Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: Holger Osieck heralded Australia’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals and the “beautiful feeling” of joining Japan as the second qualifier from Asia for the finals of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year.
Josh Kennedy’s 83rd minute header against Iraq at Stadium Australia on Tuesday ensured the Socceroos finished second in Group B of Asia’s final round of qualifying for Brazil 2014, securing a third straight appearance at the finals and fourth in total for the Australians.
“I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to the boys for doing so well in the final stages of the game, they made a great effort,” said Osieck, whose side needed to win to guarantee their berth in Brazil.
“We really grew as a team and the outcome was that we could qualify for the World Cup.
“I’m happy for the organisation, for Football Federation Australia, for those who have come to the stadium and those who are in front of their TV sets. It has given us a beautiful feeling and I must admit I am very proud of this and I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Frank Lowy, because without him Australia wouldn’t be what it is today.
“But I don’t think it’s time for any analysis or game critique now. Thanks to all our guys, I’m happy for all them. I know it’s going to be a tough year ahead of us but we have the right and the privilege to enjoy ourselves.”
Kennedy’s emergence from the bench in the 77th minute for crowd favourite Tim Cahill prompted a chorus of boos from the 80,000-plus crowd, but within six minutes the Nagoya Grampus striker headed beyond Noor Sabri to bring an altogether different reaction from the Socceroos supporters.
The game was Kennedy’s first for Australia since November 2011 after enduring a torrid time with a series of back injuries that have kept him sidelined for both club and country and Osieck praised the backroom team that has worked hard to ensure the towering striker’s return to the international game.
“The goal was a very nice combination and a nice finish,” said Osieck of the header, which was set up by a Mark Bresciano cross. “I’m very happy for Josh Kennedy, he has been out for more than a year with a nasty back injury and we have to pay tribute to our physio, Les Gelis. He travelled to Japan and his treatment has helped a lot. Now he’s a regular for his team again and it was payback, not for me but for the people who have worked with him.”
Osieck, a winner of the AFC Champions League with Urawa Reds in 2007 and who was part of the West German backroom staff when the nation won the FIFA World Cup in Italy in 1990 hailed qualifying for Brazil as the finest achievement of his career.
“This one is very special for me for a number of reasons,” he said. “I like to work for Australian football, I have liked working with the boys over the years.
“We have established a very good relationship businesswise and I’m very happy to live in Australia. I’m not coaching the team by computer, I like to live here and want to live here. And hopefully after today’s victory I will get another year.”
“Tonight is the best.”
Defeat, meanwhile, left Iraq at the bottom of Group B but coach Vladimir Petrovic was heartened by the performance of a squad whose starting line-up had an average age of under 21, with many of the players featuring against the Socceroos due to represent the nation at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey later this month.
“I would like to say well done to Australia for qualifying for the World Cup,” said the former China coach. “We came here to win, we have young players in our group who can do the job but the luck was not with us. We conceded a late goal but we tried our best and congratulations to Australia.
“We have many young players who did well and who know how to play modern football. They are playing in Turkey soon in the Under 20 World Cup and after that we will see Iraqi football improving a lot over the next two years.
Photo: AFP