June 12, 2006
SOCCEROOS STRIKE
Cahill's late brace lifts Australia over Japan

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — It took Australia 32 years to score their first World Cup goal. It took Tim Cahill five minutes to score his country’s second. The Everton midfielder’s dramatic brace in the final six minutes lifted Australia to a stunning 3-1 over Japan in a Group F opener at Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

The Socceroos scored there times in the final six minutes to overcome a controversial 1-0 deficit and earn their first-ever World Cup victory.

Cahill didn’t start because he’s been nursing a knee injury, but he came on in the 53rd minute and made a difference for an Australian team that was frustrated an ineffective attack.

He leveled for Australia, putting the ball in from 14 yards out off a scramble in the 84th minute and then gave the Socceroos the win with a stunning strike one minute from full time. Cahill put his shot from 22 yards out off the post and in, a clinical strike that sunk the Japanese. John Aloisi, another second half substitution, added an insurance goal in the second minute of stoppage time.

In a back and forth attacking half hour, both teams had chances, but it was Japan that took a controversial 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. Shunsuke Nakamura served the ball into the box from the right side, forcing Mark Schwarzer off his line to challenge.

But the goalkeeper collided with Naohiro Takahara, who appeared to initiate the contact on television replays. Egyptian referee Essam Abd El Fatah did not call a foul and the cross bounced into the net to put Japan on top.

The Japanese goal was sandwiched between two brilliant opportunities for Australia. A Mark Viduka back heel freed Marco Bresciano, who tried to place a shot inside the post but Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi reached out and got a hand on the attempt. Immediately after the goal, Harry Kewell rushed down the field and his shot from 18 yards out skimmed off the crossbar.

Australia had a free kick in the 41st minute, but Bresciano bent the ball around the wall only to find the side netting. Australia pushed forward in a desperate attempt at the equalizer after the break.

Viduka blasted a free kick through the Japanese wall in the 70th minute, but Kawaguchi pushed the attempt away. Australia earned another free kick in the 84th, this time it was Aloisi hitting a bullet from 24 yards, but Kawaguchi again made the save.

Moments later though, the Socceroos finally equalized. Off a long throw-in and a glancing header in the box, the ball bounced to Cahill’s foot off a scramble in the box. And the Everton midfielder put the ball in from 14 yards out for Australia’s first-ever World Cup goal.

Five minutes later Cahill had his second, three minutes after that Aloisi had his first and Australia picked up a critical three points in a group that features heavy favorite Brazil and Croatia.

Australia
Mark Schwarzer; Lucas Neill, Craig Moore (Joshua Kennedy-60), Scott Chipperfield; Jason Culina, Brett Everton, Vince Grella, Luke Wilkshire (John Aloisi-74), Marco Bresciano (Tim Cahill-52); Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell

Japan
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi; Yuichi Komano, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Alessandro Santos, Keisuke Tsuboi (Teruyuki Moniwa-55, Masashi Oguro-91+), Yuji Nakazawa; Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura, Takashi Fukunishi; Naohiro Takahara, Atsushi Yanagisawa (Shinji Ono-78)

Goals
Japan – Shunsuke Nakamura 26
Australia – Tim Cahill 84
Australia – Tim Cahill 89
Australia – John Aloisi 92+

Discipline
Japan – Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (yellow card) 31
Australia – Vince Grella (yellow card) 33
Japan – Naohiro Takahara (yellow card) 40
Australia – Craig Moore (yellow card) 58
Japan – Teruyuki Moniwa (yellow card) 68
Australia – Tom Cahill (yellow card) 69
Australia – John Aloisi (yellow card) 78

Attendance – 46,000