This was published 2 years ago
‘Eat your hats’: Wiggly Redmayne and Socceroos stun the world
By Billie Eder
The Socceroos have qualified for their fifth successive World Cup finals campaign, and anyone who doubted them has Sam Kerr to answer to.
“Doubters eat your hats, we’re going to the world cup,” the 28-year-old Chelsea and Matildas superstar tweeted on Tuesday morning, after substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne saved a spot-kick by Peru’s Alex Valera to secure the Socceroos’ World Cup berth.
Kerr’s Matildas teammate Ellie Carpenter was also quick to join in the fun, while ABC News presenter and cult hero Tony Armstrong was captured moments after Redmayne’s unforgettable save, swamped by a sea of Socceroos fans in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
Redmayne, who famously wriggles himself like an octopus in goal, has found some fans in Aussie icons The Wiggles, who perhaps inspired his tentacle-like movements.
And the praise just keeps filing in for Redmayne, the team, and coach Graham Arnold whose decision it was to put the goalkeeper on the field with only a few minutes left in extra time, banking on the Sydney FC man being the Socceroos’ best bet for penalty shootout success.
Arnold had previously called on new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to give Australians the day off to celebrate following Tuesday’s 4am kick-off, echoing the famous sentiments of fellow Labor PM Bob Hawke. In 1983, following the nation’s stirring America’s Cup triumph, Hawke declared that “any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum”.
Former Socceroo Tim Cahill, so often the talisman for the nation’s success on the World and Asian Cup stages, was in the stands in Doha this time.
Australia will be in Group D of the 2022 World Cup, alongside Denmark, France and Tunisia. It’s eerily similar to their 2018 World Cup group of France, Denmark and Peru.
Australia will play France (all times AEDT) at 4am Wednesday, November 23; Tunisia at 7pm on Saturday, November 26 and Denmark at midnight Thursday, December 1.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.