< YAY! HARRY (& the rest of the socceroos) ROOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! >
Australia v Croatia
Half-time thoughts:
Damn it, I had my heart in my mouth most of the time for the past 45 minutes. It’s so freaking scary! It was like a nightmare for me when I woke up at exactly 3am, turned on the TV… and the first thing I saw was Croatia lining up to take a freekick. I had this really ominous feeling about it, and the moment my father stepped into the room and the ball from Srna went in, I just went, “SHIT!”
Damn! It was like some bloody nightmare!
You know, I’ve really like… fallen head over heels in love with the Socceroos over the past few weeks… from their amazing display against Japan, seeing their passion and spirit against Brazil… and not forgetting that memorable trip to Australia… oh man, I do wish this can last forever!
Every Australia missed chance had me hugging my King Roo (the inflatable kangaroo) as I sought strength from it just by leaning on it. Sigh. I don’t know how far Australia can go, but I want them to go far… how far? All the way of course…
Earlier in the day, I read this article about the socceroos’ funniest quotes. There was this one by Harry… something like, “You always have to believe you’ll win. I go out there believing we can win the World Cup and I’ll keep believing that till the final whistle blows and we’re knocked out.” Yeah, something along those lines. To some it may sound ridiculous… but I found that really inspirational! It’s the kind of mentality a team should have…
Australia have been relying on this “tough mentality” thing to pull them through the past 2 matches, and hopefully, this time it’ll be enough to help them go through.
They’re so damn close to the 2nd round now. Just 45 more minutes… Come on Socceroos.
Full-time thoughts:
Damn it, I had my heart in my mouth most of the time for the past 45 minutes. It’s so freaking scary! It was like a nightmare for me when I woke up at exactly 3am, turned on the TV… and the first thing I saw was Croatia lining up to take a freekick. I had this really ominous feeling about it, and the moment my father stepped into the room and the ball from Srna went in, I just went, “SHIT!”
Damn! It was like some bloody nightmare!
You know, I’ve really like… fallen head over heels in love with the Socceroos over the past few weeks… from their amazing display against Japan, seeing their passion and spirit against Brazil… and not forgetting that memorable trip to Australia… oh man, I do wish this can last forever!
Every Australia missed chance had me hugging my King Roo (the inflatable kangaroo) as I sought strength from it just by leaning on it. Sigh. I don’t know how far Australia can go, but I want them to go far… how far? All the way of course…
Earlier in the day, I read this article about the socceroos’ funniest quotes. There was this one by Harry… something like, “You always have to believe you’ll win. I go out there believing we can win the World Cup and I’ll keep believing that till the final whistle blows and we’re knocked out.” Yeah, something along those lines. To some it may sound ridiculous… but I found that really inspirational! It’s the kind of mentality a team should have…
Australia have been relying on this “tough mentality” thing to pull them through the past 2 matches, and hopefully, this time it’ll be enough to help them go through.
They’re so damn close to the 2nd round now. Just 45 more minutes… Come on Socceroos.
Full-time thoughts:
Is every Australian game going to be this heart-stopping?
Crap. It seems as though I just went through 3 cup finals with Liverpool!
Hahahaha. YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But what a confusing end! I thought I’d be left YAYYYING when the final whistle goes, but instead I was left, “huh? Wait! What’s happening? HUH?”
I still don’t understand what the heck was going on.
That Simunic. Was it just me or did he get 3 yellow cards before he got a red?
And you mean the final whistle went before Australia scored the 3rd? Who ‘scored’ that anyway?
YAYYYY!!!
Hehehe, Roo is seeing himself on TV. Hehehe.
