Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos success a vindication from Frank Lowy and Australian football’s dream
AT first Frank Lowy said there were “no words for what I am feeling now”, but in the end he found one. “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,” he declared.
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AT first Frank Lowy said there were “no words for what I am feeling now”, but in the end he found one. “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,” he declared the morning after the night before.
The morning after one of the greatest nights of his life, or of the life of any supporter who has followed the Socceroos.
Hundreds of them came to see their heroes with the Asian Cup in Pit Street Mall, less than 12 hours after the final whistle had provoked such bedlam at ANZ Stadium and seen them crowned champions of Asia.
Players and supporters alike were blinking hard, some out of disbelief, others perhaps because for them the celebrations had never stopped.
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“We did it on the park, and off the park we were just as good — it’s a good effort boys,” grinned captain Mile Jedinak.
“Like our whole campaign, it was one in, all in, that’s how we celebrated.”
Victory by two goals to one over South Korea after a heart-wrenching period of extra time was a seminal moment for the team, the sport, and for Lowy — the Socceroos’ first piece of major silverware coming some 12 years after the Westfield billionaire was asked to take over a sport on life support, and nurse it back to health.
“It’s huge, just imagine if it had been the other way,” Lowy said of the direction football took under his leadership in 2003.
“You can see the difference between winning and losing and it’s a fantastic boost for us in Australia, in Asia, around the world. Everyone will take notice of us. This wonder team is going places.
“There’s nothing better than winning — but what a finish. It tore your heart out in the middle of it, but in the end you got it back.”
In a sense Postecoglou had a similar mission when he was appointed in emergency circumstances 14 months ago, a team bleeding goals and on the nose with many supporters. Culling veterans and hauling down the average age from over 30 to 26 — half his starting XI on Saturday night was 23 or under — he had declared that he wanted the side to “excite the country” once more.
“It’s not about me — it’s what we’ve done together on and off the field,” he said.
“We want to make this team Australia’s team and we do that by reflecting the values of who we represent.
“We’ve done it the hard way in the past 14 months, taken on the biggest challenges and never taken a backward step. We got our rewards, and I think the people of this country will embrace us.”
As always it was Tim Cahill’s name that drew the biggest cheer.
“This is one of the biggest moments in sport for Australia because this is an Asian tournament that was so difficult to win,” he said. “A tournament we were never supposed to win.
“I’m really proud of the boss, I am proud of someone being Australian and really having the passion to believe in the youngsters and talent and to really take us to a different level.”
David Gallop, Lowy’s CEO, was no doubt already mentally renegotiating sponsorship deals on the back of this success, not to mention actually finding a sponsor for the Socceroos.
“Twelve months ago we gave Ange a mission to change the way the team was on and off the pitch.
“He delivered and that’s really satisfying. We made a lot of changes and came home with the goods.”
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