton                  Bresciano     Grella            Cullina
           (Aloisi 75)                                         (Cahill 52)

                                                 Viduka                Kewell

Japan's team was: Kawaguchi, Tsubol (Moniwa 56 sub Oguro 90), Miyamoto, Nakazawa, Santos, Komano, Fukunishi, Nakamura, Nakata, Yanagisawa (Ono 79), Takahara

                                               
Australia started their first World Cup match for 32 years whereas Japan joint hosted the World Cup 2002 and got to the second round (where they lost to Turkey). Australia qualified for the World Cup after a penalty shoot out against Uruguay but two of their best attacking players, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill had only just recovered from injury for this game - Cahill (Everton) started on the bench.

In the first half Australia started the stronger and could have scored early after Mark Viduka (Middlesbro) had two chances to put the ball in the net from an acute angle.

Japan did score first after 26 minutes when Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic) put in a high cross which floated into the net as Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbro) missed it - he appeared to be impeded as he came out to collect the cross but the goal was allowed to stand. Kewell (Liverpool) almost immediately replied for Australia but his shot went just over the crossbar.

The second half started quietly but then Japan started to take control in the heat. Despite this Viduka almost equalised from a free kick in the 68th minute but Kawaguchi saved well. With just six minutes of the game left Australia had gone out to 69-1 to win the game in the betting.

As defeat threatened, Australia made an amazing comeback. Substitute Cahill had played well since his introduction into the game and equalised after 84 minutes - from a long throw from Lucas Neill the ball ended up in his path and he put it into the net from close range.

The momentum was now with Australia and Cahill's second came a minute from full time - from the edge of the penalty area he gave Australia the lead with a shot that went in off the post. John Aloisi made the game safe in injury time after a good forward run and scoring with a left foot strike.

See who Australia and Japan play next on the World Cup screenchart