clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Bulls Abroad: Cahill plays 20 minutes in Australia's loss to South Korea in Asian Cup 2015

Tim Cahill's off-the-bench cameo was not enough to lift the Socceroos to victory, or even a draw, against South Korea.

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tim Cahill and his Socceroos are on a slightly harder path to their goal of winning the 2015 Asian Cup after losing, 1-0, to South Korea in their third and final group stage match.

The result means Australia has finished second in Group A, and will play China in the quarterfinals. That match will be played on January 22. And if the Socceroos win, they appear on track for a semi-final against the team that has knocked them out of the last two Asian Cups: Japan.

Tim Cahill captained Australia in the team's second game of the group stage, against Oman, and regular Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak was held out of this game as well - but coach Ange Postecoglou elected to keep Cahill on the bench against South Korea, handing the armband to Mark Milligan, who took on Jedinak's midfield role also.

Cahill joined the match in the 70th minute, but wasn't able to spark the comeback Australia needed after conceding in the first half to the Koreans.

The quarterfinal against China will be played in Brisbane, where this game was played - which may mean a return of the moths...