Whole new ball game as Australia make their mark

Soccer World Cup 2006: Padraig Collins describes the scene as Australia beat Uruguay to reach the World Cup finals next summer

The only previous time Australia qualified for the World Cup was in 1974. That 32-year drought was broken in exhilarating fashion last night in Sydney.

Central Station was an ocean of gold and green yesterday evening as people boarded trains to the game, with the occasional blue replica Uruguay shirt adding to the mix. The Uruguay supporters were gently ribbed and all took it well, as did some of their team the previous day when booed after inadvertently walking into a huge union protest rally. The battle for better workplace conditions does not cover South American footballers.

The night took a turn for the bizarre when actor John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, were interviewed on the pitch as part of the pre-match entertainment.

When the MC asked Travolta about football, he said he played (American) football at high school "and also a little soccer". Preston was even more confused and started talking about watching Australian Rules when she lived in Adelaide. "We used to call it footy," she said.

Next up was the Uruguayan anthem, which was roundly booed. Not a bar or a word of it could be heard. The 82,700 fans in the magnificent, sold-out stadium meant business.

After a furious opening 20 minutes Alvaro Recoba should have scored and effectively put the game beyond the home side's reach (the first leg in Montevideo last Saturday having finished 1-0 to Uruguay).

Incredibly, with only goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to beat, he sent the ball wide.

Twelve minutes later Australia coach Guus Hiddink made a change which turned the game round. The much maligned Harry Kewell replaced defender Tony Popovic.

Kewell's second touch of the ball was a fluffed shot, but Parma player Marco Bresciano collected it and scored. The stadium erupted.

The Uruguayans' Latin spirit expressed itself in the time-honoured "play-acting" fashion. Every tackle was potentially life threatening and they managed to fall over every time someone in a gold jersey came near them.

Kewell's brilliant form continued in the second half and all is forgiven, including that ridiculous haircut. His former Leeds team-mate, and Australia captain, Mark Viduka showed leadership skills rarely previously hinted at.

Uruguay striker Recoba departed in the 73rd minute. It was a wise move as, though he was playing well, he never looked like scoring. There were several close calls though in extra-time but the game moved to penalties.

Kewell put Australia ahead with the first penalty. Schwarzer enhanced his already outstanding form by saving from Dario Rodriguez. Viduka made his first mistake of the night by mis-kicking Australia's fourth penalty to leave it at 3-2. But Schwarzer saved again, deflecting Marcelo Zalayeta's kick.

It was left to John Aloisi, who plays his club football with Alaves in Spain, to score his penalty and send Australia to Germany.

Incredibly, Hiddink, who also coaches PSV Eindhoven in Holland, said he'd planned to replace Middlesbrough goalkeeper Schwarzer in extra-time with AC Milan's Zeljko Kalac. "I planned to bring Kalac on," Hiddink said after the game. "The statistics show he's even better than Schwarzer in penalty kicks."

Luckily for Australia the plan changed after they made the last of their three substitutions when Brett Emerton got injured. "Schwarzer did a terrific job," said Hiddink.

Everton's Tim Cahill said afterwards he does not mind who Australia are drawn against in the finals. "At the World Cup everyone's even. Whoever we play we've a chance. It's time for us to step up and go and make a name for ourselves."

Uruguay captain Paolo Montero was reported to have quit international football after the defeat, the former Juventus defender Montero (34), who has symbolised Uruguay's tenacious approach to the game, limped out of the match late in the second half.

"Not only have we made the nation proud, we had John Travolta in the changing room," Blackburn full-back Lucas Neill added. "It's an amazing night and that capped it off."

Local fan Luke Foley told The Irish Times that he was in shock. "I can't believe it. All my life I've been waiting for this. I'm 35. I thought I would never see Australia play in a World Cup. It's just incredible."

In a nation where football doesn't completely dominate; the cricket, Australian Rules, rugby league and rugby union authorities will now have to treat football very seriously indeed.

For Australian sports fans it is, literally, a whole new ball game.

MATCH DETAILS

Australia 1 Uruguay 0. Agg (1-1). Australia win 4-2 on penalties

AUSTRALIA: Schwarzer, Neill, Chipperfield, Cahill, Vidmar, Popovic (Kewell 32), Emerton (Skoko 111), Viduka, Grella, Culina, Bresciano (Aloisi 95). Subs not used: Kalac, Lazaridis, Milicevic, Thompson. Booked: Popovic, Vidmar, Emerton, Kewell. Goals: Bresciano 35.

URUGUAY: Carini, Lugano, Dario Rodriguez, Montero (Sosa 80), Pablo Garcia, Guillermo Rodriguez, Varela, Diogo, Recoba (Zalayeta 73), Regueiro (Estoyanoff 97), Richard Morales. Subs not used: Silva, Viera, Lago, De los Santos. Booked: Diogo, Regueiro, Dario Rodriguez, Pablo Garcia, Richard Morales.

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain).

Wrexham defender Dennis Lawrence headed the only goal of the second leg as Trinidad and Tobago beat Bahrain 2-1 on aggregate to secure their first appearance at the World Cup finals. Lawrence scored four minutes after half-time with a free header from Dwight Yorke's corner in Manama to send the Caribbean nation into the finals and earn the CONCACAF region a fourth World Cup place in Germany next summer.

Substitute Russell Lapaty should have wrapped the game up for Trinidad with 10 minutes to go, but the Falkirk striker hit the crossbar.