The youngsters were playing their rescheduled clash with the Danish teenagers after the original match had to be abandoned because of a lightning storm at the Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro, Mexico yesterday morning.

Despite the Joeys being 1-0 down in the abandoned match, the rescheduled fixture re-started at 0-0 and was played in bright sunshine but on a deadened, waterlogged pitch that was barely playable.

The Danes quickly asserted themselves and shortly after the half-hour mark, Rochester Sorenson put the Europeans ahead when he was allowed too much space in the box to finish a deflected cross into the area.

Just moments later, the Australian task became even harder when they were reduced to ten players with the dismissal of Yianni Petrakis for an ugly two-footed tackle.

In the second half, the Danes dominated with a succession of shots on goal and only the skill and reflexes of young keeper Paul Izzo kept Australia in the competition.

The Joeys only had to avoid losing by more than two goals to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition as one of the four best-performing third placed teams from the six groups.

But the Danes threatened to knock home a cricket score against Australia, with shot after shot whistling past the post, over the bar or saved by Izzo.

Australia struggled to counter attack in the heavy conditions underfoot, prefering to preserve their energy for the full 90 instead of exhausting themselves too soon.

But some loose passing, too many ineffective solo runs, bad decisions and poor defending meant the Joeys walked a tightrope of disaster for most of the final 45 and only the Danes' unfortunate finishing kept their hopes alive.

With the run of play almost entirely against them and the clock close to full-time, Australia did manage to find a break through the ever dangerous Dylan Tombides.

His attempt on goal was foiled by the Danish defence but it found second half sub Luke Remington who took his chance and slotted home the equaliser to end the game 1-1 and gift Australia an unlikely and frankly undeserved share of the points.

The Joeys now face Uzbekistan in the next round, having dodged a date with France who would have been their opponents had the Joeys finished second in their group.