Monday Milestone: Wild About Harry
“Bresciano, towards Kennedy, might drop for Kewell… KEWELL!! Harry Kewell has done it! Australia’s golden boy has come up with a golden goal! And we’re back tied at 2-2.”
– English commentator Martin Tyler calls the equaliser
This Week in History:
2006, June 22
Australia qualify for the final sixteen in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany with a Harry Kewell equaliser against Croatia.
The Milestone parks the Delorean during the 2006 FIFA World Cup this week and finds a certain columnist dancing around a hotel room in his underwear. It was before dawn, but the TV was on, beaming pictures live from Germany.
Just like many Australians, he was invested in this particular World Cup campaign, considering the emotionally chequered journey just to get there: the Iranian qualification heartbreak in 1997; the loss to Uruguay four years later that frustrated yet another Socceroos campaign; and then John Aloisi’s penalty goal finally securing that elusive qualification, stopping the nation. But this was only the beginning. No one could foresee what would come next.
Whilst just setting foot in Germany was a fairytale, what happened against Japan in the opening Socceroos match was beyond all expectations. Down a goal, Tim Cahill had stepped into the boots of a hero for the Socceroos. Not just Australia’s first ever World Cup goal, but the Socceroos 3-1 victory was a landmark result. Even when six days later, defending champions Brazil brought Guus Hiddink’s men back to Earth with a two goal loss, there was still hope. There was still Croatia.
It was the final match of the Group F round robin. Croatia had only secured a draw with Japan and had also lost to Brazil, so they required a victory to advance. Meanwhile, following that Japanese win, Australia needed just a draw. This was the most important match in Australian history to date.
So it’s little wonder half the country got up at 5am to watch. With the match locked up at 1-1 at halftime, after an early Croatian goal, and an Australian penalty to equalise, it was tense. Some of us, sat up in hotel room beds wide awake, shattered when a Zeljko Kalac error reduced Australia to a 2-1 deficit. Staring down defeat, it looked like the end of the fairytale. Something special was needed.
They say cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Harry Kewell had been an international superstar for more than a decade, and was playing with English Premier League giants Liverpool. Even for those Australians that didn’t follow football, Kewell was a household name. Questions over whether he had ever really delivered for the green and gold were about to be answered.
Just eleven minutes remained when Marco Bresciano crossed, John Aloisi flicked it on, and Harry Kewell was on the far post. Juggling the ball, he slammed it past the Croatian keeper into the back of the net, to equalise. Kewell roared around the pitch, his euphoria now part of Australian football folklore. Those who were awake were dancing in the streets, hotel rooms, or wherever they could in jubilation. That would be enough. Australia would advance…
It was an incredible morning. Maybe you remember this high watermark of football in Australia? Maybe you got up to watch it? Maybe you cheered when Kewell slammed home the equaliser. And maybe, you found yourself dancing around in your underwear in a hotel room.
Milestone Five – Pivotal Australian World Cup Moments
5. Australia take to the pitch against East Germany in 1974 in their first ever FIFA World Cup appearance
4. Lucas Neill gives away a questionable penalty in the eighteen yard box against Italy in the Round of 16 to end the Socceroos greatest World Cup campaign in 2006.
3. Australia defeat Serbia 2-1 to return some pride in their Group of Death in South Africa in 2010. Goal difference would prevent Australia progressing.
2. With only ten minutes remaining, Tim Cahill scores Australia’s first ever World Cup goal equaliser against Japan in 2006. He scores the winner five minutes later.
1. Harry Kewell nets an equaliser against Croatia to enable the Socceroos to continue the Australian fairy tale of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
With thanks to Mark Nolan/Getty Images AsiaPac for the photo
