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By Michael Walker at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Bouncing back: Tim Cahill (right) opened the scoring for the SocceroosAustralia stood not just a game but almost their entire World Cup experience on its head last night and were left with a what-if feeling despite overcoming a Serbia team who at times flowed like a serious menace to the group and beyond.
Due to Australia’s second-half effort, led by the admirable Tim Cahill, Serbia were pushed back and then driven to defeat. Had Cahill not been the victim of a ridiculous dismissal against Germany then it would surely be Australia facing the USA in the last 16.
Watching the opening hour here, the feeling was that Serbia would reach the knock-out phase.
With Dejan Stankovic directing everything, they created three great chances in the first 35 minutes. But they took not one and ultimately were to pay for that against a side typified by Cahill. ‘We’re a great group of lads who really care for each other,’ said the Everton forward. ‘We deserved that and we’re very unlucky to be going home.’Australia manager Pim Verbeek, who now steps down, delivered a sentiment shared by many when he said: ‘The players stepped up when everyone thought it was over.’ That again reflected the night as well as the tournament.
Serbia manager Raddy Antic admitted to being ‘shocked’ when, Serbia having controlled the game, Cahill rose above Nemanja Vidic and powered in a a 70th-minute header.
Four minutes later it got worse for the Serbs. Substitute Brett Holman was allowed to run freely from the halfway line and from 30 yards was given time to line up, quite deliberately, a shot that skimmed off the turf and past Wigan goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic.
Double act: Brett Holman fires Australia two upStojkovic must have been stunned. He had been a bystander from the off as Serbia took a grip on the game, settling into a passing rhythm that marked them out as potentially a very good team indeed.
On the flanks, Milos Krasic and the possibly Liverpool-bound Milan Jovanovic were penning Australia back. But Krasic, who should have been booked for diving, squandered the first opportunity on 12 minutes when he blazed wide having been released by Milos Ninkovic.
Mark Schwarzer then made a point-blank save from Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic on 32 minutes. Three minutes later, giant centre forward Nikola Zigic was wide with an unmarked six-yard header.
Consolation: Marko Pantelic scored for SerbiaThat was ominous for Serbia. Australia came again. Cahill had sparked a couple of scares in the first half but it was incomparable to the damage he caused as the game expanded.
Zigic’s replacement Marko Pantelic did pull one back for Serbia with six minutes left and he thenscored a disallowed equaliser that was onside.
Serbia also claimed a late penalty. But the officials denied them and that left Antic ‘angry — the referee didn’t want to see’.
Maybe Serbia have suffered some injustice. But so did Australia. And they did something about it.
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