- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australians Richard Garcia and Nick Carle will lock horns in the battle for promotion to the English Premier League following Hull’s Championship semi-final play-off win over Watford today.
Garcia scored one and had a hand in another as Hull romped home 4-1 at their KC Stadium for a 6-1 aggregate win, setting up a clash with Carle’s Bristol City in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium on May 24.
Bristol City advanced to the final with a 2-1 semi-final, second-leg win against Crystal Palace on Wednesday to go through 4-2 on aggregate.
Hull have never played in England’s top flight in their 104-year history, while Bristol were in the old first division for a couple of seasons in the early 1980s.
“I think (Hull) is probably the biggest city in Europe not to have a team in the top flight, so they’re quite excited and they’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time, Garcia told Sydney radio station 2KY today.
“Hopefully we can produce for the fans and the city.”
The final is billed as “the richest game in football” with the winners receiving more than STG60 million ($A128 million) for gaining a place in the lucrative Premier League.
Garcia, who briefly played in the Premier League with West Ham in 2001/02, said it was a great achievement to reach the final, but the job wasn’t done yet.
“It’s a testament to the team and the squad that we’ve got here and can go all the way,” he said.
“(But) I don’t think anything’s guaranteed. You can’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched – that old cliche.”
Garcia was looking forward to taking on Carle, the former A-League player of the year who will be fighting for his first taste of the Premier League.
“I’m sure we’ll have a few battles during the game, but that’s all part of it … it’s all good fun,” Garcia said.
“You’re mates off the pitch and then when you get on the park it’s all business.
“After the game you have a beer and have a good laugh about it.”
Making the final has forced Carle to drop out of Pim Verbeek’s Socceroos squad for Friday week’s friendly against Ghana, while Garcia was not named.
Both players are 26 but it is Garcia who is yet to make his Socceroos debut.
“I’ve got aspirations to play for my country and I think it’s everyone’s dream to play for their country,” added Garcia, who had toiled in England’s lower leagues with Colchester United since 2004 before signing with Hull in 2007.
“I’m just waiting to see how we go here first, then I’ll concentrate on that later.”
Nick Barmby scrambled home Garcia’s looping header just before halftime to cancel out Darius Henderson’s opener.
Substitute Caled Folan made it 2-1 in the 70th minute, before Garcia scampered through the Watford defence and slotted from 14 yards after 88 minutes.
Barely a minute later, Nathan Doyle made it 4-1 to spark a pitch invasion as the fulltime whistle blew.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.