Not only are there World Cup places up for grabs all over Europe tomorrow but there is also a big game down under for a lot of British-based players too. Australia – or the Qantas Socceroos as they like to be known – will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Uruguay at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney and book a place in Germany next summer.
A capacity crowd, boosted by the lure of free transport, should ensure a great atmosphere to rival the Estadio Centenario at the weekend. Dario Rodriguez was the man on target to leave the South Americans in the driving seat and Australia's experienced coach Guus Hiddink proud but disappointed.
"I am not that satisfied," he said. "We dominated the first half but we weren't determined enough to finish it off and we got beaten at a sloppy moment on a free kick. I think the Uruguayans will defend in Sydney. They know how to defend, that's why I have mixed feelings about the result. "e played a very good game, but we had to finish it off. I am very proud of them."
Blackburn' Lucas Neill agreed with Hiddink. "e are disappointed we didn't score because we thought we had a couple of goals in us," Neill said.
However, the Socceroos secret weapon ahead of the second leg could well have been their flight to Australia. Their 22-hour flight from Montevideo was in stark contrast to the Uruguayans chartered flight from Chile, which was prefaced by a mad scramble after the game to ensure they were on time for their departure.
And Middlesbrough centre forward and Aussie captain Mark Viduka is convinced they will reap the benefits. "We had a nice aeroplane and we were able to relax, some people had rubs and we really had a good flight," he said.
"All the doctors and staff have been trying to find out the best way to approach adjusting our body clocks. I think they have done that, they have given us sleeping tablets when we needed them and I think that with their experience, I don't think it will be a problem."
"We held our ground and did well in the first leg and it will be a totally different game over here, especially with 85,000 fans egging us on," Viduka continued. "I think we are just going to have a go at them and, as I said playing at home, you saw what their crowd was like when they were going forward. It was really an extra man for them.
"I think the crowd in Sydney is going to really back us. We want them to just get behind us, as soon as we get the ball just like they usually do."
Uruguay forward Alvaro Recoba, however, believes his country deserves a World Cup place more than Australia. He said: "We're a big country with a big past and we've got a right to play. Uruguay has a divine right to play. Uruguay is Uruguay."
* The other World Cup play-offs see Norway travel to the Czech Republic (0-1); Spain visit Slovakia (5-1), Switzerland take on Turkey (2-0) and Trinidad and Tobago tackle Bahrain (1-1).
