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Mark Milligan was dismissed around the hour mark for a second yellow card offence for an apparently innocuous attempt to reach the ball in front of goal.

An onrushing Japanese defender's shoulder made contact with Milligan's boot after charging towards the Socceroo and Saudi ref Khalil Al Ghamdi reached for a yellow card.

However he appeared to have not realised it was Milligan's second yellow and Milligan was almost off the field before the ref showed him the red card.

Japan scored shortly afterwards to take the lead, after Australia had been dominant for most of the first half.

But they were able to level the scores despite being a man down when Alex Brosque was judged to have been fouled in the six yard box while they awaited a corner to come in.

He awarded the penalty which Luke Wilkshire calmly converted.

Japan went down to 10 men in the dying moments of the game when another soft challenge earned Yuzo Kurihara a second yellow.

With the scores and teams now level, the Socceroos pushed hard for a winner but were unable to find the crucial goal in a thrilling match.

The ref capped off a remarkable performance by blowing for full-time before Japan could take a freekick in a promising position, incensing the visitors.

The Blue Samurai finally found the net in the 65th minute when Keisuke Honda danced along the by-line and passed across goal for Kurihara who made no mistake and sent the Japanese players and fans into raptures.

Tim Cahill was reinstated to the starting side at the expense of Harry Kewell and made a marked difference early as the Socceroos delivered on their promise to attack from the outset.

There was plenty of intent and physicality from the home side early but the Blue Samurai were unfazed and continued to go about their business in classy fashion.

Mark Bresciano was instrumental in getting the Socceroos on the attack and helped get David Carney and Carl Valeri good looks at goal from the top of the box, but both missed the target.

The Socceroos’ initial onslaught was interrupted when Bresciano came from the field in the 13th minute with an apparent groin injury – replaced by Milligan.

Japan held their nerve and slowly but surely gained the ascendancy in what turned out to be a high-class, fast-paced international.

The deft midfield work of Honda and Sir Alex Ferguson's latest acquisition Shinji Kagawa was breathtaking at times and deserved to be rewarded – and almost was when the pair combined only for Honda to fire straight into the waiting arms of Mark Schwarzer.

In the 19th minute only a remarkable clearance from Kurihara stopped the Socceroos from grabbing a decisive goal.

Cahill, Lucas Neill and Brosque all had a chance to bury the opportunity in a goalmouth scramble before Kurihara, laying on his back, miraculously cleared over the crossbar.

As the half wore on the momentum clearly moved in favour of the visitors, but their execution in front of goal let them down.

Kagawa, with Honda as his offsider, was running riot for Japan but couldn't find the back of the net and at half-time Australia had five shots on target to Japan's one.

The game turned with Milligan's red card, which was controversial after the midfielder attempted a volley and accidentally made contact with his Japanese marker.

Japan found the opener soon after through Kurihara, and they looked comfortable with their numerical advantage intact.

Wilkshire cancelled out Kurihara's effort with his penalty five minutes later, and the Socceroos settled for a point despite piling on the pressure late on.

Australia 1 (Wilkshire 70'pen)
Japan 1 (Kurihara 65')
@ Suncorp Stadium
Crowd: 40,189

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