Socceroo Tim Cahill has sights set on matching the heroic deeds of Brazilian legend Pele in Russia
HE’S come a long way from the nine-year battle to have a ban overturned just so he could represent Australia. Now Tim Cahill is on the cusp of matching the incredible World Cup exploits of Brazilian great Pele.
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TIM Cahill has spent his career fending off critics, yet he is one goal away from joining two of the game’s greatest players in Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo.
At one stage it looked as though Cahill would not even represent Australia, let alone play in a World Cup as FIFA rules rendered him ineligible to represent the Socceroos as he’d played for Samoa at youth level as a 14-year-old.
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But just shy of his 39th birthday, Australia’s greatest Socceroos could become just the fifth player to score at four World Cups, after Cristiano Ronaldo joined the group after his goals in Portugal’s draw with Spain this morning.
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“If I get on that pitch, I’ll try and make something happen. I’d love to join the greats being an Australian, to do something special for my country,’’ Cahill said.
It’s a long way since a nine-year fight to have the ban overturned finally paid off in 2004, when FIFA cleared him to play for the country of his birth, coinciding with his switch from Millwall — who he’d joined as a 16-year-old after struggling for Australian opportunities — to Premier league club Everton.
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The timing proved as impeccable as Cahill’s runs into the box and trademark headers, just in time to work his way into arguably the Socceroos’ greatest-ever team as the 2006 World Cup edged closer.
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When the Socceroos beat Uruguay in November 2005 to break a 32-year World Cup drought, Cahill was still a fringe first XI player — he was an unused substitute in the Montevideo leg, before starting at home when Mark Bresciano, Mark Schwarzer and John Aloisi’s heroics secured a penalty shootout win.
Seven months later he rewrote the Socceroos history books and emerged an Australian icon, scoring our first-ever World Cup goals en route to a maiden win which sent the nation into frenzy and helped golden Guus Hiddink’s boys qualify from the group phase.
Twelve years on, having smashed most Australian records before him, becoming just the second player to reach 100 games — he is just three behind Mark Schwarzer’s 109 — and a record 50 goals to his name, Cahill stands on the cusp of becoming an international immortal.
In the 20 editions of the world’s biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, only three men have scored in four separate tournaments.
And a Cahill goal, in the Socceroos’ 2018 World Cup opener against France (tonight) or against fellow Group C rivals Denmark and Peru, will propel him among world soccer’s immortals, Germans Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and the one and only Pele.
“If I get a goal it’ll be excellent, but I’ll be as happy stepping onto the pitch. It’s extraordinary to get to four World Cups,’’ Cahill said.
“You dream of things of like this, but you can’t say you thought you’d do it. Playing for the Socceroos is one of the biggest honours I could ever have.”
Cahill, who had a bitter split with Melbourne City in November after he was out of favour with new coach Warren Joyce, signed with Millwall and despite playing just 63 minutes retained in Socceroos contention.
To be fair, Cahill‘s club stats would not justify a national team call up for most players. But then again, few players would have scored a crucial World Cup qualifying double (against Syria) in the midst of paltry club minutes.
Defender Mark Milligan, the only other Socceroo to have featured in four World Cups, praised Cahill’s professionalism.
“He looks after himself so well, he’s trained everyday, he never misses a session,’’ Milligan said.
“He’s a leader in many different ways. It’s been wonderful having him around, especially the last four years because there’s been so much change in the team and it’s always nice to have that one constant.
“On the field. That speaks for itself.”
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In a culture where “team” is critical, winger Robbie Kruse offered an insight into Cahill’s off-field contribution.
“When things get tough I’ve always lean to him for advice on and off the pitch, he’s helped me stay focused. He’s an icon not just for football but for Australian sport,’’ Kruse said.
“He knows what he is going to do in this tournament. Every time Timmy comes on he thinks he’s going to score and it breeds confidence in the rest of the team.
“You see the influence he has on all the players, the younger boys in the team now, (Daniel) Arzani. Everyone looks to Tim for advice, for leadership.”
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