Paddy Agnew EurosceneIf and when Australia claim a place at next summer's World Cup finals in Germany by eliminating Uruguay in their return leg play-off in the Olympic Stadium in Sydney tomorrow, there will be those in the Australian camp pointing to their charter flight home from Uruguay on Saturday as one of the keys to their success.

After they had been beaten 1-0 by Uruguay in the first leg at the Centenário Stadium in Montevideo on Saturday, the Australians headed straight for the airport where a chartered Boeing 767 was waiting for them. On board the specially-equipped plane were massage tables, two doctors, a physiotherapist and a massage expert. On arrival at Sydney airport, Football Federation Australia (FFA) chief executive John O'Neill told reporters: "I think it worked perfectly. Quantas should be congratulated, the whole trip went unbelievably smoothly. The players are well rested and they'll be very well prepared for Wednesday night's game. The charter flight could really be the difference between Australia getting there and not getting there."

In contrast, the Uruguayans travelled on a commercial airline, flying in a bigger plane, a 747, and arriving a couple of hours earlier than the Australians, but without having experienced the joys of in-flight physiotherapy or massage during the 7,373 mile trip.

Of the five World Cup play-offs, the Uruguay-Australia clash was always going to be the most intriguing and not just because of the huge distances travelled by players, many of whom travelled from Europe for Saturday's first leg before setting off again for Sydney.

The fact that Uruguay eliminated Australia in this same play-off four years ago added a good deal of spice to the tie. The Australians or "Socceroos", mindful of how Uruguayan fans had given them a rough ride both on and off the pitch last time, opted to camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina, only crossing the River Plate into Uruguay at the very last moment.

In the run-up to Saturday, too, Australia had threatened to walk off the pitch if things got out of hand at the Centenário and had also refused to back Uruguay's request to Fifa that the match be brought forward by a day in order to give the players an extra 24 hours' recovery time.

Fifa rejected the Uruguayan request for a date change and by way of response, Uruguay then switched the kick-off time, moving it from four in the afternoon to a 9pm kick-off.

Australia then responded to the kick-off time change by hiring a Quantas charter so as to be certain of getting out of Montevideo, immediately after the game.

After all these pre-match shenanigans, it probably came as a relief to the players to get into action on Saturday.

Given that Uruguay won by the narrowest margin, thanks to a 37th-minute goal from Schalke 04 defender Dario Rodriguez, the tie still remains intriguingly wide open. If the Australians were claiming a psychological edge thanks to their charter flight, massage et al, the Uruguayans were yesterday looking to their proud tournament history for some comfort.

Winners of the World Cup in 1930 and 1950, Uruguay have already qualified for 10 World Cup finals tournaments. That point was underlined by their Inter Milan striker Alvaro Recoba, who said: "We're a big country with a big past and we've got a right to play in the finals . . . Uruguay has a divine right to play, Uruguay is Uruguay."

Uruguay coach Jorge Fossati will probably be looking less to divine intervention and more to traditionally cynical Uruguayan defending to see his side go through.

After Saturday's home leg, he conceded that his side had achieved two of his three objectives - they had won and they had done so without conceding a home goal (vital if it comes down to goal difference).

Fossati, like every other Uruguayan, admitted though that he would like to be travelling to Australia with more than a one goal lead.

Australia's coach, Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who combines this job with coaching PSV Eindhoven, admits that the tie is now in his side's hands. Stating the obvious, he says he expects Uruguay to come out looking to defend.

For Hiddink and Australia, much will depend on the form of his front men, Liverpool's Harry Kewell, Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka and John Aloisi of Alaves. Much too could depend on how both sides react to an expected 80,000 at the Olympic Stadium.

If Australia finish the stronger, too, rest assured there will be those who tell you that the trick was in that charter flight home. Whoever said football was about getting the ball in the back of the net.