LECKIE HOPES GOAL INSPIRES NEXT CROP
AUSTRALIA’S newest World Cup hero hopes his life-changing goal encourages a new generation of footballers, just as previous Socceroos inspired him.
Mat Leckie walked into the post-match media conference on Wednesday night (local time) clutching his man-of-the-match award and looking utterly exhausted.
The 31-year-old emptied the tank in an extraordinary performance before being substituted in the dying minutes with the heaviest legs in all of Doha.
“We want to dream big and I think the key was, when we came to this tournament, we always said we wanted to get out of the group,” Leckie said. “Now we’ve done that, but then Arnie obviously the first thing he said was ‘let’s go one more’.
“Once again, the most important thing is to get ourselves ready. Because we worked too hard tonight, I think most of the boys are exhausted, and that’s exactly what we needed to do to get a result today.”
Coach Graham Arnold described the players he wants in his team as being the ones you know “will die for the team and die for each other” – and in Leckie he’s found a true warrior who does not know when to quit.
“Mathew Leckie has been incredible. I can’t just single him out because they all have,” Arnold said. “But you can see it in his eyes, he’s got this hunger and drive.”
Leckie was a man possessed against Denmark, covering the entire right side of the pitch as the Danes pushed their fullbacks high in search of a goal – before finding the energy to burst out of Australia’s half to guide home a goal after a masterful weaving run.
In truth, Leckie had looked utterly exhausted even as the players walked into the sheds at halftime, but he found energy reserves to pull off the unbelievable.
Denmark’s strategy of sending their fullbacks forward in the hope of a breakthrough had left them at risk of being exposed on the turnover. All Australia needed was a pinpoint pass and a lung-busting run.
Riley Mcgree provided the pass, and Leckie went to work.
“And I had one more man to beat – first I went to cut inside, and he went that way, I just in that moment went left again and swung the left boot,” Leckie said. “And then I saw the ball was rolling in …
“Anything is possible if you give everything. That’s something I always strived to do when I was a young guy.”