Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. But not enough. That's the sad part. Not tragic. You get three bites of the cherry at a World Cup, and when you waste one of them, like Australia did against Germany, you're always going to need a miracle.
There was to be no salvation in Nelspruit. But there was redemption. The Socceroos are going home, but they're going with their heads held high. And as a consolation, that's not to be underestimated.
There were 25 minutes left on the clock when the news filtered through that the Germans had scored against Ghana. That left the Socceroos needing to score four goals. For a team which struggles to find the net, it was Mission Impossible.
But the news was enough to, finally, spark Pim Verbeek into action. On came Scott Chipperfield and Brett Holman, and things began to get interesting. It wasn't a gamble, because there was nothing to lose. But when Tim Cahill and Holman scored in quick succession, suddenly anything seemed possible. Were we about to witness the Socceroos' finest hour?
No. Serbian substitute Marko Pantelic ensured the fans put their calculators away. Let's not forget Australia weren't the only losers here. Serbia are going home too. It was surreal at the final whistle. Tears from the Australians. White-hot anger from the Serbs. It's a fine line between success and failure, and rarely has it been so evident.
But while this, ultimately, will be viewed as a disappointing campaign for Australia, it won't be seen as a disaster. That's where it was heading after the humiliation in Durban, but the Socceroos have managed to claw their way back into the public's affection. No mean feat when you think back to a week ago. Whether Verbeek shares the plaudits is a different matter altogether.
For more than half a game, as the campaign was slipping away before his eyes, he did nothing. Yes, after half-time, it was clear the instructions were to press higher, and quicken the tempo. But still he persisted with two holding midfielders when the circumstances demanded caution be thrown to the wind.
It was only when Carl Valeri was sacrificed - and that's no indictment on his contribution - that the Socceroos looked like doing what they had to do. Score goals.
They were a long time in coming, but when they arrived they almost brought the roof down. In Rustenburg last weekend, the evidence was overwhelming. The natural game of most of these players is to attack. For two-and-a-half years they've worn a tactical straightjacket as a means to an end, and that was to negotiate a taxing journey through Asia to qualify for the World Cup. But having arrived in South Africa, the players wanted to switch the focus. They wanted to push the boundaries.
They did it against Ghana, and they did it here. Which is why the players have redeemed themselves, and why the Socceroos can depart without rancour. The crowd is back on their side. It's the Australian way. You go down fighting, and didn't they put up a fight.
Email a friend