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Bresciano has never watched Uruguay replay

Roar Guru
16th November, 2015
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Mark Bresciano has never watched a replay of Australia’s most historic football triumph, and he wants to keep that special moment safely locked in his heart for a while longer yet.

It’s been exactly 10 years since the Socceroos legend netted the only goal against Uruguay on November 16, 2005, squaring the tie after the 1-0 loss in Montevideo and paving the way for a first World Cup qualification in 32 years.

John Aloisi’s famous penalty aside, Bresciano’s statuesque celebration in front of the 80,000 at Sydney’s then Telstra Stadium became one of the symbols of Australia’s re-entry onto the beautiful game’s biggest stage.

Now 35 and reunited with the teammates and coach Guus Hiddink at the venue where three decades of heartache was finally put to rest, Bresciano is re-living the magic.

But he’s not willing to refresh the memory on a TV screen just yet.

“I haven’t got a video player. Nah, I just haven’t really had the time,” Bresciano said at a black tie dinner at ANZ Stadium on Monday to honour the Socceroos’ 2006 World Cup qualification and farewell outgoing chairman Frank Lowy.

“I never really thought about watching it, and it’s something that I’d like to watch down the track when I’m a little bit older.

“Because it’s still in my head, I can feel that emotion, I can still feel the passion we had and the friendships with the players are still there.

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“It’s inside me, it’s in our hearts. It’s going to always be there, regardless if we watch it or not.

“I don’t need to watch it, because I know personally how important it is to me and all the other players. That feeling is always going to stay.”

For Tony Vidmar, who smashed one of Australia’s penalties past Uruguay goalkeeper Fabian Carini, it was a bit of a different story.

Vidmar watched a replay on TV only this Sunday – though didn’t sit through all of it.

“I think I’ve just fast-forwarded to the penalties,” he joked.

“It was funny just to see the last 30 minutes of the game. The picture looked a little bit unclear 10 years on.

“But seeing how we’ve moved on as well, where we are. Everyone has changed a little bit.

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“But it was just an unbelievable night. It’s going to be there forever.”

Bresciano can still pick out the spot where he was waiting patiently to slam in the goal from a fortunate Harry Kewell miskick.

But he’s unfazed about the attention Aloisi has received for his final penalty, despite being the one who made it possible in the first place.

“That’s fine by me,” Bresciano said.

“The thing that sticks for us is the time Johnny stood up and put the penalty away, and the celebrations of us finally getting to the World Cup.”

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