Australia vs Ecuador

The Socceroos will play their first match since the 2022 World Cup when they host Ecuador in Western Sydney on Friday night.

120 minutes from kick off: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News live coverage of the Socceroos taking on Ecuador at CommBank Stadium. 90 minutes from kick off: The last and only time the Socceroos played Ecuador was in March 2014. Can Australia return to home soil with a bang or will their South American opponents bring them back down to the earth? Australia go into the break with a lead thanks to goals from Irvine and Mabil. 11th min: Caicedo whips in a dangerous ball to the back post which Cifientes greets unmarked. The Socceroos pick up the ball down the left flank with Behich bursting into the box and picking out Kuol, who taps home from a metre out for his first international goal. Looking like it will be a 4-3-3 formation for Australia tonight. [Watch Socceroos vs Ecuador in Australia](https://www.sportingnews.com/au/soccer/news/socceroos-vs-ecuador-live-stream-tv-channel-australia-friendly/rmthfextjewuu9fn50ycr4cf) Conditions are good right now, though there is some rain lingering on the radar. He looked a foot offside but the flag wasn't raised and there's no VAR being used tonight. 1st min: The Socceroos pressing from the outset as Ecuador look to settle on the ball. 1

Australia takes the win in the first match of 2023 for both teams, which will meet again next Tuesday.

In the group stage they came in second with six points, the same as France who came in first. The Ecuadorian national team reached the World Cup with seven consecutive matches without losing. In the Qatar World Cup he scored three goals in three games and has scored 38 goals in 77 games with the Ecuador national team; He has not scored this season, although he has three assists. He has scored 29 goals in 35 games this season with Fenerbahce. Peru: 03:00 hrs. Mexico: 03:00 hrs. Colombia: 03:00 hrs. Chile: 03:00 hrs. Tuesday's match will be played at the Etihad Stadium. Bolivia: 03:00 hrs. See you all again!

Goals from Jackson Irvine, Awer Mabil and Garang Kuol secured victory in the Socceroos' first outing since their World Cup exploits.

Close to a third for the Socceroos! He goes down in the box under the challenge of Mendez and is convinced he should have a penalty. It goes to the back stick, where Souttar climbs to head back across the face of goal! Robertson responds by springing up and grabbing Mendez by his shirt. “Unbelievable, hard to put into words, my family are here from Brisbane, my sister and everything so it was unbelievable and to get a result like that, we were disciplined and played really well. “I took the touch and he tripped me up, there is no VAR so it is what the referee sees.

Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has spoken of wanting to use last year's round-of-16 exit as a springboard towards the 2026 tournament. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, ...

[Keanu Baccus](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/251147/Keanu-Baccus) at the expense Wanderers forward [Brandon Borrello](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/194906/Brandon-Borrello) and Robertson. [Aziz Behich](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/200414/Aziz-Behich), whose cross was tapped in by Kuol. [Felix Torres](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/251963/Félix-Torres) rising above Irvine to head a 23rd-minute cross from [Jeremy Sarmiento](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/328013/Jeremy-Sarmiento) past Mat Ryan to draw the South Americans level. [Jackson Irvine](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/178071/Jackson-Irvine) and [Awer Mabil](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/181707/Awer-Mabil) in a typically spirited and workmanlike showing. [Craig Goodwin](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/170754/Craig-Goodwin) free kick back across the six-yard box in the 12th minute and Irvine was given the simplest job to tap in. [Alex Robertson](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/311181/Alex-Robertson) kickstarted a move which led to fellow teenager [Garang Kuol](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/332947/Garang-Kuol) grabbing his first international goal.

Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has spoken of wanting to use last year's round-of-16 exit as a springboard towards the 2026 tournament. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, ...

[Keanu Baccus](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/251147/Keanu-Baccus) at the expense Wanderers forward [Brandon Borrello](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/194906/Brandon-Borrello) and Robertson. [Aziz Behich](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/200414/Aziz-Behich), whose cross was tapped in by Kuol. [Felix Torres](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/251963/Félix-Torres) rising above Irvine to head a 23rd-minute cross from [Jeremy Sarmiento](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/328013/Jeremy-Sarmiento) past Mat Ryan to draw the South Americans level. [Jackson Irvine](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/178071/Jackson-Irvine) and [Awer Mabil](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/181707/Awer-Mabil) in a typically spirited and workmanlike showing. [Craig Goodwin](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/170754/Craig-Goodwin) free kick back across the six-yard box in the 12th minute and Irvine was given the simplest job to tap in. [Alex Robertson](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/311181/Alex-Robertson) kickstarted a move which led to fellow teenager [Garang Kuol](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/332947/Garang-Kuol) grabbing his first international goal.

Playing on home soil for the first time since their World Cup heroics, the Socceroos score a 3-1 triumph over Ecuador at Western Sydney Stadium.

Defender Piero Hincape had a ball snatched off him by a pressing Irvine and the midfielder was able to tee Mabil up in the box. Sarmiento's night ended when he limped off with an injury on the half-hour mark and the Socceroos was able to re-establish an advantage soon after when they caught the visitors out at the back. Duke slid low to turn a Craig Goodwin free kick back across the six-yard box in the 12th minute and Irvine was given the simplest job to tap in.