He had the ball in the net after barely 20 seconds,slamming home a shot from inside the penalty area after Maclaren had touched backMartin Boyle’s cross. Korean referee Ko Hyung-jin consulted the VAR before ruling the strike out on the grounds that an offside Jackson Irvine had interfered with the Vietnamese goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong’s line of sight.
Australia didn’t drop their heads and a few minutes later Rogic set up Mathew Leckie for a shot that forced Bui into a save.
Fran Karacic was getting through a power of work on the right,driving forward to provide support in the attack,while Sydney FC youngster Joel King was untroubled on the left in his international debut.
Leckie tangled with Vu Van Thanh and shortly afterwards flashed a header just wide as frustration began to mount.
Vietnam were able to engineer only sporadic attacks as Australia looked to stretch the game and play at a pace to force their opponents into mistakes.
Eventually,the breakthrough came on the half hour,and it was appropriate that Rogic was the architect,providing the cross for Maclaren to drift between his markers and head his team into a deserved lead.
COVID-hit Socceroos boss Graham Arnold,watching remotely,would have been pleased with the energy and intensity of his team,but less so at their profligacy as they looked to turn their overwhelming possession into goals.
Vietnam’s only real attempt came from Phan Van Duc,whose shot went straight to Maty Ryan.
Rogic got the goal his artistry and industry merited just seconds before the break,when he fastened on to a Leckie pass and deftly flicked the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 2-0,giving Australia the breathing space they needed.
Vietnam,desperate to get back in the game,began the second period in more adventurous mood and Pham Tuan Hai shot wide just after the restart,the same player also threatening with another effort shortly after.
They certainly carved out opportunities and Ryan had to stand strong to deny Nguyen Cong Phuong’s shot just after the hour mark as the visitors began to grow in confidence.
Nguyen Thanh Chung then missed an excellent chance to pull a goal back,heading over from close range when unmarked.
Australia’s nerves were settled with 18 minutes remaining when substitute Craig Goodwin ran on to a long Ryan clearance and coolly chipped over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
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And Riley McGree stepped off the bench to add a fourth two minutes later.
Rene Muelensteen,replacing Arnold on the sideline,rung the changes,resting Rogic and also giving Melbourne City 20-year-old Marco Tilio his international debut in the dying moments.
A tougher test in Oman awaits next week,but the mood in the camp will be upbeat.
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