If Your Australian You Would Already Know This....

[Bella_Boo]

AUSTRALIA is on its way to Germany. On its way to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years.



At 10.45pm last night, after two agonising hours of football, Adelaide-born John Aloisi stepped forward with 12 yards between him and a long-dreamed-of destiny.

He steadied, kicked and 80,000-plus people leapt into the air. They screamed, they cried, they hugged each other and they danced. A dream had come true. The Socceroos had won 4-2 on penalties.



The ball was in the back of the net. We were there.



You might call it the money ball, but it is beyond any monetary value. It was worth $10 million in the short term for just reaching the World Cup. Untold riches and so much more in the long run.



After 90 minutes of real-time football, the last 45 of them spent with Australia peppering the Uruguayan goal looking for the score that would take them to Germany, the game went into extra time.



Australia was one-nil up but one goal short of a dream. The game went into extra time. It was interminable. Thirty minutes later the scores hadn't changed and the World Cup dreams of two nations came down to a penalty shootout. A life or death duel.



Some people in the crowd gave up. They walked out of the stands with tears in their eyes. The psychological torment was too much. You can only imagine what it was like for the five players on each team who took the shots.

The real hero was Mark Schwarzer, the Socceroo goalkeeper who twice did the impossible and stopped the Uruguayans' penalty shots. Captain Mark Viduka will forever be in his debt for he had stuttered in front of goal when they were 3-2 and missed, but the Middlesborough man was up to the task and held out the next shot from Marcelo Zalayeta.

There have never been scenes like those that erupted at Telstra Stadium when Aloisi scored. Australians finally discovered the passion of football. The pure emotion that erupts after 120 frustrating minutes.

Tony Vidmar, the man in tears four years ago, was over the moon. "This is it," he said. "It was now or never, this is unbelievable. I'm speechless, this is fantastic."

Harry Kewell did everything during the game. There was something about Harry and it was obvious from the moment he stepped on the slippery surface.

Kewell had spent the first 32 minutes of the match warming the bench. He came on to rapturous applause from the crowd and three minutes later found himself with the ball in front of goal.

He could have shot himself but he chose to pass, but he clipped the top of the ball and it barely dribbled a metre toward its target. It was far enough. Marco Bresciano, the Melburnian who plies his trade in the midfield with Parma, made no mistake, driving the ball deep into the net and driving 80,000 wild.

The Socceroos were 1-0 and the uphill road to Germany suddenly flattened out. The aggregate scores were level. A shootout beckoned.



Winners ... the Socceroos lap up the atmosphere at Olympic Stadium. Picture: Michael Dodge



Kewell was everywhere in the second half. He defended, pressed and created. Playing like a man possessed. Harry was like a wizard in search of an elusive golden snitch and not a soccer ball.

Both sides threw everything at each other. The game was loose and wild. The first half was fiery and passionate, both sides earning the wrath of the referee with a pair of yellow cards each. Uruguay threw everything at Australia but it only wore them down.

Recoba spat like a viper at the goals in the first half but all his venom was spent early in the second phase. He was gone at the 72-minute mark. The team's captain, Paolo Montero, limped off five minutes later. Actor John Travolta added football fan to his list of credentials by joining the sea of green and gold at the stadium. Whether he knows anything of the code or not, at least he will be able to say: "I was there when the Socceroos made history."

[Cain]

I'm glad that that part of the globe will be represented and on merit as well. Next up is how the hell to get tickets!

Congrats from a Brit.

[Bella_Boo]

Cain wrote: I'm glad that that part of the globe will be represented and on merit as well. Next up is how the hell to get tickets!



Congrats from a Brit.


Thanks *blush* we are so damn proud to be aussies today :guitarist :guitarist

[Galbally]

I am a soccer fan, and aus getting back in after 30 odd years is bg news. Not surprising as they have been doing a lot of building over the past few years and seem determined to get soccer onto a proper level in Aus, if they do well that will happen I'm sure. Its great, I've slagged Aussies over soccer before, but I know a lot in Oz do love the game, and now they have a chance at the big time again. I vivdly remember Ireland beating Romania on penalties in the second round of the Cup in 1990, as most people in the country do, all I can say is that once you start getting into the latter stages, it becomes even more crazy. I'm delighted for the Australians, they have some decent players, I hope that they do well, and If they do, I will remove any prejudices I have had against the socceroos. Its great when people get so much ejoyment out of a game.

[Alfred]

never watched much soccer, never played it much either.

so it was no surprise that i did maths study instead.

but still proud of the aussie team non the less.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...

[Bothwell]

OK now lets talk about Rugby and Cricket:D

[Galbally]

Bothwell wrote: OK now lets talk about Rugby and Cricket:D


Lets not actually.

[scotty]

Congrats bella boo, Australia are an up and coming team, as a Scotsman I wish I were going to Germany too, but it is not to be for the Tartan Army this time.

All the best.

Scott

[orangesox1]

I heard there was a big match on I'm glad we won, even though I didn't know anything about it. Thanks Bella for filling Alfred and me in on the details.