Australia sneak through
Australia sneak through
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Thursday, 22, Jun 2006 10:22
Harry Kewell grabbed a late equaliser to help Australia into the second round with a 2-2 draw with Croatia.
In one of the best game of the tournament so far the European side twice held the lead that would have taken them through before Australia fought back.
The game ended in disarray as English referee Graham Poll lost his grip on the match. He sent off three players one of whom he accidentally yellow carded on three separate occasions. The official can join the Croats in booking his flight home from the tournament.
The draw means the Aussies finish second in group F and will play Italy in the last 16 after the Azzurri beat Czech Republic earlier today.
Darijo Srna got the first goal before the five minute mark with a blistering curling free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.
That meant Croatia were heading into the knockout phase. Then the Australians got back on level terms from the penalty spot. Stjepan Tomas stuck his hand in the air and Poll pointed to the spot. Surprisingly Craig Moore did the honours.
The first half was breathless, but the second half was dizzying. The play rushed from one end to the other as both sides appeared to abandon central midfield.
Croatia scored in strange fashion on 56 minutes, Niko Kovac's speculative effort was allowed to cross the line by the abysmal Zeljko Kalac, who replaced the dropped Mark Schwarzer in goal for Australia.
The yellow Aussie shirts then poured forward and eventually Kewell smashed in an equaliser on 79 minutes.
Now it was Croatia's turn to charge at their opponents and Igor Tudor had one final chance to save his team, before Poll lost the plot and the game descended into farce.