 "Australia defender Josh Risdon")
Full-time report: Australia's World Cup ended with a whimper as goals from Andre Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero gave Peru a 2-0 victory in the teams' group finale on Tuesday.
The Socceroos needed a win to stand any chance of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 2006, but they were undone by Carrillo's 18th-minute strike and Guerrero's goal early in the second half at the Fisht Stadium.
They go home without a win, joining Peru in being eliminated in Group C. However, for the South Americans there was only elation at ending their long wait for a victory in the competition.
Peru were already out before this game but they still had a huge travelling support, clad in the country's distinctive white and red colours.
They made up the majority of the 44,073 crowd in sauna-like conditions by Russia's Black Sea coast, and the stadium exploded when Carrillo scored their first goal at a World Cup since 1982.
It was their first win in nine games at the tournament since they defeated Iran 4-1 in Argentina in 1978, and they will now hope to build on their performances in Russia after finally coming in from the international wilderness.
Whatever Australia did would ultimately have been in vain as they needed Denmark to lose against France to maintain any chance of making it out of Group C -- the Danes played out a 0-0 draw in Moscow that allowed them to advance behind the French.
For the Socceroos it is a third consecutive World Cup in which they have failed to make it beyond the group stage. Bert van Marwijk's team took just one point, against the Danes, in between defeats at the hands of France and then Peru.
The Dutchman did not bow to the pressure back home to give veteran forward Tim Cahill a start in the game, with Tomi Juric preferred to the 38-year-old up front in the absence of the injured Andrew Nabbout.
Cahill came on early in the second half but was unable to score the goal that would have seen him join an elite group of players -- including Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo -- to have found the net at four World Cups.
Australia were already two goals down, and heading for the exit, by the time Cahill was introduced.
Guerrero set up Watford winger Carrillo to volley in a fine goal from 16 yards, low into the far corner beyond the dive of Mathew Ryan, to become the first player to score for Peru at the World Cup since Guillermo La Rosa 36 years ago.
Australia played most of the football in the first half, however, with Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic pulling the strings at times. Rogic, the languid Celtic playmaker, came closest to scoring, but after dribbling into the area his effort was saved by Pedro Gallese.
Yet their hopes of turning the tide in the second half were dealt a hammer blow five minutes after the break as Peru increased their advantage, Christian Cueva setting up Guerrero to hook a shot beyond Ryan.
After only being cleared to play in this World Cup at the last minute following a long legal battle against a doping ban, the moment was particularly sweet for Peru's veteran captain.
The final score was a painful one for Australia, but it was hard to begrudge the Peruvians this win, especially their army of supporters who have lit up the tournament and will be missed as they now depart.
Here are the live updates:
Min 90+2:The match just turned into a dead rubber as France and Denmark go into the knock-outs after ending their final encouter with a goalless draw!
Min 86: Mark Milligan (Australia) gets a yellow card. The heat at Sochi is taking a toll on the players now. They look tired and the play look stretched.
Min 81: Edison Flores smashes the ball in the base of the post after receiving a pass from Guerrero but he was already offside.
Min 79: Final change for Peru. Cartagena (in) comes off the bench to replace Carrillo (out)
Min 79: Hurtado (Peru) gets a yellow card for a dangerous sliding tackle on Behich.
Min 72: Final change for Australia. Irvine (in) comes off the bench to replace Rogic (out)
Min 71: Behich wastes a genuine opportunity! Instead of making an easy pass, the wing-back opts to volley the ball, but his placement is poor and it lands in between Leckie and Cahill and rolls out for a goal-kick.
Min 68: The Peru fans are enjoying their last minutes at World Cup 2018, as the stadium is abuzz with chants of “Russia”. Peru are 22 minutes away from their first World Cup win since beating Iran 4-1 in the 1978 edition.
Min 66: Rogic (Australia) gets a yellow card from the referee.
Min 63: Change for Peru. Hurtado (in) comes off the bench to replace Tapia (out). Tapia's World Cup journey ends with an unfortunate injury.
