The 2006 World Cup in Germany
A booksmusicfilmstv.com surreal take on the footie fest in Germany
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With many of the Australian squad having family links with Croatia, this was always going to be an emotional night, but there was high drama to the nth degree, too. Croatia needed to win to progress, but Australia just needed a draw. It was to be Australia who would advance past the group stage - for the first time in a World Cup finals.

This Group F game ended in high farce, with English referee Graham Poll mistakenly booking the same Croatian player, Josip Simunic, THREE times (twice in the closing minutes), before giving the naughty Croatian his marching orders right at the death. He had earlier sent off Australia's Brett Emerton for two bookable offences, plus Croatia's Dario Simic. All three were sent off late on.

Darijo Srna got Croatia's night off to a dream start, scoring from a 25 yard free kick. A foul in the penalty area, on Australia's Mark Viduka, wasn't noticed, but a handball decision against Stjepan Tomas allowed Australia to equalise, and Craig Moore smacked in the resulting penalty straight down the middle of the goal. Croatian captain Niko Kovac restored Croatia's lead in the second half, with a long range effort which squirmed through Aussie 'keeper Zeljko Kalac's fingers (Kalac was a surprise replacement for Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer). Referee Poll then declined to award Australia a penalty, after Tomas again handled in the area. The Socceroos would not be denied, though, and a headed flick on fell to Harry Kewell, who took it in his stride and picked his spot. Croatia then lay siege to the Australian goal, but despite Kalac looking jittery, they hung on to put Croatia out, and so launch another chapter in Australia's great sporting history.

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.