Hi from Vienna, with the side note of a devastating win…

June 24th, 2010 | by: Kieran | View Comments

In a packed pub in the centre of Vienna, I watched Australia v Serbia in conditions perfect for a fairy-tale. Vocal supporters for both Australia and Serbia occupied one corner of the establishment, while the other half of the pub was glued to the Ghana v Germany game. After a slow first half, Tim Cahill brought the second half to life with a header in the 69th minute.

Moments later a speculative shot from Brett Holman found the back of the net, sliding past Serbian keeper Vladimir Stojkovic. Sadly, our tormentor in the Germany game, Mesut Ozil, had already found the goal against Ghana, and all hopes were pinned on a Ghana come-back, or a few more goals against Serbia.

While progression to the next round seemed unlikely, the Socceroos’ grasp on the game also slipped, with Marko Pantelic slotting home with six minutes to go. Serbia then had a goal disallowed for offside, much to the anger of the Serbs sharing the pub with me, and it also appeared as if Cahill had handled the ball in the box. However, Australia managed to hang on for a gutsy win.

Sadly, the score in the other Group D matchup didn’t change, and both Australia and Serbia departed from the World Cup. I however had an amazing night in an Austrian pub, despite the sadness of an early exit.

Apologies for my lack of posts recently, as internet hasn’t been easy to access. However I hope you all enjoyed our coverage of Australia’s World Cup journey. I’d like to thank Dom for his help, and when I return from my Euro adventures I will do a series of articles analysing our Cup journey. Until then, enjoy the rest of the World Cup! And good-luck to New Zealand!