Aussies Abroad: Langerak 90 minutes from history after equalling J-League record
Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak equalled the J League record for most clean sheets in a single season after his 16th shutout for Nagoya Grampus on Saturday.
Another fantastic goalkeeping display from the 32-year-old saw 10-man Nagoya earn a 0-0 stalemate with Yokohama FC in what was Langerak's 100th game in the J League for his Japanese side.
Langerak has now equalled former Urawa Red Diamonds' Shusaku Nishikawa's record of 16 set in 2014.
The Australian will set a new record of 17 should the former Borussia Dortmund gloveman keep out Sanfrecce Hiroshima next weekend.
Despite another great night for Langerak, Nagoya will rue crucial dropped points against Yokohama. The Massimo Ficcadenti-manged side will hope that fourth-placed Cerezo Osaka do not beat Sagan Tosu midweek or they will be leapfrogged into third place.
AFC Champions League qualification would then be out of their hands on the final weekend.
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There was no clean sheet for national team colleague Mat Ryan overnight as Brighton were beaten 3-0 by Leicester City in the Premier League.
The Socceroos' goalkeeper made some outstanding saves in the loss, especially a magnificent fingertip save to deny Ayoze Perez midway through the first half. But Ryan could not keep out James Maddison's double and Jamie Vardy's 10th goal of the campaign.
Elsewhere in England this weekend, Harry Souttar claimed a clean sheet as Stoke City drew 0-0 against Derby County in the Championship. Stoke are eighth.
Massimo Luongo's Sheffield Wednesday were beaten 2-1 by Barnsley in a loss that leaves the club 24th in the English second division.
Meanwhile, Kenny Dougall anchored the midfield as Blackpool were held to a 0-0 darw by Oxford United in League One, and Bailey Wright's Sunderland accounted for Lincoln 4-0.
Boyle hits the spot for high-flying Hibernian
Martin Boyle was on the scoresheet again in Hibernian's 4-0 rout of Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Boyle's 10th minute penalty opened the floodgates for Hibs, his fifth goal of the campaign. The forward earned man of the match honours from the BBC.
That win moved Hibernian above Celtic and into second place on the ladder but it lasted for a matter of hours as Tom Rogic's side beat Kilmarnock 2-0 thanks to goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Shane Duffy.
Rogic was a 81st minute substitute.
Cup heartbreak for Smith
Seattle Sounders and Brad Smith were dealt a 3-0 Major League Soccer Cup Final defeat to Columbus Crew on Sunday.
Smith starred in the Sounders' 2019 triumph but the Australian was denied consecutive titles by Colombus as Argentinian striker Lucas Zelarayan scored twice.
Better news for James Jeggo who emerged victorious in the Thessaloniki derby as Aris beat PAOK courtesy of a first half penalty from Aris' Portuguese striker Bruno Gama.
Jeggo made his return from a two-match injury layoff on 76 minutes and helped Aris leapfrog their rivals and go second on the Greek Super League table.
Also in Greece, Apostolos Giannou was a 78th minute substitute in OFI's 1-0 triumph against Larissa.
Mitch Duke and Craig Goodwin played out a 0-0 stalemate with their Saudi Arabian sides Al-Taawoun and Abha respectively.
Goodwin started and was substituted on 71 minutes, while Duke arrived on the hour mark as the two teams settled for a draw that leaves them eighth and ninth.
In the Bundesliga, Mathew Leckie was a late substitute as Hertha Berlin earned a 1-1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Arsenal loanee Matteo Guendouzi broke the deadlock for Hertha before Breel Embolo equalised. Herta are 11th.
Danny Vukovic's Genk were beaten 1-0 by Anderlecht on Saturday morning, the Belgian heavyweights' first defeat from their last ten league matches.
In the Turkish Super Lig, Aziz Behich helped Kayserispor to a 0-0 draw against Trabzonspor, playing 90 minutes.
Milos Degenk's Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) won 2-0 against Backa to secure their spot at the Serbian SuperLiga summit.
Trent Sainsbury was absent for Kortrijk's 3-0 defeat to OH Leuven on Sunday, so too was Thomas Deng - who has returned to Australia after an injury - as Urawa Red Diamonds drew 0-0 with Shonan Bellmare.
Brandon Borrello's Fortuna Dusseldrof beat Karlsruher 2-1 in the 2. Bundesliga.