I thought I’d be left moaning here, and I still want to moan a little first. The KALAC! THAT AUSSIE GOALIE! HE SUCKS!!!! Hahaha. He has Harry to thank for getting him off the front pages of the newspapers tomorrow. And, and… GRAHAM POLL! Okie, so Viduka kissed him at the end, but it could have been very different! Why didn’t he send Srna off! And yah, the Simunic also. He got 3 yellow cards! And the Tomas should have given us a 2nd penalty! (actually 3rd, 'cause Viduka was also denied a penalty despite having a defender's arms all over him) Doesn’t matter now I guess. And then, that SRNA!!!! I know some people want Liverpool to get him, but LALA OBJECTS! I CAN’T STAND SRNA! HE’S AN ASSHOLE! TO HELL WITH HIM! He did 3 things to piss me off. First, by scoring. Second, when he was unsportsmanlike. Can’t remember who brought him down, but when the latter offered him a hand, he pushed him away. And thirdly, when he pushed Poll and the latter didn’t send him off. WHAT AN ASSHOLE! HE’S UNMANLY! GRRR…
3 scenes stick out from my mind currently. The 1st was when Harry’s shot was unbelievably saved by the goalie, and Harry’s reaction. Hands on his head, expression of disbelief, horror and shock on his face. The second was when Harry scored. Harry’s reaction this time was the complete opposite. Ecstasy, total joy, release of months of pent-up frustration… Finally… Hearing the commentator mentioning something about Harry going to be sold by Liverpool just makes me cringe. I won’t think about that for the moment. I don’t really dare to say this out loud, but I’m gonna say it anyway, and hope no one reads this. Right now, as in, at the current moment, I feel more like an Australian fan than a Liverpool fan. Yeah, I remember how after the Japan match, I was saying Australia has the Liverpool spirit. As in, the determination and belief to fight back despite being a goal or two down. But right now, I don’t know. I think Australia has surpassed Liverpool when it comes to having this “spirit” and mentality. Liverpool has a great history and experience to lean back on, but you have to realize, Australia don’t. A lot of them come from shit clubs, and after this WC, you won’t hear them being mentioned anymore. Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Jason Culina… yup, no one will remember them (except for Moore since he’s with Newcastle – a relatively bigger club) after the WC, unless they win it of course. I still have to be reminded on where Chipperfield and Culina are from. I know Grella’s with Parma… And yah, the shit goalie is with Milan. Sounds great, until you remember he’s 2nd choice after Dida, and Dida is shit too.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention what’s the 3rd moment. See, my emotions are like all so messed up right now as I’m still watching the highlights too. Ok, the 3rd moment was when Croatia were hitting Australia on the break, Australia had just taken a corner and I think it was Prso… he had run all the way to the other half, and was up against only a defender or two. Then he stopped, and the moment he turned, Craig Moore, who moments ago was still at the other end came rushing towards him to take the ball away. I don’t know why, but that struck me deeply for the way Moore ran all the way back. He must have been miles behind Prso, yet he still ran all the way back to see if he could salvage something. Just like how the other day when Lucas Neill stopped Ronaldinho right in his tracks, this moment pretty much summed up for me how Australia was today. They simply never gave up, even when all seem pointless.
You know, with most teams, when I see them attacking endlessly, and not getting a goal, I’d just give up and think this won’t be their day. At least, it’s that way with Liverpool. When you see them getting like 20 over shots and no goals, you start thinking their strikers suck, and they won’t score today. But it’s a different case with Australia I realize. Against Japan they were throwing everything at the opponents, and despite conceding that unfair goal, they still continued throwing everything, until they got the 3 goals in the last 8 minutes. It might not have worked against Brazil, but I dare say whoever watched them that day would have felt they deserved something out of the game and might have even converted to a Socceroo fan. And now, again they threw everything at Croatia. Their shit goalie wasn’t helping, and it should have damaged their morale, but it didn’t. Harry had his shot-that-should-have-went-in saved, but no, this wasn’t the time to keep your head down. For them it’s like, you jolly well try your best, don’t you dare keep your head down until the final whistle blows.
Anyone can tell you shit teams simply don’t do a “come back” against better teams (Liverpool isn’t considered a shit team, its opponents are though). Ok, so maybe some people will say Japan and Croatia are also shit teams, but I don’t care! Australia has defied the odds in my eyes, and they’re just my heroes!