Min 60: Arzani (Australia) is booked by the referee.
Min 60: A genuine chance for Australia. A corner comes in and Tim Cahill gets a strike which is blocked. The ball deflects back to Behich who gets a close-range volley but the shot goes wide off the second post with a slight deflection
Min 58: Another change for Australia. Arzani (in) comes off the bench to replace Kruse (out)
Min 55: Australia gets a free-kick on the edge of the box. Mooy hits it on the wall.
Min 53: Change for Australia. Tim Cahill (in) comes off the bench to replace Juric (out)
Min 46: France vs Denmark match is goalless till now. If the scoreline remains the same, both Australia and Peru will be out of the FIFA World Cup 2018. See the point table here
The second-half is underway...
Half-time report: The Australia vs Peru match started on a good note for Australia with the Socceroos holding more ball in the midfield but all their efforts went in vain as a sublime volley from Peru's Andre Carrillo saw the Latin Americans take the lead in the 18th minute of the first-half play. The Carrillo goal is the first goal by Peru in this year's World Cup as well as their first goal since the 1982 World Cup. Andre Carrillo became the first player to score since Guillermo la Rosa found the back of the net in a 5-1 group stage defeat against Poland at Spain in 1982.
Australia, on the other hand, conceded first in all the 3 of their group stage games now and their chances in the knock-outs will be shut if they don't manage to get three points from this match. Although they are a goal down, the Socceroos do not appear to have been phased out by Peru's early goal as Australia keep on to their ball possession and has been attacking and putting consistent pressure on Peru's backline but they have missed a few good chances to score and if they fail to convert them in the second half, the oceanic side will have to face an agonising end to their World Cup run with a defeat.
HALF-TIME!!!Min 44: Yotun (Peru) gets a yellow card by the referee.
Min 38: Australia gets a free-kick on the edge of the penalty box. Mooy takes the shot but the header goes way wide of the post. Australia may never come back if they continue to waste such dead-ball chances.
Min 34: A genuine chance for Australia. Rogic bursts through the midfield and plays the ball through for Kruse who completely beats his marker and cuts the ball across the six-yard box for Leckie to tap it home, but Christian Ramos gets back just in time and puts the ball out for a corner.
Min 33: Australia pressing really hard for an equaliser but the Peruvian wall seems to hard to break
Min 27: Magical play from Tom Rogic, he danced his way through a stack of Peruvian defenders and into the penalty area but his shot is saved by Gallese. The resulting corner is claimed confidently by Peru’s keeper.
Min 23: Australia trying really hard to make a come-back. Holding good possession in the midfield.
Min 17: GOAL!!!!!! Peru captain Paolo Guerrero gets hold of a long ball played over the top and gets free from Sainsbury in the penalty area before sending a cross to the other side of the box for Carrillo who volleys the ball past Mat Ryan. The goalkeeper stood no chance with that cracking volley. Peru scores against the motion of play. The Latin-American side have waited 13152 days to get a goal in the World Cup Finals stage!
Min 14: High-octane start for the Aussies. The intensity into the final third is promising - more than what they have shown in the past two games. Tomi Juric is making his mark early on.
Min 10: Jedinak (Australia) is booked by the referee
Min 4: Australia gets a good chance but Jedinak shoots it way over the bar.
Min 3: Australia trying to hold maximum control in the midfield but the attack is fading off in the final third.
Line-ups out:
Peru have made two changes in their line-up with Anderson Santamaria replacing Alberto Rodriguez in defence and Renato Tapia coming in for Pedro Aquino in the Peruvian midfield.
Peru are also forced to go into the match without Jefferson Farfan after the Lokomotiv Moscow forward suffered was apparently knocked unconscious after colliding with a team-mate.
Andrew Nabbout of Australia suffered a shoulder injury in the match against Denmark and he is being replaced by Tomi Juric up-front. The inclusion of the 26-year old is the only change to the side that started the previous two matches.
