'Pure chaos' that rocked do-or-die WC game

2 years ago 84

It's the astir tumultuous World Cup crippled the Socceroos person ever played - 1 that got much and much retired of power arsenic it rolled on, earlier ending successful 1 of the nation's finest-ever sporting accomplishments.

Both Australia and Croatia, moving with the presumption that Brazil would bushed Japan, had a elemental script - a triumph for either would enactment them through, with a gully capable for the Socceroos.

As helium did successful the triumph against Japan, John Aloisi was called disconnected the seat successful the 2nd half.

"That was conscionable axenic chaos," Aloisi told Wide World of Sports.

Guus Hiddink got a batch close tactically successful his clip successful charge, but raised plentifulness of eyebrows erstwhile it was announced that goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer had been benched for Zeljko Kalac, the AC Milan back-up who had seldom featured successful nine shot successful the 12 months starring in.

Kalac's archetypal authoritative work arsenic a World Cup subordinate was to ticker arsenic a escaped footwear from Darijo Srna sailed past the wall, and beyond the keeper's hopeless dive.

"It didn't look similar determination was overmuch operation towards the crippled and that's what happens erstwhile some teams request a result," Aloisi said.

Australia had a mates of punishment shouts turned down by referee Graham Poll, including what was described arsenic a "rugby tackle" by Josip Simunic connected Mark Viduka.

Nobody knew it astatine the time, but some Poll and Simunic were astir to go embroiled successful 1 of the biggest controversies successful World Cup history.

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But portion Australia were near fuming connected a mates of occasions, Poll couldn't disregard a blatant handball from Stjepan Tomas, and up stepped Craig Moore to calmly slot location from the spot.

The Aussies went into half-time with their tails up, knowing a gully was capable - but were up against the partition 10 minutes aft the restart, arsenic Niko Kovac's debased changeable was deed consecutive astatine Kalac, but someway squirted done the goalkeeper and trickled implicit the line.

Advantage Croatia - but the Socceroos weren't done.

"The calmest head, and the ones that stay calm successful that situation, that chaotic situation, that volition usually travel retired connected top," Aloisi said.

Simunic picked up a yellowish paper for a foul connected Harry Kewell connected the hr mark, portion Hiddink emptied his seat by subbing successful Aloisi, Mark Bresciano, and Josh Kennedy wrong 12 minutes of each other.

"Just reasoning astir the crippled and what it was similar for maine connected the transportation - I've got Josh Kennedy adjacent to me, Mark Viduka adjacent to me.

"So that's 3 main strikers, each connected the aforesaid pitch, and past you've got Harry Kewell, Mark Bresciano - conscionable each retired attacking players."

The past 10 minutes of this crippled were arsenic frantic arsenic it gets - Kewell's equaliser, from Aloisi's flick on, made it 2-2 and the Socceroos were moments distant from the past 16 of the tournament.

Dario Simic was sent disconnected for 2 yellowish cards, past Brett Emerton followed moments later. It was 10 against 10, but it should person been 10 against nine.

"Then there's the yellowish paper contented with Simunic," Aloisi said.

The Australian-born defender was shown a 2nd yellowish paper successful the dying embers of mean time, but inexplicably, stayed connected the field. Croatia past pushed and pushed for a victor but it ne'er came.

Right astatine the death, Aloisi bundled the shot home, lone for a whistle to contradict him his 2nd extremity of the tournament. Poll had signalled for the extremity of the game, but arsenic a furious Simunic approached him aft the last whistle, yet showed the defender a 3rd yellowish paper and past a red.

Aloisi inactive remembers bizarre disallowed goal

It was a bizarre concern for Aloisi, who instantly had to juxtapose the feelings of having a extremity disallowed for nary crushed with those of Australia securing a spot successful the knockout stages.

"I went consecutive up to Graham Poll arsenic soon arsenic helium blew the whistle reasoning that he'd whistled for a escaped kick, past I realised it was afloat time," helium said.

"I asked him 'why did you stroke the whistle? The shot was successful the backmost of the nett virtually,' and helium said 'don't interest you're through, you should celebrate' and I said 'yeah but we could person won the game, I could person had different extremity astatine a World Cup!'"

"I was gutted for astir 20 seconds and past aft that I conscionable started celebrating due to the fact that we were done - but it's 1 of those things that lives with maine due to the fact that I could person had different extremity astatine a World Cup, however bully would that person been?"

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