Australia’s 1-0 win over a brave Iraq on Tuesday not only saw the Socceroos qualify for Braz
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il 2014, but ensured striker Josh Kennedy entered the annals of the nation’s often colourful FIFA World Cup™ history.
With his first touch of note, the beanpole striker headed home with seven minutes remaining in Sydney, just as Socceroo fans were preparing to brace themselves for a long night awaiting the outcome of the Oman’s visit to Jordan later in the evening.
But Kennedy’s goal ensured Australia locked up second spot to become the second team to qualify for Brazil behind Japan, as was the case for South Africa 2010.
In many ways Kennedy was the most unlikely of heroes, not least of all given the circumstances.
The Nagoya Grampus target-man came on in place of fans’ favourite Tim Cahill in a surprise move by coach Holger Osieck, with the German also replacing Robbie Kruse who had been named player of the match seven days earlier against Jordan.
It almost seemed like destiny, or my time to shine.
Australia striker Josh Kennedy
Yet the German’s move proved a masterstroke with Kennedy powering home a header just minutes after entering the fray. But the tale has an even more improbable back-story, with Kennedy’s history-making goal marking his first appearance in the Green & Gold for over 18 months.
Kennedy, one of the most unassuming members of the Aussie squad, was as relaxed as ever after the match but said his headline-grabbing moment was perhaps meant to be.
“It almost seemed like destiny, or my time to shine,” Kennedy told FIFA.com. “It was frustrating watching from the bench for the last few games and hoping to get on. It all worked perfectly.
“I remember Bresch [Mark Bresciano] got his head up and saw me in the box,” Kennedy said with a smile as he recounted the crucial goal.
“I soon as I hit it I knew it was in, I didn’t hang around for too long to see it hit the net. Before I knew what was happening I was at the corner flag and everyone was on top of me,” added Kennedy with no little understatement, having literally been engulfed by his entire team and numerous players from the bench. “I don’t remember exactly what happened, it all happened extremely quickly.”
The hard road The goal was, in a sense, recompense for what was perhaps the toughest period in Kennedy’s career. Having finished top scorer in the 2011 J.League season, Kennedy was then forced to endure a torrid time with a serious back injury, which kept him on the bench for almost half of last season undergoing intensive physio.
“It’s been a long time getting back onto the pitch for the Socceroos. It makes all the hard work and the battle to get back to fitness definitely worth it.”
Regardless of what happens in the rest of his career, the 194cm Kennedy is likely to always be remembered as the man who booked Australia’s ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Of Australia’s four appearances on the world stage, this was only the second time that the Socceroos had qualified on home turf.
Eight years ago John Aloisi netted the winning penalty in a shoot-out victory over Uruguay which saw Australia end a 32-year drought from the FIFA World Cup. That moment has since been voted Australia’s most memorable sporting moment, and Kennedy – a former team-mate of Aloisi’s – is happy to be mentioned in that context after netting in the same goal at the same Sydney venue.
“John is a fantastic guy, so I’m pretty proud to follow in his footsteps and emulate what he did.”
Veteran Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, whose career has now incredibly spanned six of the nation’s 13 FIFA World Cup campaigns, heaped praise on both Osieck and the goalscorer.
“It was a very brave move to take off our top goalscorer and put out someone who hasn’t played a lot of football in the past few years,” Schwarzer told FIFA.com soon after the match.
“That is the quality of a guy like Josh. Australia should be toasting his goal today. At lot has happened in the last four years, but we will always remember Josh for his goal.”
Trio progress as duo set up play-off meeting
Tuesday 18 June 2013
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The curtain was brought down on Asia's mammoth, 24-month qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, with Australia, Korea Republic and Iran progressing from Tuesday’s closing matchday to join Japan at next year's global showpiece.
Elsewhere, despite defeating Qatar 5-1, Uzbekistan had to settle for a third-place play-off against Jordan from Group B, who finished third after edging Oman 1-0 at home. The two-legged showdown is expected to be played on 6 and 10 September, where the winners advance to a meeting with the fifth placed side from CONMEBOL for a spot at the FIFA World Cup.
