Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak is certain the sleeping giant of Australian sport has awakened.
Jedinak says Australia’s hosting of the Asian Cup has stirred soccer, so long considered dormant in the country.
“Absolutely,” he told reporters on Friday.
“We got to see throughout the tournament not only when we played … but also everyone else, how many people have been at the stadiums filling the grounds.”
Jedinak’s gut-feel strengthened when the public camped outside Australia’s team hotel in Newcastle for their semi-final.
“We went to Newcastle and we see how many people are constantly outside the hotel just wanting to get a glimpse of the teams,” he said.
“You can get a real sense of it even just walking around in town.
“It (soccer) is in a good place at the moment and, hopefully, that will continue to grow.”
Jedinak will lead Australia into the cup decider against South Korea on Saturday night – a game he rates his biggest.
“Home final in your home city – it has got to be number one, doesn’t it?” he said.
“A win would mean everything. Winning means everything to me all the time – it’s going to be no different tomorrow.
“Having it in your own country is always going to make it that bit sweeter. But we have got to get there first and that is where the focus is.”
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