KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2017 - 23:28 | Sports, All

Australian soccer fans have a nervous wait to see if the Socceroos will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, following the country's loss to Japan on Thursday.

Australian and Japanese soccer fans alike crammed into a central Sydney pub for a live viewing of the qualifying match in Saitama near Tokyo, but many left worried about their team's future.

Socceroos fan Tim Freestone, 29, thought Australia's second-half game let the team down.

"The second goal (by Japan) shouldn't have happened," he said. "We shouldn't have let that in."

But Freestone remains confident that Australia will perform well in their next group match against Thailand and still qualify for the World Cup.

"We need to smash them (Thailand), like 4-0, but it's doable," he said.

But for the many Japanese fans, it was a very different game.

Seiji Miura, 24, was pleased Japan was able to take advantage of limited opportunities and perform well.

"The atmosphere at the pub makes it feel like an away game, so it's been a lot of fun."