Syria and Australia drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Asian World Cup qualification playoff in Malaysia.
The Socceroos took the lead in the first half when Robbie Kruse tapped home from close range, but Syria got their reward for incessant second-half pressure when Omar Al Soma scored from the penalty spot in the 85th minute after Mathew Leckie was penalised for a push on the goal scorer.
The second leg of the game is played in Australia on Tuesday, with the winner then taking on the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF for a place at the World Cup finals.