Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LECKIE’S THE SPARK AS AUSSIES RULE
But boss halts bouncing Socceroos party
in Doha
GRAHAM ARNOLD’S Socceroos bounced joyously into the last 16. Until they were stopped dead in their tracks by a blanket ban on celebrating.
The overjoyed Aussie chief oversaw what was only his country’s second qualification for the knockout stages but then issued a stern dictat.
Mathew Leckie’s glorious individual goal did for the dismal Danes and it was needed after Tunisia sprang a shock over France.
Anything less than victory and any triumph would have fallen flat.
As it was, Arnold kept his emotions in check. And he ordered his players to do likewise.
“We’ve been working on this for four-and-a-half years,” he said.
“I could see in their eyes they were ready tonight. But there will be no celebrations, no emotion, and no social media. I truly believe that if you look at the likes of Japan and Saudi Arabia, they were celebrating on social media until four or five in the morning reading pats-on-theback. That’s why the players won’t be doing any of that.”
The decisive goal came with a couple of minutes of Tunisia taking the lead against France at the Education City Stadium.
Had that strike been communicated among the crowd, then it might have prompted a different response.
At that stage, a goalless draw would have sent both teams home.
As it was, Leckie took matters into his own hands.
It started with Harry Souttar breaking up a Denmark attack on the edge of his own box for the umpteenth time.
Play was spread quickly to the left and Riley Mcgree set Leckie off. He had timed his run from inside his own half expertly and only Joakim Maehle managed to track him.
Even then it was still odds-on that the Dane would block but Leckie twisted and turned and then managed to thread a shot between his opponent’s legs and into the bottom corner.
It was a high-class strike at a vital time for his country.
And it should ensure Leckie’s glass never runs dry in his home city of Melbourne.
For Denmark, such a thorn in the side of Europe’s best little more than 12 months ago, there was desolation.
Head coach Kasper Hjulmand said: “We haven’t reached our levels. We’ve played with no tempo or rhythm.
“It’s my responsibility. Our football – it sucked.”