When they handed out the lists of whom one should sware their allegiences to I must have been out at lunch or something. For the most part I do not follow the Australian team in any sporting theatre, however there are three places in which I'm prepared to make an exception - football, netball and field hockey.
3-1 over Japan last night in the World Cup brought the nation together like nothing else could. For 32 years Australia has been in the football wilderness and with the boots of Cahill and Aloisi, not only has Australia scored it's first ever goal in the World Cup finals but notched up a convincing win at the same time (also a first).
Everton midfielder Cahill came off the bench to score in the 84th and 89th minutes to overhaul a one-goal deficit after Japan had taken the lead following an error by Mark Schwarzer in the first half at Kaiserslautern's Fritz-Walter Stadium.
Aloisi then rounded off the victory in the Group F opener - Australia's first ever at the World Cup - 32 years after the nation's only previous appearance at the finals, also on German soil in 1974.
This has made the front and the back pages of all major newspapers in every capital city. People may talk about the passion of a Rugby League State of Origin match but seriously it has not a bar on what we witnessed last night. As I drove home from B's there were honks from car horns from people I'd never seen before and even the Town Hall across the street from where I work this morning bears the boxing kangaroo flag.
Brazil beware, It'll be 11 superstars against 11 ordinary Aussies, 11 ordinary Aussies who have so much history to undo.
Australia 3
Cahill (84, 89)
Aloisi (90)
Japan 1
Nakamura (26)
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