Australia are through to the Round of 16 at the FIFA 2022 Men’s World Cup, after Melbourne City star Mathew Leckie’s sensational solo strike in the Socceroos’ 1-0 win over Denmark at Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday morning (AEDT).
The Socceroos lost their opening group game to France but put back-to-back World Cup final wins together for the first time in the nation’s history to storm into the knockouts.
It’s the first time Australia has won two games at a single edition of the World Cup finals – and what a time to do it. Backs to the wall, against the world No.10 nation, Graham Arnold’s side stood tall on one of the most incredible nights in Australian football history.
Degenek: ‘It’s like trying to block bullets that are going to hit your family’
From shipping four goals on the opening night of the World Cup campaign, to back-to-back clean sheets. The Socceroos defence was near-impeccable across consecutive 1-0 wins against Tunisia and Denmark in Australia’s great escape.
The Socceroos are out of the group phase and into the knockouts at the 2022 Men’s World Cup; goalkeeper Maty Ryan started all three games with central defenders Kye Rowles and Harry Souttar, and Aziz Behich – who received a yellow card in the first 10 minutes of the Denmark clash – joined the quartet in playing from the start across the entire group stage.
The only position which rotated was right-back: first it was Nathaniel Atkinson against France, then Fran Karacic against Tunisia. Then Miloš Degenek came in to face Denmark.
His post-match comments summed up the mentality behind Australia’s resolute rearguard action.
“You just have to be concentrated and be aware of where (the opponents) are,” he told SBS post-match. “I guess every ball is like the last ball in your life, and you defend for your life.
It’s basically like trying to block bullets that are going to hit your family, that’s all you’re doing. Every ball that’s coming towards Maty’s goal we’re blocking, we’re throwing bodies at it. That’s what we’ve done.
Leckie: ‘Anything is possible if you give everything‘
Isuzu UTE A-League star and Socceroos hero Mathew Leckie hopes his match-winning display against Denmark can help inspire the next generation of young Australians to aspire to represent the green and gold in their future.
Leckie scored his scintillating solo goal to sink Denmark in a 1-0 win on Wednesday night in Qatar – but it was the early hours of Thursday morning on Australian shores when his left-footed strike nestled into the bottom-right corner of Kasper Schmeichel.
It’s a goal destined to be recreated in school yards and training pitches around the country as the Socceroos captivate a national audience with their heroic run to the Round of 16.
“It’s amazing. As a young boy you dream big,” Leckie told reporters post-match. “When I decided I really wanted to really give it a go, being a footballer, you don’t really notice. But watching football or watching Socceroos playing World Cups could have, in the back of my head, been the reason why I really committed to being a footballer.
“It’s moments like this that build the game, and potentially give young kids inspiration to look on, and be a footballer one day.
I think anything is possible if you give everything. That’s something I always strived to do when I was a young guy, just head down and work hard, and that’s one of the main reasons why I’ve had a successful career. Because of my determination, my fight. Hopefully that moment today and result today inspires other kids.
Leckie joined SBS post-match to describe the outpouring of emotion following his decisive strike which sent Australia to the Round of 16.
I’m proud, exhausted, everything,” Leckie told SBS.
“I think it’s hard to put into (words) or describe the emotions right now. We always knew we could do it, we believed as a group. We had our doubters but with our spirit, our belief, our work ethic and how close we are as a group, it showed on the pitch. That last 15-20 minutes we battled to the end, and it didn’t matter what they threw at us. We weren’t conceding.”
Leckie continued: “I think in those moments you don’t really think too much, or you don’t have to think. It happens so fast… I knew I had one more man to beat. First I wanted to cut in and he sort of went that way, and I went back the other way. Low and hard, it’s difficult for a keeper to save.As the ball was rolling in, I saw it was going in and was so excited and happy. By the celebration you see how much emotion there was.”
It was Leckie’s 14th goal for his country – and first at a World Cup. Tonight, he joined Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Maty Ryan on nine Socceroos appearances at the World Cup – the most of all-time. He’s set to break that record along with Ryan in the Round of 16.
“I’m just so proud, we’ve worked so hard,” he said. “This is my third World Cup now. I’ve had my chances in previous World Cups to score, it wasn’t meant to be. My first World Cup (goal) is probably one of the most important goals for me and for the team.”
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