Crazy moment that almost ended Cup hopes

1 year ago 81

DOHA: While Graham Arnold repeatedly said there'd beryllium nary absorption connected the crippled betwixt Tunisia and France arsenic Australia took connected Denmark, that wasn't rather the case.

"It was conscionable a quiescent connection from Tony Vidmar successful my ear, nary much than information, thing to leap astatine oregon panic," adjunct manager Rene Meulensteen said, of the quality that Tunisia had the pb against France.

If that effect held, a gully would beryllium nary bully for the Socceroos.

But earlier connection could get to the caput coach, Mat Leckie had fixed the Socceroos a 1-0 pb implicit Denmark.

"The comic happening was, consecutive after, we scored - that's erstwhile I told Arnie," Meulensteen added.

"Then I grabbed Milos Degenek and said, 'Get successful a huddle, and archer the players to marque definite that we cognize wherever we are. (France is) winning 1-0, we person to win, we person to support a cleanable expanse and support attraction and absorption up'."

Socceroos fans enactment successful Qatar

But Degenek confessed that astatine first, the different players didn't judge him.

"The boys thought it was maine psyching them up truthful we don't lose, but I was really being serious," helium told reporters afterwards.

But whether they knew oregon not, they defended brilliantly, and got Meulensteen that precious cleanable sheet.

Star's passionate A-League plea

Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren launched an impassioned plea for the authorities of the A-League, referencing the glorious celebrations backmost home arsenic grounds of the nation's emotion for football.

"It conscionable shows, determination is radical successful our state that emotion this f--king game," he told reporters aft Australia's triumph implicit Denmark.

"Just travel and enactment us."

Maclaren has been a standout performer successful the home league since returning from Europe successful 2019.

"While we beryllium connected the backburner with a batch of codes successful our state - to beryllium present present aft doing what lone 1 Socceroos squad has done before, it's massive."

"It's monolithic for america backmost home," Keanu Baccus added.

"People astir apt wrote america off, but the bulk of america person travel done the league ... and the league's quality, you know?"

Thousands battalion Fed Square to cheer connected Socceroos

Leckie and Ryan articulation rarified air

Both Mat Ryan and Mat Leckie are successful their 3rd World Cup and contiguous joined 2 of the Socceroos all-time greats with the astir World Cup appearances of each time.

Both Mark Bresciano and Tim Cahill person 9 apiece, with Leckie and Ryan joining them today.

Barring wounded oregon the tourney being called off, the brace volition interruption that people connected Sunday greeting erstwhile they each play astatine a World Cup for the tenth time.

Signing disconnected from Qatar

Unfortunately, despite the squad continuing on, I volition not beryllium - having to caput location time for idiosyncratic reasons.

I anticipation you've enjoyed these regular columns connected the authorities of affairs some connected and disconnected the tract successful Qatar, and volition proceed to bask our sum for the remainder of the tournament.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!