Oh my...what a night!!

Warning: The following contains a lot of emotional gibberish.

What an amazing game of football/soccer on Wednesday night! I can't believe Australia's going to the World Cup in Germany!! I'm still recovering from the whole experience.
The crowd was just so incredible, many of the players credit the Aussie fans for getting them over the line. I was at the game with Bryan, as well as my Mum, Dad & sister, and we were seated right behind the goals with the Green & Gold army...best seats in the house if you ask me!!
I was tense all week leading up to the game, especially after the 1-0 loss in Montevideo on Sunday morning. This meant Australia would need to win by at least 2-0 in Sydney, to go through after 90 minutes...of course this was far from what actually happened!
There was a real buzz in the air around the ground before the game. People seemed genuinely happy to be part of the whole experience, but also looked pretty nervous. Everyone knew that just one goal to Uruguay (or U R Gay as some yobs preferred to pronounce it) would make it virtually impossible for the Socceroos to come back.
The Aussies and Uruguay were greeted with cheers and jeers respectively, when they came out for a warm up...I get the feeling that this crowd wasn't going to be content to sit back in their seats and just enjoy the game. No! We were here to be part of this game, to support our team, to support our country, to give them every little bit of home ground advantage that we possibly could. The stadium was a sea of yellow, anyone that didn't wear yellow was simply drowned out. The tiny pocket of light blue Uruguay supporters seated at the far end of the stadium, looked virtually insignificant. Bright yellow flags with the southern cross and aussie coat of arms were handed out at our end of the stadium to the delight of all that got one. These flags would eventually serve many purposes before the night was over.
The teams made their official entrances and it was finally about to begin.
Crowd mission No. 1: To let the Uruguayan team know that we don't care too much for their oom pah pah band style national anthem...mission accomplished. The unknown tenor singing the anthem tried hard but I seriously did not here one note as he was completely drowned out by our boos and whistles! Some may say that this was not very sporting and not the Australian way...but whatever...in my opinion gamesmanship and sportsmanship need to be used in context. In the end, sport at this level is about winning.
Crowd mission No. 2: To let the Australian team know, although we have a pretty dicky national anthem too, that it can still be belted out with more volume and passion than ever before, in support of what they were about to do...mission accomplished. This soccer mad crowd, a true cross-section of the Australian population, (not just the blazer wearers and private school boys at the rugby or the bogans at the league...yes, I know I'm generalising), made Advance Australia Fair sound inspiring! No easy feat.
By now my voice was already shot, reduced to a low rumble if I tried to talk at anything near normal volume...For this reason I continued to shout for what seemed like about 80% of the game...thinking back I can't even remember what I was shouting...I guess there were numerous expletives aimed at the referees and Uruguayan players or officials, lots of shouts of encouragement to the aussie players and generally lots of Ole, Ole Ole, Ausssie, Ausssie action!
When the first goal came after about 35 minutes the entire place erupted and there were high fives and low fives and hugs and kisses flying everywhere, not that there's anything wrong with that...the bright yellow flags were waved enthusiastically by all...I can't wait to actually watch the TV coverage of the game...it must have looked pretty special.
If anything I think the goal made the game even more tense...apart from some initial chances early on, the Uruguayans weren't really looking like scoring, but every now and again either on the counter or from a free kick or corner, our hearts were in our mouths...but still we screamed. YOU...SHALL NOT....SCORE!!! No nothing that geeky, but I did made a point of trying to razzle star Uruguayan, Mr. "Divine Right" himself, Alvaro Recoba with a few well timed chants of "Rec-o-o-o-o-o-b-a-a-a-a, Rec-o-o-o-o-o-b-a-a-a-a", I'm sure he heard me as it obviously worked and he failed to score or set up any goals, and the coach eventually pulled his mentally disintegrated ass off the field....so thank you, thank you very much to me!
The final few minutes of regulation time were agony. As the game neared extra time the crowd seemed to hush in anticipation...we could all sense where this was going...but we weren't quite there yet. Australia and Uruguay both came close to scoring in extra time...leading variously to leaps of hope and cringes of fear...but the 30 minutes of extra play seemed to fly by and the moment had finally arrived...the dreaded penalty shootout, depending on whether your team wins or loses, you either love them for the drama they provide or loath them as a round ball Russian roulette.
The yellow flag was now draped over my head...not quite sure why? A defensive/protective instinct I guess? We were all hoping that Mark Viduka would win the toss and that we, the crowd, would still have a part to play. Thankfully the referee pointed to our end of the ground, as he and the players made their way towards us.
The crowd again went wild, yellow flags waving in the air, screams and whistles. Harry Kewell stepped up for Australia to take the first penalty, time for hush and calmness behind the goal, and I made sure everyone put their flags away.
Goal to Australia!!
Uruguay up next...out comes the flags, time to raise our voices again....
Schwarzer saves!! 1-0 Australia. Next two shots from both sides go in, although Schwarzer came so close with one. 3-2 Australia.
Up steps Aussie captain Mark Viduka, a stuttery tense run up and a tentative shot that goes wide...still 3-2 Australia.
Uruguay have 2 shots left, Australia 1, it can still go to sudden death...
Schwarzer saves again...even better than the first save!!! Still 3-2 Australia and 1 shot each to go...John Aloisi steps up, knowing that if he scores Australia is through to the World Cup in 2006...no pressure at all. He shoots, the net moves, the crowd goes absolutely bananas, I still have no idea what I screamed or who I kissed or who I hugged.
Simply, it was one of the most amazing moments not only in my life, but also in the history of Australian sport. A night I will never forget. Can't wait for Germany 2006!! Photos will be up soon.