Final qualifying round, matchday 10 results18 JuneGroup A: Korea Republic 0-1 Iran, Uzbekistan 5-1 Qatar
Group B: Australia 1-0 Iraq, Jordan 1-0 Oman
Group B: Australia 1-0 Iraq, Jordan 1-0 Oman
Josh Kennedy came to Australia's rescue, coming off the bench to head home the only goal of the game seven minutes from time which sealed the hosts' progression to Brazil 2014. Facing a weakened Iraq side at home, the hosts entered the game targeting an emphatic win. But the visitors, with little to play for but their pride, put in some plucky displays as they kept the expectant hosts at bay.
The Socceroos fired on all cylinders after the restart, laying siege to the Iraq goal but failed to create a clear-cut chance. Vladimir Petrovic's young charges, meanwhile, began to counter-attack the Australians. With the hosts beginning to worry, Osieck made a bold change replacing Tim Cahill with Kennedy. And his tactical gamble paid off in just five minutes, when the towering forward popping up to meet Mark Bresciano's pinpoint cross.
The surpriseUzbekistan 5-1 Qatar
Goals: Bahodir Nasimov 60, 74, Oleg Zoteev 72, Odil Ahmedov 87, Ulugbek Bakaev 90+1; Abdulqadir Ilyas 37
Uzbekistan produced one of their finest showings in this campaign, coming from behind to thrash Qatar 5-1. The result, coupled with Korea Republic’s 1-0 loss to Iran, left the Uzbeks level with the Taeguk Warriors on 14 points only to see the latter progress on goal difference.
Over 30 shots, which ended in five goals and the woodwork being rattled on three separate occasions, illustrated the hosts' hard work as they targeted a big win. Indeed, the Uzbeks began brightly but having squandered a series of glorious chances, it was the visitors that took the lead when Abdulqadir Ilyas caught Ignatiy Nesterov out with a curling shot.
Frustrated they may have been, but the home side saw their hopes rekindled by a pair of substitutes. With his first touch of the ball, Bahodir Nasimov drew the hosts level and after Oleg Zoteev gave his side the lead, the Uzbekistan No2 latched onto a clearance to make it 3-1. Odil Ahmedov scored from an acute angle to put the game beyond doubt, before Ulugbek Bakaev sealed the triumph by tapping in from close range.
The other attractionsHaving seen their hopes shattered by a Park Jisung equaliser in a 1-1 draw in Korea Republic on the road to South Africa 2010, a resolute Iran avenged that defeat by defeating the same opponents by a Reza Ghoochannejhad goal. Choi Kanghee's home side were dominant throughout, but against the run of play Ghoochannejhad stole the ball from Kim Younggwon, before cutting into the box and sealing the victory with what was their first shot on goal.
Elsewhere, Jordan put last week's 4-0 loss in Australia behind them, rallying to overcome Oman with Ahmad Hayel heading home the only goal. The result, allied with Australia's victory over Iraq, saw Jordan edge the Omanis by a single point to finish in third place. The visitors had the better of the opening half, but the hosts upped the tempo after the restart, with Hayel grabbing the match-winner with a spectacular diving header.
The playerReza Ghoochannejhad emerged as Iran's biggest revelation in this campaign, netting his third goal in as many games as Iran stunned their rivals. Having broken his international duck with a brace against Lebanon in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier this February, the 25-year-old Standard Liege marksman netted in their recent defeats of Qatar and Lebanon respectively, before scoring the goal which sealed their fourth FIFA World Cup appearance.
The stat2 - Iran are Asia’s meanest defence having conceded just two goals during the fourth and final stage of qualification.
What they said''This is very special for me for a number of reasons. I like working for Australian football and I am very happy living here. Hopefully after today's victory I will enjoy at least one more year," Australia coach Holger Osieck.
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