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Australia win OFC Nations Cup with ten goal advantage
Australia has thrown around their weight advantage in Oceania by thumping the Solomon Islands 11-1 over the two match series to determine the OFC Nations Cup final.
The series, which the tiny islands featured in for the first time, was notable for another reason aside from the scoreline. After the embarassment against New Zealand in the last Nations Cup, Frank Farina (Australian coach) called upon all his European big guns. Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, Josip Skoko and Mark Schwarzer were just a few of the big names making a showing.
The first leg was played in hot conditions in Honiara however produced a huge crowd for the event. Labelled the islands biggest sporting event in their history it would become tainted by the class outfit of Australia.
Skoko netted early with a 5th minute goal, subduing the excited crowd. Ante Milicic got Australia's second on 19 minutes from the six yard box before Skoko netted a second on 28 minutes. Brett Emerton scored in the 44th minute to make it three games straight he had scored for Australia.
At a 4-0 halftime score Australia had it in the bag and released the gas. It allowed Solomons captain Batrum Suri to move through though, scoring one on 59 minutes to send the home town crowd crazy. However with the match slowing down a magnificent move by the Australians put Ahmad Elrich through to score in the 79th minute. 5-1 the final score going into the second leg in Sydney.
Farina showed his pleasure at the result and performance of his squad. "Overall I'm very happy with both the result and the performance, it was a very professional job from the whole team in what were very trying and difficult conditions." (www.theworldgame.com.au)
The second match started as if it was going to be a 10 goal rout with Milicic scoring as early as the first game with a 5th minute toe poke after a perfectchip over and across the 18 yard box. Three minutes later star attraction Kewell latched onto a loose ball after a poor defensive effort to knock the ball between the keepers legs and score. However that's how it stayed until the break as Australia had felt they had effectively sealed the Nations Cup.
Three substitutions at half time saw Elrich, John McKain and Archie Thompson enter the match and brought a spark that seemed to have fizzed out in the first from the starting eleven. Then the goals came. A corner saw an unlucky deflection as the ball came off Solomons keeper Felix Ray, into Tony Vidmar's leg and into the net (60 min). It was the third international goal for the veteran defender. Attacks continued from Australia with Emerton showing a best on groud performance. He slotted the ball through for Thompson on 79 minutes for him to score Australia's fourth. The fifth came through an Emerton pass once more, this time to Elrich who calmly netted minutes later. Eventually scorer turned provider and provider turned scorer when Milicic took the ball down the left flank and unselfishly put it across for the running Emerton to nail in from six yards and no keeper. It made Emertons run increase to four consecutive games he's scored in.
The 6-0 scoreline meant an 11-1 overall tally. brett Emerton was named man of the series on the back of two exceptional and very professional matches. Farina once again pleased with the teams performance, singling out the subs. "I was pleased, I thought they carried on with it in the second half, the three guys that came on added a lot of spark." (www.theworldgame.com.au)
The result means Australia has qualified for the Confederations Cup next June as the eighth and final team. The tornament currently consists of Brazil (World Champs/CONMEBOL Champs), Germany (hosts), Argentina (CONMEBOL runner-up), Tunisia (CAF Champs), Japan (AFC Champ), Greece (UEFA Champ) and Mexico (CONCACAF Champ).
17 October, 2004 |
