Australia playmaker Tom Rogic drew little pleasure form an accomplished individual showing after his side went down to a 3-2 loss against Germany at the Confederations Cup.
With just five minutes remaining before the break, Vargas managed to find himself alone in front of the net at Spartak stadium before some 33,500 fans but his goal was annulled after the Video Assistant Referee ruled offside.
But Germany's failure to cash in on early chances allowed Rogic to rifle home a 41st minute equaliser.
Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, recently signed by Premier League new boys Brighton and Hove Albion, began the game as his side presented a back-three.
Australia's encouraging showing after half-time echoed their efforts in the 2014 World Cup - competing with a leading nation only to end up on the losing side.
But again Australia responded, Tomi Juric pouncing on a Leno fumble in the 56th minute to narrow Germany's advantage.
Germany have won eight and drawn two of their last 10 matches, scoring 31 goals in that time, but their youthful squad could yet prove vulnerable to an upset.
Germany joined Chile with three points in Group B after the South American champions defeated Cameroon 2-0 on Sunday.
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The world champions did not bring the likes of Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller with them to Russian Federation, but Low's experimental team proved to be more-than-adequate replacements for this test as Lars Stindl, captain Julian Draxler and Leon Goretzka all found the net. "We were clinging on first 45 minutes but it would have been easy to come out second 45 and chuck the towel in but I think it was anything but that".
The three games this week, and August's World Cup qualifier in Japan, could come to define coach Ange Postecoglou's reign.
Australia is taking the trip to Russian Federation far more seriously, bringing a full-strength squad unlike Germany. They've brought us this system because they believe it can work for us and I believe that also.
"In the second half we said 'let's stick to our principles".
At 28, Stindl is the second oldest player in the squad. Timo Werner, on for Wagner late in the game, missed a couple of particularly strong chances, hitting the post with the first and narrowly missing in stoppage time after a lengthy dribble.
The gulf in quality was clear, and yet the callow Germans discovered the perils of not killing off a game.
"It's disappointing, we were barely clinging on in the first half", admitted Postecoglou. He could have held on to that ball but he's a good goalkeeper, no doubt about it.
Three Australian defenders all got sucked into the near post when Julian Brandt prepared to cross and he cut the ball back for an unmarked Stindl to slam home his first global goal. "Maybe that was a mistake".
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