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| June 14, 2006 | Wednesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1427 |
Bleary-eyed Aussies go wild after maiden win
SYDNEY, June 13: “Goal! Goal! Goal!” screamed a headline after the Socceroos’ come-from-behind 3-1 World Cup victory over Japan sparked street celebrations across Australia early on Tuesday.
Jubilant fans tooted car horns and yelled “C'arn (Come on) Aussie” after three late goals secured a victory sweetened by the fact that the Socceroos looked finished as they trailed 1-0 just six minutes from the end of normal time.
“I'm still in shock,” Genesis Volintras said moments after the whistle in Kaiserslautern brought roaring crowds to their feet from Sydney to Perth.
“I thought we were sliding down, we were gone — then three goals. Awesome,” he said as green-and-gold clad fans streamed from the Beach Road Hotel at Sydney's Bondi to the tune of Men at Work's “Down Under”.
The match marked the Socceroos' return to World Cup football after 32 years in the wilderness and locals did not allow chilly weather and a finish in the early hours of a working day on Tuesday to dampen their celebrations.
More than 3,000 went wild after watching the victory on big screens at Melbourne's Federation Square, with revellers singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ at the city's Lonsdale Street restaurant area.
Traffic was brought to a standstill in central Sydney after more than 300 chanting fans jammed the streets in a boisterous celebration that police eventually dispersed after an hour with no arrests.
Bleary-eyed commuters making their way to work were still pinching themselves over the stunning victory, the first ever for a nation that has never even scored a goal in the World Cup finals before.
Prime Minister John Howard praised Australia's “absolutely fantastic, spectacular start” to the tournament against a difficult opponent.
“A wonderful performance and it would have thrilled millions of Australians,” he said. “But its only the first step, they have a long way to go, but theyve got off to a fantastic start.”
New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma urged employers to go easy on workers who turned up late.
“Give them a break,” he said. “It's been 32 years of frustration and disappointment.”
Soccer often struggles for the coverage given to oval-ball football codes and cricket in Australia, but the win over Japan sent the media into overdrive.
“It was the most amazing victory in the history of Australian sport,”
Sydney's Daily Telegraph said under its “Goal! Goal! Goal!” headline, describing the Socceroos' win as a miracle.
The Australian Associated Press news service likened it to a fairy tale, declaring: “Australia has arrived at the World Cup ball, not as one of the ugly sisters but as a stunning Cinderella set to wow them on the dance floor.”
Replays of Australia's late brace of goals from Tim Cahill and the third from John Aloisi enjoyed high rotation on Sky News, which described the comeback as “perhaps the greatest in World Cup history”.
“Pure magic” trumpeted Melbourne's Herald Sun while The Australian hailed a Socceroos' “Rain of goals”. It also pointed out an “outrageous” refereeing decision in allowing Japan's 26 minute goal which almost cost Australia dear.—AFP
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