SAMARA – Australia has the controversial video assistant referee [VAR] system to thank for remaining alive in the FIFA World Cup after it was awarded a dubious penalty in a thrilling 1-1 draw against Denmark on Thursday evening [AEST].

The Socceroos, victims of a harsh VAR penalty decision in a 2-1 loss to France in their World Cup opener, fell behind in the seventh minute, only for a video review to give them a chance to level proceedings.

Skipper Mile Jedinak converted his 38th-minute spot-kick, giving Bert van Marwijk’s men the platform to lay siege on the Denmark goal in the second half.

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But despite creating a hatful of chances, Australia lacked polish where it counted most and were forced to settle for a point that means it must beat Peru in Sochi on Wednesday [AEST] and hope other results go its way.

“It’s unbelievable and a pity we didn’t score more,” van Marwijk told SBS.

The fact Australia’s Cup campaign has been drastically altered by the VAR will surprise no one with an interest in the domestic game.

The system caused incident after incident in the recently completed A-League season, before farcically crashing during the grand final, in which a goal that should have been chalked off for offside gave Melbourne Victory the title.

The Socceroos made history on Saturday, France’s penalty being the first VAR-influenced goal at a World Cup, and Australia fans sung long into the Kazan night about the system’s obvious deficiencies.

They sung a very different tune on Thursday, though, with more than 10,000 fans inside Samara Arena crying ‘V! A! R!’ in joy after Dane Yussuf Yurary Poulsen was belatedly judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area following a Mathew Leckie header.

It looked a harsh decision, given the proximity of Poulsen to Leckie, but the former’s hand was in an unnatural position, and Jedinak stepped up to the plate and delivered again.

“I think it’s like back in the good old days. If the referee gives a crappy decision against you, you used to always say ‘you’ll get that one back’. Maybe we got one back,” Socceroos defender Mark Milligan told The New Daily afterwards.

Jedinak has now scored the nation’s last five goals in competitive matches, four of which have come from the penalty spot.

Jumping for joy: Jedinak now has three World Cup goals. Photo: Getty

Critically, his goal gave the Socceroos belief after Denmark’s fast start, highlighted by Christian Eriksen’s well-taken seventh-minute goal.

“We were a bit slow out of the blocks. That’s when they asserted themselves,” Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan told The New Daily.

“But after 15, 20 minutes, we were really good.”

The second half was as good a goalless half as you will see, even if Australia’s early joy down the flanks failed to materialise into anything due to a series of sub-standard crosses.

The outstanding Leckie then produced some much-needed last-third quality after Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel flapped at a cross, but his ball that fizzed across the area and was destined for a Robbie Kruse tap-in was hacked away at the last minute.

That was Kruse’s last involvement and his replacement, Daniel Arzani, played a key role in wave after wave of Australia attacks in a 25-minute spell that deserved at least one goal.

First, Aaron Mooy fired just over from distance before Tom Rogic and Leckie, Australia’s two best performers, were denied by Schmeichel.

Andrew Nabbout’s shoulder injury, which will sideline him for the rest of the World Cup, did not quell Australia’s momentum, even though some questioned van Marwijk’s decision to replace him with Tomi Juric and not Tim Cahill.

Nabbout was in immediate pain. Photo: Getty

And Arzani continued to cause problems, catching the eye with a mazy run across the pitch that showcased his trickery before, with two minutes left, he shot from a tight angle but could not beat Schmeichel.

The same man also kept out a miss-hit volley from Leckie that looked like creeping in just seconds later, while Denmark had a pair of late chances themselves in a breathless finish, only to squander both.

Once again, Australia’s performance did not match the result, a harsh reality of World Cup football that the Socceroos know all too well.

Better finishing – and just a third World Cup win in the nation’s history – will be required if the Socceroos are to beat Peru.

“It’s just the final piece of the puzzle at the minute,” Ryan said.

Nabbout’s injury will give van Marwijk some thinking to do. Is it time for Cahill?

Elsewhere …

Also on day eight at the Cup, Croatia eased into the World Cup knockout stage after stunning a woeful Argentina a 3-0.

Two-time champion Argentina risks an embarrassing first-round exit after second-half goals by Croatia’s Ante Rebic, captain Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.

France ended Peru’s hopes of reaching the last 16 with a 1-0 win thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s 34th-minute goal.

Victory also secured France’s spot in the tournament’s next stage.