If someone can draw a picture of me right now, he should also draw those tiny hearts around my head. I’m just so in love! Hehehe.
So happy for Harry, but I’m even happier for Australia. They deserved every bit of it. The refs against them have been shit! Graham Poll is apparently the best ref in the world? I think he has just landed himself in hot soup with the 3 yellow card thing. Yeah, sure I understand refs make mistakes sometimes. But why is it that all the 3 refs against us… I can only remember twice when the decision didn’t go against us when a mistake seemed to be committed? (Ok, the two times were Cahill’s ‘penalty’ & Grella’s tackle on Ronaldo) For Australia to pull through despite a pretty tough group (arguably the toughest after Group C – Argentina group) and shit refs (and a shit goalie today?) is some sort of a miracle by itself.
My newest heroes:
Craig Moore (my favourite Newcastle player now. Hahaha!), Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, okay… was about to stop there, but ok!! I’ll include the rest… Brett Emerton, that idiot Kalac (he did catch the ball properly sometimes), Marco Bresciano (actually he already was my hero since Uruguay), Mark Viduka (I know I don’t usually like him but ok, his heart is in the right place at least), Josh Kennedy, shit… I can’t spell this name… ok, it’s Sterjovski (I need to find out he’s with what club too though), Lucas Neill, Timmy Cahill, John Aloisi… also remembering the ones who played earlier.. Schwarzer & Luke Wilkshire… hehe. Harry’s still my class monitor and teacher’s pet, but his friends are wonderful too!
Is there anything else I can say?
Oh yeah, how about the fact that after much deliberation, I got Harry as my captain in fantasy today? I think some people have Ronaldo who scored 2 goals though. Not that I care. I’m just happy with making the right choice in my opinion.
Sigh. I secretly suspect if the Socceroos played in the EPL, I’d convert to a Socceroos fan instead of Liverpool. Feel kinda guilty saying that, but I’m just like… so moved, so inspired by the kind of passion, determination and will to fight against all odds the team has displayed. My vocab is limited so I can’t really express clearly how I feel towards them. There’s just this something within them that draws me to them. How can I put it… hm… okay, let’s just say, some people think Brazil teaches us the ART of football. In the same way, it’s as though Australia has taught me the MEANING of football (not as in the word, ‘cause this word mean something different for them. They call it soccer.). And I guess I’m more into that now than anything else. What about Liverpool? Well, they taught me how to LOVE football. Yeah, I think that’s it.
Whatever happens from now on, I think Aussie fans can be very proud of their team. No one rates the Aussies against the Italians, but who knows really? Yeah, I guess the Italians would have more at stake than the Aussies, ‘cause King Roo and all Aussie fans are already proud of their team, and would be behind them no matter what happens. But really, to me the beauty of football isn’t the samba, isn’t Brazi, isn’t the wonderful goals, isn’t the stopovers, tricks and flicks. For me, the beauty of football, at least from what I’ve learnt from Australia, lies within the inner belief, having the will to overcome all odds and uniting as one with the team and fans to accomplish that.
King Roo agrees too.
Crap. It seems as though I just went through 3 cup finals with Liverpool!
Hahahaha. YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But what a confusing end! I thought I’d be left YAYYYING when the final whistle goes, but instead I was left, “huh? Wait! What’s happening? HUH?”
I still don’t understand what the heck was going on.
That Simunic. Was it just me or did he get 3 yellow cards before he got a red?
And you mean the final whistle went before Australia scored the 3rd? Who ‘scored’ that anyway?
YAYYYY!!!
Hehehe, Roo is seeing himself on TV. Hehehe.
