Thanks to Ryan's goal in the final minute, Brazil managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Australia in a tense friendly international match held in Townsville.
Ryan scored with a header in the 95th minute, thus preventing the home team from achieving victory, which would have been their second triumph over South American giants. The result was suitable for both teams, who gave their all in front of a fully packed stadium in the city of North Queensland.
Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the difficult game. He noted that despite the imperfect pitch conditions for high-quality football, the team demonstrated fighting spirit until the very end, calling the match a good test.
Young Australian player Nestor Irankunda scored a magnificent free-kick that could have brought an unexpected victory to the Socceroos. When both teams were level at 0-0 midway through the second half, Irankunda converted his free-kick, sending the ball past the defensive wall directly into the net, leaving Brazil's goalkeeper Hugo Souza helpless.
However, Brazil took the lead and began to dominate the increasingly defensive Australia, earning the reward shortly before the end of the match. Both teams aimed to recover after early exits from this year's World Cup, and it was the Socceroos who initially took the advantage by controlling possession and territory, attacking down the flanks and finding space on both sides.
Midfielder Connor McTackelf approached the goal in the third minute, but Irankunda's powerful shot forced Souza to make a good save. Brazil managed to weather the storm and started to enter the game, becoming more dangerous thanks to the form of Barcelona's Rafinha and Chelsea's Estevao.
Rafinha had a good chance, heading the ball towards Australian goalkeeper Patrick Birch after 20 minutes, and five minutes later, Estevao forced Birch to make an excellent save. Brazil's dominance seemed to pay off in the 46th minute when Estevao scored, but a VAR check disallowed the goal due to a previous foul on Australian captain Harry Souttar.
Something similar happened in the second half: Brazil controlled the midfield, while the Socceroos found space on the wings. The visitors barely held on, and it seemed they might score soon, but they were shocked by Irankunda's magnificent free-kick. The Socceroos defended fiercely and seemed to hold onto the lead, but a corner kick in the final minute allowed Ryan to score with a header, and the ball was too strong for Birch to deflect.