Only own-goals as Japan and Australia draw 1-1 in Asian World Cup qualifying

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Two own-goals saw the points shared Tuesday as Japan and Australia drew 1-1 in Asian World Cup qualifying.

Shogo Taniguchi accidentally put Australia ahead just before the hour at Saitama Stadium, but Australia's Cameron Burgess returned the favor soon after to leave Japan top of Group C with 10 points from four games, five clear of the Socceroos in second.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, third and fourth, meet later Tuesday.

“I’m very proud of that performance – the calmness and composure that we showed in defense,” said Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine. “It’s a top foundation for us to move forward.”

Japan, which has appeared at every World Cup since 1998, attacked from the beginning but struggled to create clear chances despite the majority of possession. Takefusa Kubo had the best chance, shooting into the side of the net from close range while Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma had a shot deflected wide.

It was more of the same in the second half but, just after former Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino headed wide, Australia stunned the hosts by taking the lead after 58 minutes with a goal that came out of nothing.

Lewis Miller crossed into the area from the right and Taniguchi tried to clear but only succeeded in diverting the ball past the diving Zion Suzuki and into the net to the delight of the small number of visiting fans.

It was the first time that Japan had conceded in 10 qualifiers in the second and third rounds but the team got the equalizer thanks to another own-goal after 76 minutes. Keito Nakamura dribbled down the left and his low cross hit Burgess and went into the net from close range.

Japan pressed in an attempt to get the winning goal and maintain its perfect record in qualification but had to settle for the point.

Australia stayed in second on five points above Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, who drew 0-0 in Jeddah.

China picked up its first points with a 2-1 win over Indonesia in Qingdao but stayed bottom of the group on goal difference. First-half goals from Abduweli Behram and Zhang Yuning put the host in control but a late goal from Indonesia's Thom Haye ensured a nervy finish.

The top two from each of the three six-team groups in the third round qualify automatically for the World Cup while the third and fourth-place teams will advance to the next stage to compete for two more spots.

There was another top-two meeting in Group B as South Korea beat Iraq 3-2 in Yongin to move three points clear.

Oh Se-hun gave the hosts the lead four minutes before the break only for Aymen Hussein to level for Iraq six minutes after with a spectacular bicycle kick. Oh Hyeong-gyu and Lee Jae-sung both struck late to secure the win and leave South Korea on course for an 11th successive World Cup appearance.

South Korea has 10 points, three ahead of Iraq and Jordan, which defeated Oman 4-0. The Palestinian team stays bottom after a 2-2 draw with Kuwait.

In Group A, Iran defeated Qatar 4-1 to move top on goal difference above Uzbekistan, which edged United Arab Emirates 1-0. Kyrgyzstan beat North Korea by the same scoreline to pick up its first points and move into fifth.

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Japan's Kaoru Mitoma and Australia's Cameron Burgess, center, in the air, compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan's Kaoru Mitoma, left, and Australia's Cameron Burgess compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Australia's goalkeeper Joe Gauci, right, extends his hand as Australia's and Japan's players greet each other after the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan ended in a draw at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Australia's Aziz Behich, right, and Japan's Koki Ogawa compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

South Korea's Oh Se-hun, second rom right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Iraq during the Asian qualifier group B match for 2026 World Cup between South Korea and Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea's Lee Kang-in, left, fights for the ball with Iraq's Ahmed Yahya Al-Hajjaj during the Asian qualifier group B match for 2026 World Cup between South Korea and Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea's Oh Se-hun reacts after scoring a goal against Iraq during the Asian qualifier group B match for 2026 World Cup between South Korea and Iraq at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Japan's Koki Machida, left, and Australia's Craig Goodwin compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan's Ayase Ueda, left, and Australia's Patrick Yazbek compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan's Koki Machida, left, and Australia's Craig Goodwin compete for the ball during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Australia's goalkeeper Joe Gauci jumps up in the air to make a save during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and Japan at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

New York Giants (2-12) at Atlanta (7-7)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Falcons by 8 1/2.

Against the spread: Giants 4-10; Falcons 6-8.

Series record: Falcons lead 14-12.

Last meeting: Falcons beat the Giants 17-14 on Sept. 26, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Last week: Giants lost to the Ravens 35-14; Falcons beat the Raiders 15-9.

Giants offense: overall (29), rush (18), pass (30), scoring (32)

Giants defense: overall (T21), rush (31), pass (7), scoring (20)

Falcons: overall (9), rush (12), pass (6), scoring (20)

Falcons defense: overall (20), rush (13), pass (24), scoring (20)

Turnover differential: Giants minus-8; Falcons minus-7.

