COMETH the hour, cometh the man. Just as he did in Kaiserslautern last June, Tim Cahill came off the bench and ran to Australia's rescue with a dramatic equalising goal.
Thirteen months ago it was the World Cup. This time it was the Asian Cup. Both times the Everton midfielder's intervention was as magical as it was timely, even though it was barely deserved in a match in which a toothless Australia looked to be heading for a 1-0 loss to outsiders Oman in Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium.
Cahill struck in stoppage time after Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi had deflected a shot into his path in a crowded penalty area. The 26-year-old Sydneysider once again showed his composure, and his ability to be in the right place at the right time.
The final scoreline looked unlikely for much of the game. Mark Schwarzer twice came to the rescue to deny Oman clear-cut scoring opportunities. In contrast, Australia created little, even though coach Graham Arnold fielded virtually his strongest attacking line-up, with Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Mark Bresciano deployed up front.
Oman, who came into this tournament after winning a four-team competition in Singapore a week ago, certainly did not look overawed against their highly credentialled opponents. They began the game in lively fashion, forcing the first corner of the match in the eighth minute when Ismail Al Ajmi headed over the bar.
Immediately afterwards, Australia fashioned one of the best of their two early chances, also from a corner. However, Patrick Kisnorbo's header from Luke Wilkshire's delivery flew wide of the post.
The Omanis grew in confidence, retaining possession and playing the ball on the ground in the manner of a team enjoying the big occasion.
Ahmed Al Mahaijri, Ismail and overlapping fullback Hassan Al Gheilani combined well down the left to deliver a troubling cross in the 14th minute. For much of the half, that trio continued to cause Australia problems with their close interpassing. However, the Socceroos looked lacklustre and dreadfully out of rhythm in the cloying heat.
Before the tournament, Lucas Neill had talked of a stylistic realignment in the Socceroos play, suggesting that because of the sapping heat Australia would have to abandon its hard-running, pressing game.
Unfortunately, the Socceroos passing game was sadly awry as too often balls missed targets and passes went astray, giving the Omanis time to regroup or start dangerous counterattacks.
Australia playing Oman in their Group A fixture at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok. 
Tournament favourites and debutants Australia have drawn 1-1 with a skillful Oman in the second match in Group A of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. 

Oman shocked the Socceroos when they scored on thirty-two minutes, after some enterprising play on their left-hand flank. A ball cut back made its' way through the Australian defence to Omani striker Badar Mubarak, who slotted the ball low into the left-hand corner of the goal.

Oman very nearly had a second goal on three separate occasions in the second half. They were only denied by three world-class saves by Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, including a low save from a driving volley by Ahmed Mubarak, a reflex save to stop a point-blank header in the seventieth minute, and then another low-down save minutes later from Fawi Bashir's driving shot.

A heavy downpour began ten minutes prior to the final whistle, and it appeared to reinvigorate Australia. They pressed forward in numbers, and were rewarded in injury time with a goal to Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, after a low volley by Marco Bresciano was well-saved by Omani keeper Suleiman Al Mazroui.

Cahill achieved the remarkable double of scoring both Australia's first Asian Cup and World Cup goals, after he scored in the eighty-third minute of their match against Japan at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He and John Aloisi capped off the comeback by scoring twice late to defeat Japan 3-1.

The Australian players were visibly frustrated by Oman's play-acting tactics, which saw the stretcher used four times in the first half alone. British match commentator Simon Hill described the tactics as "a blight to the game" and "absolutely rubbish", the latter in relation to one incident where no contact was made whatsoever. When queried about it after the game, Arnold said cynically "welcome to Asia".

Australian coach Graham Arnold at the post-match media conference. 
The Australians were flat and their defending was poor, said coach Graham Arnold at the post-match media conference. He also commented on goalkeeper Schwarzer's three fantastic saves, saying "Mark Schwarzer's got us out of jail. Schwarzer's made two unbelievable saves, otherwise it's 2-0 and all over".

The draw leaves all four Group A teams equal on the table on one point, with one goal for and one against, following Iraq 1-1 draw with hosts Thailand yesterday.

In the other game played yesterday (UTC), co-hosts Vietnam caused a major shock by defeating United Arab Emirates in their Group B fixture.

The Emirates are the current Gulf Cup champions, and the hosts were expected to struggle to win this match, or progress from Group B which includes two-time Asian champions Japan and Asian Games gold medallists Qatar. Vietnam is playing at Asian Cup level for the first time in nearly half a century.

UAE had the better of the chances in an otherwise-even first half, with the best Faisal Khalil's shot in the thirtieth minute, which was well-saved by Vietnamese goalkeeper Duong Hong Son who managed to turn the ball around the post for a corner.

However, they scored two second half goals to take the three points from the My Dinh National Stadium. On sixty-three minutes, a counter-attack from the half-way line involving three Vietnamese players resulted in defender Huynh Quang Thanh putting the ball in the back of the net.

Vietnamese player of the year Le Cong Vinh made it 2-0 nine minutes later when he chased down a long ball and calmly lobbed it over Emirates goalkeeper Majed Nasser, who had come off his line to try and avert the danger.

Bruno Metsu, coach of the United Arab Emirates, substituted players and launched an all-out attack to try and salvage something, but failed to find the goals he needed.