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Australia knocking Croatia out of the group stage in Germany was one of the best moments in Socceroos history – and also one of the most confusing.
“Do you have tickets?” came the casual enquiry as I sat outside the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart.
“Ah, no.” I replied – sizing up with caution a bloke who was at least twice my size.
“Because if you have tickets to the game,” he continued, “I’ll give you 10,000 euros for them.”
“What, for two?” I responded in a quizzical tone.
“No… each,” he said flatly.
It was a tempting offer. But in truth I was never going to part with my tickets for Australia’s showdown with Croatia in Stuttgart. Not for a million dollars.
Still, after one of the most incredible nights in tournament history – certainly for Australian fans – I was kind of wishing I had.
Because as I sipped a beer on the terrace of my hotel high above the brightly lit streets of Stuttgart, I felt like I’d just played each and every second of the game.
I was exhausted.
I can’t imagine how Guus Hiddink felt. Or Brett Emerton.
The latter was one of Australia’s best, but he’d picked up two yellow cards in quick succession in a frantic finale that defied description.
It was to be a recurring theme.
The day started off strangely for me. My hotel was packed with fans from both nations – so much so that the BBC thought it would make a great setting for an impromptu round-table discussion.
They bailed me up at the breakfast buffet, and pretty soon I found myself being stared down by a couple of hardcore Croatian fans.
“We have much in common,” said one of them drolly. “Because they have six of our players.”
“The only thing we have in common,” I replied in reference to Australian-born trio Josip Simunic, Anthony Seric and Joey Didulica, “is that they nicked three of ours”.
If looks could kill I wouldn’t be here today, but the BBC were clearly impressed.
They thrust a mobile phone into my hands and asked me to do an interview with one of their morning shows.
I couldn’t make heads or tails of it and the only bit I remembered was the parting shot.
“2-1 in the Ashes, that must have stung!” said one of the hosts.
“3-1, Upton…” I began to reply. They hung up on me.
The game itself was no less curious, and it got off to the worst possible start.
When Mark Viduka hacked down Niko Kovac barely two minutes in, the Socceroos fans massed in the Cannstatter Kurve held their collective breath.
Darijo Srna’s free-kick was never going to miss. From the second it left his boot it traced an unstoppable trajectory past Zeljko Kalac into the top corner.
Kalac? Big Spider was a wonderful servant to Aussie football, but it’s unlikely he’s ever watched the DVD back of that game.
By the time the Socceroos won a penalty following Stjepan Tomas’ handball, they should have had another one after Simunic rugby-tackled Viduka in the box.
Craig Moore displayed nerves of steel to equalise from the spot, only for Kalac to showcase hands like soft butter when he let Kovac’s skipping shot squirm over him.
Cometh the hour, cometh Harry Kewell. His 79th-minute volley will forever be remembered as one of the most important goals in Socceroos history, raucously celebrated by fans both at the ground and watching back home on TV.
But the madness wasn’t done yet.
When English referee Graham Poll booked Simunic in the final minute of the game, it was his second yellow card.
But Poll failed to send Simunic from the field, despite protests from the Socceroos, with Poll later stating that he was confused by Simunic’s “broad Australian accent”.
Simunic was eventually sent off in stoppage time after receiving his third yellow card.
And Poll – who never refereed internationally again – further incensed Australian fans by blowing the final whistle a split second before Tim Cahill bundled the ball home at the death.
It was that kind of night.
But it didn’t matter in the end. Because a 2-2 draw was enough to see Australia through to the Round of 16, and a place in footballing history.
As we count down the greatest moments in Socceroos history, we want you to tell us what your favourites are. Have your say in the picker below!
Check out the rest of the countdown:
10. Australia’s performances – and Tim Cahill’s goal – in 2014
9. When we almost qualified for USA 94
8. Charlie Yankos’ stunning free-kick against Argentina
7. Beating France and Brazil in 2001
6. England 3, Australia 1: Beating the Poms in their own backyard
5. Knocking Croatia out of Germany in the craziest game in Australian history
4. Australia’s historic 3-1 win over Japan in Kaiserslautern
3. Making our debut on the world stage in 1974
2. Winning the Asian Cup in Australia
1. John Aloisi’s penalty
The Australian men’s football team is sure to produce some more memorable moments in Russia this year. Catch all the action in the best way possible by coming together with your friends and family and watching it on an epic big screen Samsung QLED TV. Explore the big-screen range.
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