Australia vs Peru line-up
Despite all the plaudits for their admirable displays against Denmark and France, the Australians, with just a single point in their kitty, are expected to come hard at their South American opponents, who are already eliminated from the ongoing football extravaganza.
Placed third in Group C, the Socceroos must beat Peru if they're to have any hope of reaching the second round, while also hoping France do them a favour and topple Denmark in the other Group C match.
If those two results are achieved, it will then mean goal difference, goals scored and even the number of yellow and red cards accrued by Australia and Denmark could come into play.
While relying on other results to aid their cause, Australia skipper Mile Jedinak has urged his players to be far more astute against Peru than they were in their first two matches of the tournament.
"We'll probably have to be more focused than what we've done in the last two games and give it a really big effort to make sure we're going to get the job done against them," Jedinak said.
"I have no doubt that they're going to give it a go. Peru hasn't been here for a very long time on this stage, to think that they're just going to turn up and not care about the camp or be disillusioned, it's wrong to think that.
"We're expecting a very, very tough game and one that I know they're going to want to win," he added.
Pipped 2-1 in the final minutes by France and left agonising over their failure to win a thrilling 1-1 draw against Denmark, Australia face the South Americans for the first time knowing even a win could end their hopes of remaining in Russia.
Coach Bert van Marwijk led his native Netherlands to the 2010 final, where the Dutch were undone by Andres Iniesta's extra-time winner for Spain.
So far in Russia, the 65-year-old has been both encouraged and frustrated by a side showing marked improvements defensively but little progress in the creative play that leads to goals.
"Scoring," said Van Marwijk when asked prior to their crunch Group C match against Denmark what Australia lacked most.
"We have to play and create more chances."
Failure to beat the Danes in a match that did have bright spots such as exciting teenage striker Daniel Arzani coming off the bench and forcing a great stop from Denmark 'keeper Kasper Schmeichel sorely dented their hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 2006.
In a country where football is vying for support against traditional heavyweights like Australian rules, rugby league and cricket, the knives are already out for the Socceroos. Online haters have abused midfielder Robbie Kruse and members of his family on social media. Captain Mile Jedinak, who has scored both of Australia's goals in Russia from the penalty spot, insists their campaign is not over.
"The belief is still there. And we will keep holding on to that until it's taken away from us," said Jedinak, the heavily bearded defender who plays for Aston Villa in the English Championship.
But sitting third in Group C with one point from two games, Australia need to score goals, beat Peru and hope already-qualified France's decision to rest key players does not hamper hopes of a French win over Denmark that would potentially give Australia a lifeline.
"It's a must-win game for us," said Josh Risdon, the Western Sydney Wanderers defender who is one of several players tipped to quit the struggling A-League for Europe.
"We know Peru are a good side but we'll make sure we're ready come game day," said defender Aziz Behich, who quit Melbourne Heart in 2013 for Bursaspor in Turkey.
"We still have to do our job... I've got a lot of belief that France will do the job against Denmark." Van Marwijk, who led minnows Saudi Arabia to qualification for the World Cup in Russia before being released and taking up the reins in Australia, will leave the Australian setup after this campaign and be replaced by Graham Arnold.
Arnold, an Australian who has been successful with club side Sydney FC, has signed a four-year deal to the end of the 2022 World Cup cycle and will be expected to usher in a new era.
"I look forward to learning a lot from Bert (van Marwijk) from afar," Arnold said after his appointment in March.
Iranian-born Arzani, used as a late substitute against France and, to better effect, against Denmark, is expected to be the lynchpin of a future Australian attacking line that has so far failed to deliver in Russia.
Yet ahead of their clash against Peru, there have also been calls for Van Marwijk to give Tim Cahill what would be his last World Cup appearance.
The 38-year-old former Everton striker, who helped steer the Socceroos into the last 16 in 2006 and has scored in Australia's last three editions, has been an unused substitute so far.
