The Futsalroos began their AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ on the back-foot following a strong display from continental heavyweights Japan who won 6-2.
Ethan De Melo provided an early scare for the Samurai Five when he opened the scoring within the first 30 seconds of play, following a goal scramble caused by a side-ball routine.
Pivot Grant Lynch volleyed from outside the area which required a spectacular save by Japanese shot-stopper Hiroshi Tabuchi.
Despite his efforts, the ball fell at De Melo's feet, who was able to prod the ball into the vacant net to break the deadlock.
Japan, despite conceding first, were swift to control the tempo of the match, putting the Australians on the back foot.
A scoreline response was quickly found, with an equaliser arising from a low-driven effort from outside the area by Takehiro Motoishi.
Shortly after, Japan fired in their second in similar fashion with a strike from outside the area by Shoto Yamanaka, which deflected off of Jamie Dib, completely wrong-footing goalkeeper Noah Feilich for a quick-fire Japanese double.
Wade Giovenali moments later had an opportunity to equalise for the Futsalroos with his effort grazing the top of the crossbar.
Although the Australians wrestled to regain composure in possession, a quick Japanese counter-attack culminated in a third goal being added to the scoreline by the half-way point of the first half.
The technical quality of the asian heavyweights was difficult for the Futsalroos to manage, with Kokoro Harada adding another goal to the tally two minutes prior to half-time.
From the half-time break the Futsalroos emerged with an intensified focus, which was matched by the Japanese who fired two more goals past Feilich after two well-worked routines.
Jyden Harb provided a moment of brilliance in the 33rd minute, scoring a left-footed volley from outside the semi-circle past Japanese keeper Fabio Silveira.
In the final 30 seconds, shot-stopper Aaron Yu completed the match between the sticks, replacing Feilich, which resulted in every player named in the squad being featured.
Australia's attention now turns to Friday where they face Uzbekistan in a pivotal group stage clash.
Match Details
Japan: 6 (Motoishi 5', Yamanaka 6', Uchida 9', Harada 17', Yamada 30', Shimizu 37')
Australia: 2 (De Melo 1', Harb 32')
