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As Mathew Leckie and his Socceroos teammates painted Doha in inexperienced and gold, the Melbourne evening sky was as soon as once more lit in purple.
With the Socceroos creating historical past after their epic victory over Denmark to power their means into the World Cup spherical of 16, Melbourne once more confirmed its ardour for soccer with jubilant, heaving scenes at Federation Sq. within the earliest hours of the morning.
Followers packed themselves into the dwell web site for what may have been Australia’s closing efficiency in Qatar, needing a victory to make sure their place within the subsequent stage of the event.
A draw would have been ok, too, had Tunisia misplaced to France, however with the French resting a lot of their star gamers after already locking up their spot within the spherical of 16, nothing was sure.
The stress mounted by the gang within the first half, as Denmark regarded like the higher workforce all through, hitting the Australian defence onerous as they regarded to assert the three factors that might doubtless see them progress by the event.
Nonetheless, Harry Souttar and his band of merry males stood agency all through, holding the rating at 0-0 heading into the break.
However because the second half acquired underway, the murmurs rippled throughout the gang as telephones lit up with notifications informing them that Tunisia, towards all odds, had scored.
Solely a return of fireside would see Australia survive.
And Leckie already had his ammo within the chamber.
Streaking down the sector, earlier than twisting and turning and deftly putting the ball previous the Danish goalkeeper, the Socceroos gamers ignited in celebration.
Again in Melbourne, the now ever-familiar flares illuminated the gang and rapture inside.
“SHOW US FED SQUARE,” Sports activities Minister Annika Wells tweeted after Leckie weaved his means by the Denmark defence.
It was a scene normally saved for the football-mad Europeans or South People.
A hearth burning vivid, ignited by the left foot of a person born and bred within the western suburbs of Melbourne.
“Full of life right here,” got here the understated tweet from Melbourne writer Tony Wilson.
The Victorian lots hugged their love ones, hugged their household, their associates, and strangers because the hope in Doha travelled all the best way throughout the Indian Ocean, throughout the Nullarbor, and deep into the hearts of sport followers.
It was a stark distinction to scenes on the MCG only a week and a half in the past, when Australia’s ODI cricket conflict with England was attended by simply 10,400 folks.
As the gang calmed down, the quiet nerves constructed once more, with one eye on Tunisia and France, and the opposite on Australia and Denmark because the Danes peppered the Aussie defence time and again.
One purpose from the lads in purple was all it was going to take to shatter Australian goals.
As full-time drew ever nearer, that nervous anticipation constructed, like a jack-in-the-box that ticked over to a sluggish tune of Males At Work’s Down Underneath, able to explode in a cavalcade of cheers and tears.
After which it occurred. The ultimate whistle blew.
The group was illuminated first by the white gentle of cellphones held within the air to seize the second eternally, then inundated by that thick air of cordite pouring out of the flares.
Australia had received.
And Melbourne had earned the appropriate to host a minimum of yet another social gathering, this time towards Argentina, this time at a extra palatable time on a Sunday morning, without having to fret about work later within the day, and no want to fret concerning the sleep misplaced from the evening earlier than.
As soon as once more Fed Sq. will probably be blanketed in inexperienced, and gold, and purple, and smoke.
And the anticipation for all of it was completely summed up by broadcaster Julian Marcus.
“We’re gonna want an even bigger Fed Sq..”
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