Roxy flashbacks...

Saturday night was a night full of flashbacks! Michelle and I caught up with Bryan, Tiff and Damien at the Roxy Theatre in Parramatta. The theatre was built in the 1930's and had a fair bit of history behind it until it closed a few years ago. It recently reopened and now has become a pretty cool pub and music venue. The original theatre/cinema is one of the best rock venues I've been to in a long time. It probably sits somewhere between the Enmore and the Metro in terms of size, but has great sound and can guarantee a great view from pretty much anywhere. This is the same theatre where I've watched such classic sequels as Superman 2 and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, so it somehow seemed appropriate that we were here to see Sydney's hair rock revivalists Wolfmother!
The night kicked off in the usual way, Michelle and James eating way too much food...I had no idea that the pesto pizza crust I ordered for entree would actually be a full sized pizza with pesto and cheese! No excuses for the Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding for dessert though...
Got inside at around 8.30 and caught Mess Hall doing their two man band show, ala Local H/White Stripes. Always amazes me how much noise 1 guitar and a set of drums can make on stage...gotta love rock & roll! I liked the songs I'd heard on the J's and they were supposed to be pretty good live, so I'd been meaning to see them for a while. They didn't disappoint. It took me a couple of songs to warm to them, but they go good.
We were all very excited about the main act. Hype is not always a good thing, you know how the saying goes...but so far I'd made my own mind up about Wolfmother. I thought they rocked from the first wails of "Woman" pumping on my car radio late last year, but managed to miss every opportunity I had to see them live...until now. You've got to love a band that ain't afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves. Wolfmother do that, but give so much more. They manage to channel the sound of Led Zeppellin, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden (sometimes in the same song), and yet still manage to sound fresh and original. They not only capture the sound of an era, but the feeling and the energy as well, just like some of the best modern day bands such as The White Stripes & You Am I are able to do. And all this without too much attitude, just lots of strutting, jumping, guitar twirling and helicopter riffing.
They pretty much played every song off their debut EP and album, with one or two not so familiar songs as well. One of the most enjoyable aussie gigs I've been to in a while and can't wait to see them at Homebake and the BDO 2006!
After the gig, the smell of sausage and onion drifted through the air, drawing us nearer..."Yes, Michelle, I think I will have a sausage sandwich with our coffee" was a decision that my brain obviously had no part in making...can't believe I squeezed this in on top of the pizzas and beers from earlier in the night...such is the tragedy of my belly! I blame Bryan... : )
Ooh...almost forgot to mention that Michelle and I also went to see Californian stoner and comedian Arj Barker @Newtown RSL on Thursday night...an absolute cack!!! We'd caught Arj at the Melbourne Comedy Festival a couple of years back and I don't think I'd ever laughed so hard in my life, so couldn't wait to see him again. He didn't disappoint, and I highly recommend his show!
Just spoke to Mum, who is still doing well. Sorting out all her appointments for the radiation therapy, can't wait to see the look on her face when we catch up with her for dinner this Thursday night and give her her b'day present!!