Wellington Phoenix youngster Reno Piscopo scored a stunning long-range free-kick to help the Australia to a 1-1 draw with Iraq at the Asian U23 Championships.
Piscopo gave the 'Olyroos' the lead with his insane strike just after the hour mark, before Mohammad Qasem found the net to earn Iraq a point at Thammasat Stadium.
After a scoreless first half, Piscopo, the A-League's Young Player of the Month for December, was tripped by Mohammed Ridha Jalil 30 metres from goal and found the top corner with a powerful strike.
Iraq substitute Qasem then came off the bench to rescue a point.
Eight minutes after his introduction, Qasem rode a tackle, before curling a superb strike past the diving Thomas Glover, finding the bottom corner off the inside of the post in the 77th minute.
The Olyroos almost grabbed a late winner, but defender Dylan Ryan's glancing header came back off the post.
"This goal, I dedicate it to the families back home in Australia, the victims, so it was special for me," Piscopo said afterwards.
A moment's silence was held before kick-off in tribute to those affected by the fires in Australia.
Hosts Thailand thumped Bahrain 5-0 in Group A's other match.
Next up for the Olyroos is a clash against Thailand on Sunday at Rajamangala Stadium.
The top two teams from the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals.
Olympic qualification is on the agenda for Graham Arnold's side for the first time since 2008, with the tournament's the top three teams set to join Olympic hosts Japan at Tokyo 2020, meaning the two finalists and the third-place playoff winner all qualify.
AAP