I thought I’d be left moaning here, and I still want to moan a little first. The KALAC! THAT AUSSIE GOALIE! HE SUCKS!!!! Hahaha. He has Harry to thank for getting him off the front pages of the newspapers tomorrow. And, and… GRAHAM POLL! Okie, so Viduka kissed him at the end, but it could have been very different! Why didn’t he send Srna off! And yah, the Simunic also. He got 3 yellow cards! And the Tomas should have given us a 2nd penalty! (actually 3rd, 'cause Viduka was also denied a penalty despite having a defender's arms all over him) Doesn’t matter now I guess. And then, that SRNA!!!! I know some people want Liverpool to get him, but LALA OBJECTS! I CAN’T STAND SRNA! HE’S AN ASSHOLE! TO HELL WITH HIM! He did 3 things to piss me off. First, by scoring. Second, when he was unsportsmanlike. Can’t remember who brought him down, but when the latter offered him a hand, he pushed him away. And thirdly, when he pushed Poll and the latter didn’t send him off. WHAT AN ASSHOLE! HE’S UNMANLY! GRRR…
3 scenes stick out from my mind currently. The 1st was when Harry’s shot was unbelievably saved by the goalie, and Harry’s reaction. Hands on his head, expression of disbelief, horror and shock on his face. The second was when Harry scored. Harry’s reaction this time was the complete opposite. Ecstasy, total joy, release of months of pent-up frustration… Finally… Hearing the commentator mentioning something about Harry going to be sold by Liverpool just makes me cringe. I won’t think about that for the moment. I don’t really dare to say this out loud, but I’m gonna say it anyway, and hope no one reads this. Right now, as in, at the current moment, I feel more like an Australian fan than a Liverpool fan. Yeah, I remember how after the Japan match, I was saying Australia has the Liverpool spirit. As in, the determination and belief to fight back despite being a goal or two down. But right now, I don’t know. I think Australia has surpassed Liverpool when it comes to having this “spirit” and mentality. Liverpool has a great history and experience to lean back on, but you have to realize, Australia don’t. A lot of them come from shit clubs, and after this WC, you won’t hear them being mentioned anymore. Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Jason Culina… yup, no one will remember them (except for Moore since he’s with Newcastle – a relatively bigger club) after the WC, unless they win it of course. I still have to be reminded on where Chipperfield and Culina are from. I know Grella’s with Parma… And yah, the shit goalie is with Milan. Sounds great, until you remember he’s 2nd choice after Dida, and Dida is shit too.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention what’s the 3rd moment. See, my emotions are like all so messed up right now as I’m still watching the highlights too. Ok, the 3rd moment was when Croatia were hitting Australia on the break, Australia had just taken a corner and I think it was Prso… he had run all the way to the other half, and was up against only a defender or two. Then he stopped, and the moment he turned, Craig Moore, who moments ago was still at the other end came rushing towards him to take the ball away. I don’t know why, but that struck me deeply for the way Moore ran all the way back. He must have been miles behind Prso, yet he still ran all the way back to see if he could salvage something. Just like how the other day when Lucas Neill stopped Ronaldinho right in his tracks, this moment pretty much summed up for me how Australia was today. They simply never gave up, even when all seem pointless.
You know, with most teams, when I see them attacking endlessly, and not getting a goal, I’d just give up and think this won’t be their day. At least, it’s that way with Liverpool. When you see them getting like 20 over shots and no goals, you start thinking their strikers suck, and they won’t score today. But it’s a different case with Australia I realize. Against Japan they were throwing everything at the opponents, and despite conceding that unfair goal, they still continued throwing everything, until they got the 3 goals in the last 8 minutes. It might not have worked against Brazil, but I dare say whoever watched them that day would have felt they deserved something out of the game and might have even converted to a Socceroo fan. And now, again they threw everything at Croatia. Their shit goalie wasn’t helping, and it should have damaged their morale, but it didn’t. Harry had his shot-that-should-have-went-in saved, but no, this wasn’t the time to keep your head down. For them it’s like, you jolly well try your best, don’t you dare keep your head down until the final whistle blows.
Anyone can tell you shit teams simply don’t do a “come back” against better teams (Liverpool isn’t considered a shit team, its opponents are though). Ok, so maybe some people will say Japan and Croatia are also shit teams, but I don’t care! Australia has defied the odds in my eyes, and they’re just my heroes!
