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Let’s start with just how the Socceroos got to the 2006 World Cup. Forget the preliminaries; the action really hotted up when we were drawn to play the 5th placed South American side over 2 legs. Who should it be, but Uruguay, the same country that had eliminated us 4 years earlier, only this time the crucial return leg was to be played on home soil in Sydney.
There was much animosity in Uruguay due to the Socceroos decision to base themselves in nearby Buenos Aries, Argentina. Uruguay then tried to have the game put back a day, which Australia flatly rejected. The game was put back 5 hours as part of a compromise, which suited Uruguay as they expected The Socceroos to miss their direct flight back to Australia. Qantas, as the Socceroos major sponsor had arranged for a plane to be available equipped with massage tables to ferry them home quickly for the second leg.
To say the Uruguayan’s were cocky was an understatement. The first leg in Montevideo saw the home side prevail 1-0.
Under the astute guidance of master Dutch tactician Guus Hiddink, the Socceroos were keen to take the game up to the Uruguayan’s in Sydney. Roared on by 83,000 fans at Telstra Stadium the Socceroos struggled to break down the stubborn Uruguayan’s. Hiddink decided after just 30 minutes to substitute Tony Popovic & brought on Harry Kewell, with immediate success as Australia scored through Marco Bresciano after a Harry Kewell miss-kick.
A goalless second half saw the match enter extra time. Goalless once more. Now it would come down to a penalty shoot out to determine the final team to qualify for the World Cup.
Now the Penalty Shoot Out that the whole country was on the edge of their seats watching. I had stayed up to watch it with my kids.
Now, rather than me go through a blow by blow description of that famous shoot out, strap yourselves in & relive it as it happened:
What were your memories of that night? Did you attend? Did you watch it on TV at home, with mates or in a pub/club?
There was much animosity in Uruguay due to the Socceroos decision to base themselves in nearby Buenos Aries, Argentina. Uruguay then tried to have the game put back a day, which Australia flatly rejected. The game was put back 5 hours as part of a compromise, which suited Uruguay as they expected The Socceroos to miss their direct flight back to Australia. Qantas, as the Socceroos major sponsor had arranged for a plane to be available equipped with massage tables to ferry them home quickly for the second leg.
To say the Uruguayan’s were cocky was an understatement. The first leg in Montevideo saw the home side prevail 1-0.
Under the astute guidance of master Dutch tactician Guus Hiddink, the Socceroos were keen to take the game up to the Uruguayan’s in Sydney. Roared on by 83,000 fans at Telstra Stadium the Socceroos struggled to break down the stubborn Uruguayan’s. Hiddink decided after just 30 minutes to substitute Tony Popovic & brought on Harry Kewell, with immediate success as Australia scored through Marco Bresciano after a Harry Kewell miss-kick.
A goalless second half saw the match enter extra time. Goalless once more. Now it would come down to a penalty shoot out to determine the final team to qualify for the World Cup.
Now the Penalty Shoot Out that the whole country was on the edge of their seats watching. I had stayed up to watch it with my kids.
Now, rather than me go through a blow by blow description of that famous shoot out, strap yourselves in & relive it as it happened:
What were your memories of that night? Did you attend? Did you watch it on TV at home, with mates or in a pub/club?
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