GOLD COAST, Australia – Jackson Irvine has acknowledged that Australia’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Indonesia has become a “big game” for the Socceroos after they suffered a 1-0 loss to Bahrain that captain Mat Ryan simply described as “not good enough”.

After a perfect second phase of Asian qualifying in which his team won all six games without conceding a goal, an 89th-minute own goal by Harry Souttar broke that streak and condemned Australia to defeat in the opening match of the third phase on Thursday night.

It was only the Socceroos’ second home defeat in a live World Cup qualifier since 1981. The last time they lost was a bitter 2-0 defeat to Japan in Sydney during 2022 qualifying, with coach Graham Arnold in charge of the team on both occasions.

As has become standard for the team, the Australians struggled to break through a well-organised, tenacious and crafty defence. They finished the game with 71% possession but were unable to create any scoring opportunities. This was a headache for the Bahranis even before striker Kusini Yengi was sent off in the 77th minute.

“Obviously not good enough,” Ryan said. “I felt like we were too naive in the way we played. I don’t think we need to work harder, I think we need to be smarter. We didn’t ask enough of the right questions in the right areas.”

“We gave their goalkeeper a pretty quiet evening and didn’t put him to the test. We also didn’t put enough pressure on their defense in the final third. In defense, the goal we conceded after the red card is not good enough.”

“But this is what happens when you don’t do the other things well enough and you put yourself in this situation.”

With games against Japan and Saudi Arabia also scheduled in the upcoming transfer windows, this month’s matches against Bahrain and Indonesia in Australia were seen as a crucial six points for the team, who are looking to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup and avoid a fourth qualifying phase.

But anything other than a win on Tuesday night in Jakarta could make their goal of finishing in the top two of the group after just two of ten games a mammoth one.

“I think it’s massive,” Irvine said of that contest. “Guys, we have to recognize that; it’s a massive game… recognize how big that could look in the context of those 10 games.”

“(There were) some hard truths (spoken in the locker room after the loss).

“We have to learn our lessons immediately and move on to Tuesday because the result is incredibly disappointing and we have to be much better.”

“That kind of naivety and that understanding of the realities of Asian football… and how games can be managed. How games can slip away from you if you don’t understand the things that are happening here.”

“We’re trying to prepare the younger guys, especially those who haven’t been there yet, for how time-wasting and tactical tricks can happen. Some of the guys learned that very quickly tonight.”

“We had a little bit of bad luck, too. We threw a couple of balls in good areas and then it just didn’t work out. On another night, if one of them goes in early, it forces them to get open. And we see those games go a lot differently.

“We have to find ways to question the defence more because that’s the only way we can determine our luck, especially in the penalty area: if we keep asking these questions, something will come our way.”

After receiving a red card for a high kick on Sayed Baqer, Yengi will miss Tuesday’s game against Indonesia through suspension – Mitch Duke and Adam Taggart are now Arnold’s only options up front.

After missing Wednesday’s game through injury, both midfielder Keanu Baccus and defender Lewis Miller could be in contention for a return – with the former considered the more likely of the two.

“You have to take the good with the bad,” said Souttar after the defeat. “There’s no getting around it, it was a disappointing performance. We all looked in the mirror… I don’t think anyone gave 100% tonight.”

“But we have a game on Tuesday and we have to put that behind us because it is so important that we win there.”