Across the opening 15 minutes of this World Cup qualifier, the Socceroos looked like they were being swept away by Indonesia. Any suggestions of the eventual 5-1 scoreline would have been laughable as travelling supporters and the local Indonesian diaspora made a mockery of any home advantage with a sea of red surrounding the Sydney Football Stadium pitch before kick-off, auguring a tide of furious pressure and intent upon the opening whistle.
In just the fifth minute, a free-kick swung in from the right by Calvin Verdonk beat the outstretched head of Cameron Burgess and found Jay Idzes, whose resulting header forced Mat Ryan into a diving save. The roar from the stands felt like it shook the foundations. Two minutes later, a ball lofted over the top of the defensive line fell for Rafael Struick, who Kye Rowles clipped for a penalty.
