2-2 SOCCEROOS ARE THROUGH!
The morning of the match started slowly. Pacing ourselves for the 9pm kick off (and the nerve-racking 6pm ticket collection) we strolled into town to get a feel of the excitement. Again, I think the entire continent of Australia was emptied into the main square in Stuttgart! Only this time, the entire country of Croatia was deposited right next door! This was going to be a cracker!!
5:30pm rolls by and we decide to text James about the tickets. His response: Sorry guys, I only have two tickets available! Bummer. We go down to meet him and I let Anka and Stoney have the tickets. After another hastily made sign we sit around receiving offers for 500E for dodgy tickets... I don't think so! Then an SMS from James: Good news, I found a guy with a spare ticket... face value! I'm in!!!! After walking through the, this time thorough, security checks, I, Matthew Phillips walked through the gates, past security and to my seat!
This seat was on the half way line, a little way back. Good spot, right next to the VIPs (no one special there though). So a few moments later, my neighbours rock up. In seat 12, a big 6 foot 8 Croatian brick-shithouse-of-a-man (John), In seat 14 a more moderate 6 foot 6 brick-shithouse-of-a-man! John turns to me with tears in his eyes and blubbers his life story and how he is so torn between the countries. Born in Croatia, lived in Australia for most of his life. After he kissed the Australian emblem on my shirt, then the Croatian one on his... I said to him... Mate thats a tough one.. I guess blood is always thicker right? thats why you are wearing a Croatian top? He seemed to brighten up and started yelling chants in Croatian... good move Paul!
So the game was the more frantic and nerve-racking game on earth... a pearler of a free kick in the first minute gave Croatia the lead.... after several obvious penalties denied, one was finally given and Moore knocked it home. Kalac agreed that blood IS thicker than the guernsey you are wearing and gifted the Croatians a goal, then crap referreeing gave Harry the equaliser. A few red cards later and the Aussies were into the round of 16! (Was that THREE yellow cards to Simunic?)
The stadium went nuts. Not one Australian left their seat for the next half-hour or so! The team came back out and did a lap... Timmy Cahill swapped his guernsey with a fan wearing an Everton top.. the Aussies tried to squash the photographers in a rush to make the fans do a cheer. Great stuff!!!
Then the stroll down to the Paris nightclub where Chris Cahill was chucking a party. Past the police in riot gear controlling the Croats, past the over 50,000 Croats asking if we wanted to swap guerseys, The nightclub was great... Full of Aussies the place went off drinking and dancing the night away! Men at Work being played at least 80,000 times!!! GOLD!!!
So then the long trek home... luckily the trams had started running and after a minor bout of stupidity on my behalf (63.9minutes till the next tram! (ummm Paul.... that a picture of a train... not the number 63!)) we made it back to bed!!!
