2008 Round Up and Merry Christmas!

As mentioned in my last post, the Socceroos finished the year on a high, achieving their highest ever FIFA ranking of 28th. Throughout the year, the Socceroos played nine World Cup Qualifiers and four International friendlies, finishing with a record of eight wins, three draws, and two losses. With this in mind, I take a trip down memory lane and note the top three performances by the men in green and gold.

March 26, 2008. China 0 – Australia 0.
Giant hearted goal-keeper Mark Schwarzer amplified his prowess against penalty takers with a save in the 88th minute of this crucial 1st stage World Cup Qualifier. After a fairly drab match where chances for both sides were few and far between, an innocuous long ball in the dying minutes caught our defence asleep, allowing Chinese striker Qu Bo to race into the area. Schwarzer came out to meet the pacey forward, and stood his ground as Qu tried to round him, resulting in a clash between the two. The referee pointed immediately to the spot, and it looked as if our road to 2010 would suddenly start with a stumble. But the big Aussie keeper had something to say about that, and reproduced the magic he conjured against the Uruguayans in 2005. In truth it was a poor penalty by Jiayi Shao, a timid effort right down the middle which Schwarz blocked with his legs, but the magnitude of the save made it such a memorable moment of 2008.

September 6, 2008. Netherlands 1 – Australia 2.
Despite being “just” a friendly, the win was important as it gave the boys the self belief that they can match it against top quality opposition. Facing a full strength Dutch team, it was not expected to be an easy night out for the Socceroos, and this pressure was compounded barely six minutes in, when Klass-Jan Huntelaar scored for the home side. However, the Socceroos gave a good display, creating several chances, before a horrendous back pass by Dutch right back Johnny Heitinga left Jesus with a one on one. The Orangemen’s keeper Martin Stekelenburg charged out to meet the striker and clipped him, resulting in a penalty and a red card. Harry Kewell smashed home the spot kick, and then the Socceroos found the winner mid way through the second half when a Luke Wiltshire cross was met by Jesus again, who tucked his header neatly into the corner. It was our first ever win against the Dutch, and a deserved one at that.

September 10, 2008. Uzbekistan 0 – Australia 1.
This was the first game of the second phase of the World Cup Qualifying campaign, and one of the gutsiest efforts I’ve ever seen from any Socceroos side. The Uzbeks were seen as the dark horses of the group, as coming into the game they hadn’t lost at home in over 18 months of qualifiers. A stomach bug had ripped through the Socceroos squad, resulting in the starting line-up to be somewhat different from the one which defeated the Dutch just days earlier. Yet, it mattered little as midway throughthe first half, Scott Chipperfield rose high to nod home a Wiltshire cross, sending the away team up one nil. While the Uzbeks were quiet in the first half, they came out and threw the kitchen sink at us after the break. Wave after wave of attack tested our defence, culminating to Wiltshire clearing off the line. The defence was marshalled brilliantly by Lucas Neill, and Chris Coyne exemplified our heart and determination when he took two solid hits after committing himself into challenges bravely. After a 35 minute onslaught, the heat finally took its toll on both teams as the match dribbled out to a quiet end. I know it’s a big call, but the way we defended against the Uzbek pressure in the second half was a joy to behold, making this match my favourite Socceroos moment of 2008.

What are your thoughts? What were your favourite Socceroos moments of 2008?

Finally, Merry Christmas everyone, and if I’m too drunk to post before, then have an awesome New Year and see you all again in 2009.