As the two teams stepped out to play on that Wednesday night in Sydney, a nation stopped. Uruguay had become to Australia what Argentina is to Brazil, what Germany is to England, the bitterest of rivals. Uruguay dominated the early exchanges. The Australians seemed intimidated and nervous, missing easy passes and giving the ball away far too easily in midfield. The 82 000 fans in the stadium were willing them on, and gradually the tide turned. The game was intensely physical, which was characterised by Tony Popovich’s yellow card for elbowing Recoba in the face in only the 28^th minute. Shortly after that he was taken off and replaced by Harry Kewell (32’). This was Hiddink’s tactical masterstroke. Australia became more confident on the ball, started pushing the ball out wide and began to stretch the Uruguayan defence. Kewell had provided that extra bit of attacking flair that was going to be needed. On 35 minutes, Marco Bresciano sent the Australian fans into ecstasy as he converted a loose ball in the penalty box into the top of the Uruguayan net. All square on aggregate, the loss in Montevideo was cancelled out. After the goal Australia became more and more confident as they tried to push the advantage home with another goal before half time.

After the break Uruguay came out looking to attack, but this new found enthusiasm was quickly staunched by the Australians. Uruguay grew more and more defensive, and when Recoba was taken off in the 73^rd minute it became clear that they were putting all their effort into denying the Socceroos. After the regulation time had been played, and the match entered extra time there was not a single person left sitting in the stadium. 82 000 people were on their feet, singing and cheering - but to no avail. The Uruguayan defence had stood firm for the extra 30 minutes, and as the referee blew the final whistle signalling the need for penalties, a nation held its breath.

Every shoot-out needs a hero, and on that night his name was Mark Schwarzer. With two majestic saves he cancelled out Mark Viduka’s miss, and that left John Aloisi to step up and take the decisive penalty. As the ball hit the back of the net sending Australia through to its first World Cup appearance since 1974, the stadium erupted. All over the country football fans were celebrating what had to be the victory of a complete underdog. Lowly Australia had defeated the might and World Cup tradition of Uruguay.

The consequences of this victory will extend far beyond next year’s World Cup in Germany, coincidentally the host the last time Australia qualified, 32 years ago. In a country where football comes behind Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL (Australian Rules) and Cricket in terms of popularity, it has generally been referred to as the sleeping giant. Decades of misadministration and ethnic infighting had crippled the sport and ruined any potential for it to become a mainstream force. So when two years ago the financial might of Frank Lowy stepped in to revolutionise the game, many observers felt that this was footballs chance. The new professional league, the A-League, kicked off this season, and attendance numbers have been a great success. As of next year, Australia will be leaving the Oceania confederation and join the Asian Zone instead. This means more regular top class competition, both in the Asian Cup as well as in qualifying for the World Cup, and the A-League champion will be able to compete in the Asian Champions League. Australia’s victory on that beautiful night in Sydney has achieved far more than mere qualification for the World Cup – it is one of many steps that will see Football finally fulfil its potential in this country.

As the storm clouds subsided on the evening of 16 November, 2005, the Australian Football team, the Socceroos, stepped out onto the pitch at Telstra stadium in Sydney, ready to play the most important match of their careers. The prize, no less, was a spot in the World Cup finals, the holy grail of International Football. The opponent, Uruguay, was the same as four years ago, when in an emotionally charged tie Australia lost 3 - 1 on aggregate. But there was a feeling of optimism in the air, amongst the players, amongst the crowd, and even amongst the ever sceptical media. Several factors had played into the hands of the Socceroos. The all important second leg was in Sydney, the first match of the tie, in Montevideo, had only ended 1-0 for the hosts, and Australia had managed to hire Dutch mastercoach, Guus Hiddink. All these factors combined to leave Australia in a strong position to gain qualification.