MOMENT OF TRUTH
Cahill urges Socceroos to seize World Cup glory
“IT’S there if we really want to take it.” It’s the simplest message yet the most important, the words Tim Cahill will relay to his teammates.
Time and again the Socceroos’ leading goalscorer has seized the moment ... tonight against Honduras he wants every one of the Socceroos to do the same.
In 2006 Cahill made history as the first Australian to score at a World Cup — and he hasn’t stopped since.
For players such as Trent Sainsbury and Robbie Kruse, rubbed out of the last World Cup because of injury, the chance to follow in his footsteps is tantalisingly close.
“This is going to be massive for our country,” Cahill said. “It’s 90 minutes of football, to create more history for our country.
“That’s got to be their motivation, for them and the next group of lads coming through. They’ve got to understand how big it is.
“That’s the biggest thing of having Mile [Jedinak] in camp and now ‘Millsy’ [Mark Milligan] back, we can drive in- house messages to the lads about preparation.
“Little things that make a difference to the night. The most telling thing on Wednesday night will be composure.
“We’re ready, I like what I see. It feels like this is our time. On the night it will come down to someone taking their chance, the defining moment that separates men from boys.”
At 0-0 the tie is poised after the first leg, yet Cahill believes things are falling into place for the home side.
“If we really just get into gear and give everything for this one game and click, it should be really positive,” he said. “I feel that’s the biggest that I like, what I see at the moment. Everything seems to be going really fluently. Clean sheet away from home, disciplined, resilient, compact; [Honduras] didn’t really have too many chances compared to how many we had.
“On a nice playing pitch and us really well drilled, it’s there if we really want to take it. That’s why I think it will be an awesome night if we can click.
“One thing we’ll be doing is to take the nerves away from as many players as possible so they’re prepared, not overawed by the occasion.”