Socceroos show resilience and spark but miss chances against Mexico in final audition for World Cup

• Mexico defeat Australia 1-0 in friendly ahead of World Cup

• Loss adds to pressure on Tony Popovic to get squad selection right

Australia may have lost their World Cup warm-up match to Mexico 1-0. But with just two weeks until their first match of the tournament against Turkey, the Socceroos appear to have found something more important: confidence.

A second-half turnaround against Fifa’s 15th-ranked side almost secured a draw for the Socceroos, who had three good chances to equalise on Saturday night in California. Despite a conservative approach, Tony Popovic’s side showed resilience and increasing positivity as they took the game to the World Cup co-hosts and 78,479 mostly green-clad fans who filled the Rose Bowl Stadium.