If someone can draw a picture of me right now, he should also draw those tiny hearts around my head. I’m just so in love! Hehehe.
So happy for Harry, but I’m even happier for Australia. They deserved every bit of it. The refs against them have been shit! Graham Poll is apparently the best ref in the world? I think he has just landed himself in hot soup with the 3 yellow card thing. Yeah, sure I understand refs make mistakes sometimes. But why is it that all the 3 refs against us… I can only remember twice when the decision didn’t go against us when a mistake seemed to be committed? (Ok, the two times were Cahill’s ‘penalty’ & Grella’s tackle on Ronaldo) For Australia to pull through despite a pretty tough group (arguably the toughest after Group C – Argentina group) and shit refs (and a shit goalie today?) is some sort of a miracle by itself.
My newest heroes:
Craig Moore (my favourite Newcastle player now. Hahaha!), Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, okay… was about to stop there, but ok!! I’ll include the rest… Brett Emerton, that idiot Kalac (he did catch the ball properly sometimes), Marco Bresciano (actually he already was my hero since Uruguay), Mark Viduka (I know I don’t usually like him but ok, his heart is in the right place at least), Josh Kennedy, shit… I can’t spell this name… ok, it’s Sterjovski (I need to find out he’s with what club too though), Lucas Neill, Timmy Cahill, John Aloisi… also remembering the ones who played earlier.. Schwarzer & Luke Wilkshire… hehe. Harry’s still my class monitor and teacher’s pet, but his friends are wonderful too!
Is there anything else I can say?
Oh yeah, how about the fact that after much deliberation, I got Harry as my captain in fantasy today? I think some people have Ronaldo who scored 2 goals though. Not that I care. I’m just happy with making the right choice in my opinion.
Sigh. I secretly suspect if the Socceroos played in the EPL, I’d convert to a Socceroos fan instead of Liverpool. Feel kinda guilty saying that, but I’m just like… so moved, so inspired by the kind of passion, determination and will to fight against all odds the team has displayed. My vocab is limited so I can’t really express clearly how I feel towards them. There’s just this something within them that draws me to them. How can I put it… hm… okay, let’s just say, some people think Brazil teaches us the ART of football. In the same way, it’s as though Australia has taught me the MEANING of football (not as in the word, ‘cause this word mean something different for them. They call it soccer.). And I guess I’m more into that now than anything else. What about Liverpool? Well, they taught me how to LOVE football. Yeah, I think that’s it.
Whatever happens from now on, I think Aussie fans can be very proud of their team. No one rates the Aussies against the Italians, but who knows really? Yeah, I guess the Italians would have more at stake than the Aussies, ‘cause King Roo and all Aussie fans are already proud of their team, and would be behind them no matter what happens. But really, to me the beauty of football isn’t the samba, isn’t Brazi, isn’t the wonderful goals, isn’t the stopovers, tricks and flicks. For me, the beauty of football, at least from what I’ve learnt from Australia, lies within the inner belief, having the will to overcome all odds and uniting as one with the team and fans to accomplish that.
King Roo agrees too.
(pic taken from Aussie)
FINAL SCORE
CROATIA 2 - Srna 2, Kovac 56
AUSTRALIA 2 - Moore 38 pen, Kewell 79
team for CROATIA: Stipe Pletikosa; Josip Simunic, Dario Simic, Stjepan Tomas (Ivan Klasnic 83); Marko Babic, Niko Kovac, Igor Tudor, Darijo Srna; Nico Kranjcar (Jerko Leko 65); Ivica Olic (Luka Modric 74), Dado Prso
team for AUSTRALIA: Zeljko Kalac; Scott Chipperfield (Josh Kennedy 75), Lucas Neill, Craig Moore; Jason Culina, Mile Sterjovski (Marco Bresciano 71), Vince Grella (John Aloisi 63), Brett Emerton; Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell; Mark Viduk
sent off: Simic, Emerton, Simunic (after 3 yellow cards)
posted by lala at 7:19 AM
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