'Dissolved into tears': John Iredale's reaction to his first Socceroos goal was just so wholesome
The emotions hit the 24-year-old all at once after scoring his first international goal against Lebanon.
Socceroos veteran Tim Cahill has thrown his support behind coach Ange Postecoglou, proclaiming his influence on the Australian game will not be fully realised until he is gone.
Calls for Postecoglou’s head have grown since last month when Australia failed to qualify directly for a World Cup for the first time in 2005.
Yet three days out from Australia’s do-or-die play-off against Syria in Malaysia, Cahill reminded detractors what the under-fire boss had achieved.
“My favourite saying is, ‘you miss someone when they’re gone’,” said Cahill, one of the early arrivals in Malacca.
“His effect on the game, in years and years to come, people will sit there and go, ‘wow, an Australian coach did that to our country in four years – won us an Asian Cup, undefeated in the qualifiers other than the Japan away game, and he changed the footprint of football in Australia’.
“I’m talking A-League (as well), everyone plays Ange’s style, it’s nothing new.
“Now our Socceroos are playing and dominating games but that will be the case for him, they’ll miss him when he’s gone.”
Part of the criticism directed at Postecoglou has been the perceived siege mentality adopted by the team.
Former Socceroo Robbie Slater called it “toxic crap”, but Cahill said the mindset was crucial if they’re to take Australia to a fourth consecutive World Cup.
“We have to have the siege mentality going into camp,” he said.
“It’s all or nothing, and that’s (only) for the first bit, there’s another (play-off) after that.
“I’m confident with this group of lads and confident we’ll go through to the next phase and we have to think like that.”
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The emotions hit the 24-year-old all at once after scoring his first international goal against Lebanon.
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