WR Malik Nabers had his third double-digit catch game of the season against the Ravens and joined Odell Beckham Jr., Jaylen Waddle and Brock Bowers as the only rookies in NFL history with three games of 10-or-more receptions. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers has 90 catches for 901 yards and is two shy of breaking the Giants rookie record of 91 held by Beckham (2014) and Saquon Barkley (2018).

QB Michael Penix Jr. will make his first career start after the Falcons benched 13-year veteran Kirk Cousins. Penix, the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Washington in 2023, was the No. 8 pick in this year's draft but wasn't expected to land the starting job so soon. The timetable ramped up dramatically when Cousins threw nine interceptions and just one touchdown over the past five games. After pulling out an ugly 15-9 win at Las Vegas, where it became clear that the Falcons had lost confidence in their passing game, the decision was made to switch to Penix.

Atlanta's defensive front vs. Giants offensive line. After managing a league-low 10 sacks through their first 11 games, the Falcons have turned up the pressure with 13 sacks in three games since their bye week. Eight players have notched sacks during that span, led by OLB Kaden Elliss and DE Arnold Ebiketie with three apiece. With Drew Lock set to return as New York's quarterback after missing last week with a heel injury, the Falcons will be looking to bring the heat against a team that has allowed 45 sacks, tied for seventh most in the NFL.

Giants: QB Tommy DeVito, who started last week in place of Lock, is out of concussion protocol and should be the backup. … G Aaron Stinnie (concussion), LB Patrick Johnson (knee) and LB Bobby Okereke (back) are out. ... CB Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) is doubtful. .. New York is hopeful CB Deonte Banks (ribs) can return after sitting out the last three games.

Falcons: K Younghoe Koo was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed issue, knocking him out for the rest of the regular season and putting his future with the team in doubt. Koo had been one of the league's most reliable kickers, but he has missed a career-high nine field-goal attempts this season. ... The Falcons brought in Riley Patterson to take Koo's spot. WR Casey Washington (concussion) is out.

The Falcons have won three straight in the series. ... New York's most recent win over the Falcons was a 30-20 triumph in 2014. ... The Giants' most recent win in Atlanta was a 31-10 blowout in 2007. ... The teams have met once in the playoffs, with New York rolling to a 24-2 wild-card win during the 2008 season. ... The first win in Falcons' history was a 27-16 victory over the Giants at Yankee Stadium during Atlanta's inaugural season in 1966.

The Giants tied their franchise record for consecutive losses at nine last weekend. They have done it three times in their 100-year history, the most recent time in 2019. … Lock passed for 313 yards, threw two TDs and ran for one for Denver in 2020 in his only career start against the Falcons. … RB Tyrone Tracy ranks second among rookies with 695 yards rushing. He has scored a TD in his past three road games. … WR Wan’Dale Robinson has a career-high 71 receptions. .. Burns has his eighth sack of the season last week and became the sixth player since 2000 with at least 7 1/2 sacks in each of his first six seasons. He had two sacks in his most recent game against the Falcons, playing for the Panthers in 2023. … ILB Micah McFadden has a career-high 102 tackles. … Penix was among a record-tying six QBs taken in the first round of the 2024 draft. He is the fifth member of that group to earn a start, ahead of only Minnesota's J.J. McCarthy, who won't play until 2025 because of a knee injury. ... Falcons RB Bijan Robinson rushed for a career-high 125 yards on 22 carries against Las Vegas. That gave the second-year back the first 1,000-yard season of his young career, pushing him to 1,102 yards. ... Robinson has topped 100 yards in three of the past five games, and he has at least 20 carries in four of the past five games as the Falcons turned away from their passing game amid Cousins' struggles. ... Elliss has a career-high 124 tackles after making 11 stops at Las Vegas. ... OLB DeAngelo Malone has his first two sacks of the season against the Raiders. ... P Bradley Pinion had four punts downed inside the 10, including two inside the 5, in the Monday night win.

Robinson is a good bet to keep getting plenty of carries and rushing yards, especially with the Falcons breaking in a new quarterback. He's also an option in the passing game, providing a safe outlet for short-to-medium passes that would further lessen the burden on Penix.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. warms up before an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40), cornerback Desmond King II (35) and linebacker Chris Board (49) tackle New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) greets Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) after an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Chris Board (49) and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) tackle New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (82) during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

FILE - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)