The stirring run of the Socceroos in Qatar only came to an end when Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stuck a desperate arm in front of Garang Kuol’s shot in the dying moments.
Or, as Sydney FC chief executive officer Adam Santo might describe it, when a Premier League keeper on $220,000 a week needed every ounce of his skill to deny a young Central Coast Mariner, after he’d collected a pass from an A-League rival from Adelaide United, who’d earlier banged in a World Cup goal against France.
Whatever the label, there was no mistaking the pure, get-out-of-jail relief on the faces of the Argentinian players.
“We have a great product,” Santo said. “If the boys are good enough to push Argentina, the No.3 country in the world, to within a kick and almost extra time, then the A-League shouldn’t be perceived as somehow inferior.
“‘Arnie’ [Socceroos coach Graham Arnold] over there in Qatar said he’d been watching a lot of leagues over there in Europe and people don’t give the A-League enough credit. It is a great competition, and what we saw over there is the standard of our league.
“Sure it’s not the EPL, or a top-five league in Europe. But it is not far behind, and we have seen it proven repeatedly over the last month.”
Garang Kuol is denied an equaliser by Argentina keeper Emi Martinez.Credit:Getty
In what has been described as Australia’s best-ever showing at a World Cup – two wins, goals in every game and progression to the knockout stage – the heavy A-League representation was a source of pride for both players and officials in the oft-maligned domestic Aussie competition.
With a record eight squad members drawn from the A-League, the feats of domestic stars – and the Socceroos’ success more broadly – on the world stage is now being seen as a perfect opportunity to lure the fans who rose in pre-dawn hours and rode every dip of the World Cup rollercoaster, but don’t yet make a habit of watching the A-League in their own backyard.
“You have seen it with the numbers that turn up to live sites all over the country that the spotlight is on football and there is definitely a strong interest in the game,” Santo said.
“So it is really about converting those fans who walked away on Sunday morning thinking that was a great experience, and them understanding a lot of those players they watched on the screens … many play in the A-League”.
Andrew Redmayne (Sydney), Garang Kuol (Central Coast), Craig Goodwin (Adelaide) and Matt Leckie (Melbourne City) will all play for their clubs this weekend.Credit:Getty
The A-League Men’s season resumes this weekend and all eight members of the Socceroos squad are expected to turn out for their clubs, including Kuol and Mathew Leckie, the man who scored the wonder goal against Denmark.
On Saturday night at Allianz Stadium, Leckie is expected to line up with Melbourne City teammates Marco Tilio and Jamie McLaren against Sydney FC, with Andrew Redmayne in goal.
On Sunday afternoon in Gosford, Central Coast Mariners are confident Kuol, Jason Cummings and Danny Vukovic will play against Newcastle. And Adelaide United manager Carl Veart said Craig Goodwin – the man who scored against France, assisted Mitch Duke’s goal against Tunisia and banged in the shot that led to Argentina’s own-goal – will play on Friday night.
Before leaving Qatar, Goodwin said: “We hope that what we have achieved can help grow the game back home. Because the A-League is better than it is perceived. The quality of Australian football is better than it’s perceived. It has been that way for a long time but hopefully, what we have achieved can put Australian football on the map and help the game grow.”
Turning Australians with an interest in world football into A-League fans has been an elusive goal for club and league bosses over the years, and even this year an exhibition featuring Barcelona in Sydney drew a crowd three times bigger than the A League Men’s grand final a few days later in Melbourne.
“The conversion is really about building awareness and our messaging, talking to the strong standard of the A-League, and the atmosphere. If you put on a good product, people will come,” Santo said.
“If you enjoyed the experience of the live sites, you’ll love the real experience of the games.
“We are averaging over 22,000 so far this season and anyone who was at the Sydney derby a few weeks ago, they would say the atmosphere inside was second-to-none.
“We offer a great experience and a great standard, so anyone who enjoyed the live sites and haven’t been to an A-League game before, this is a great opportunity to come and watch the two most dominant teams over the last six or so years.”
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