Former Socceroo Graham Jennings relives famous 1988 win over Argentina
Graham Jennings played in the last and only Socceroos side to beat Argentina back in 1988. Ahead of the round of 16 match against Messi and co, he has one simple message for the boys in green and gold.
The Newcastle News
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Keep your head, stick to the game plan and don’t worry about who’s playing opposite you – that’s the message from former Socceroo Graham Jennings ahead of Sunday morning’s do-or-die round of 16 clash with Argentina at the World Cup.
While the Socceroos are looking to create history by winning through to the quarter finals for the first time in Australia’s history, Jennings, who was part of the last and only Australian men’s team to have beaten Argentina in a full international, says that the players should treat the game just like any other.
“They should keep level-headed and stick to the game plan: don’t go one-out, trying to chase people,” he says. “Just fulfil your role within the team, and that’s all they’ve got to worry about: not Messi, not Di Maria, just their own game plan.”
Following wins over Tunisia and Denmark, Socceroos coach Graham Arnold’s on-field huddles have become legendary, with the manager emphasising the need for the players to keep their feet firmly on the ground. No social media. No getting carried away.
“Whatever Arnie’s saying to them to keep them level-headed – do that,” says Jennings, who sees some similarities between this approach and that of his former boss Frank Arok, who led the Socceroos to the famous 4-1 victory over Argentina at the Bicentennial Cup at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1988.
“Frank Arok was a bit the same. For the Bicentennial Cup we played Saudi Arabia, who were the Asian champions; Argentina, who were the world champions; and Brazil, who were the top-ranked side in the world.
“But Frank said: ‘They’re just 11 players, the same as us. They’ve got their training and they’re worth more, but when it comes to game day, anything can happen.’”
After a strong performance in the 1-0 defeat to Brazil in the first match and a solid 3-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the second, Arok’s Socceroos took plenty of confidence into their clash with the world champions.
“Because we did so well in the first game against Brazil, that got us in the right frame of mind. We thought, ‘If we can do this against Brazil, we’re a bit of a chance,’” says Jennings.
“But it was probably not really any different to the other games we played, and you can put that down to the coaching staff for keeping us level-headed.”
Australia got off to a flying start, with Paul Wade – who the Argentinians suspected was offside – tapping in from short distance to give the Socceroos the lead in just the second minute.
“Because we scored a contentious goal, that seemed to put them off their game a bit,” says Jennings. “Because they’re world champions, they’re only playing against Australia – they thought they must have been getting a dodgy deal.”
The visitors equalised on the half-hour mark before Charlie Yankos fired in one of the most incredible goals ever scored in a green and gold shirt – a powerful, driving free-kick from 40 metres out.
“I was pretty much behind it. You can see in the replay that all of a sudden my arms go up,” says Jennings, who noted that it further angered the world champions.
“Again, how dare we score a goal against them? So that gave us a bit of momentum and deflated them.”
Australia continued to press and were rewarded halfway through the second half when Frank Farina broke forward on the counter and was brought down in the box.
“Gary Powell was the referee and they harassed him, goodness me. He was within his rights to send a few of them off,” says Jennings.
“There were hands and pushing. And of course Charlie (Yankos) just slotted it away. Things just went from bad to worse for them.”
As the game came drew to a close, Jennings notes that the Argentinians began to lash out.
“They lost the plot a bit. One of their players, dirty bugger, ran his studs down Robbie Dunn’s shin and split it open. He needed six or seven stitches. It was a terrible, wicked challenge,” he said.
“But we were rejoicing, the crowd was getting behind us – there were celebrations!”
Looking ahead to Sunday morning, much has been made of the discrepancy in quality and value of the two squads, with many putting the $58-million Socceroos at long odds to topple the $1.1-billion Argentina side.
However as Jennings and his 1988 crew have shown, funnier things have happened in world football.
“When you look at our preparation in 1988, we were still part-timers, we were all working,” says Jennings. “So we would have finished our jobs and then went into camp for a couple of days before our first game – and that was it.”
And as the Socceroos prepare to take on Argentina, they have someone in their camp who knows just what victory against Argentina tastes like – coach Graham Arnold, who started for Australian in that famous Bicentennial Cup win.
“I’m so happy for him. He was a real players’ player: a real team man, someone who was up for the joke but serious when he had to be,” says Jennings, who also played with Arnold at club level with Sydney Croatia.
“He was one of those end-to-end strikers, from box to box. Like an extra midfielder. He had a great shot, was great in the air and was a great bloke.”
“I haven’t had a lot to do with him as a coach, but I’m assuming he’d be the same: a players’ coach, looking after their interests,” he said.
“As a coach, I’m so happy for him. As an Australian, I’m so happy for him, because he is so proud of his country and loves it.”