Socceroos Legend Talks About 2006 World Cup Game
Former Australian goalie Zeljko Kalac recently shared his thoughts on a big game from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a group match against Croatia, he recognized that he shouldn’t have played because of an injury. Still, he took the chance. Who wouldn’t want to be in a World Cup match?
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Surprise Choice for a Big Match
Kalac started on the bench for the first two games against Japan and Brazil. Then, coach Guus Hiddink surprised everyone by picking him instead of the main keeper, Mark Schwarzer, for the important match against Croatia. Australia needed at least a tie to move on to the Round of 16. It was a risky choice.
The game was wild. There were three red cards and a strange moment when Croatia’s Josip Simunic got three yellow cards before being sent off. In the end, the Socceroos managed a 2-2 draw and moved on.
A Big Blunder Under Scrutiny
When the score was 1-1 in the second half, Kalac made a big mistake. He misjudged a weak shot from Niko Kovač, and the ball went right over him into the net. This kept Australia on edge and led to a lot of criticism, especially since Kalac has Croatian roots.
Kalac later told Optus Sport that he was dealing with a bad injury that morning. He really should have sat that game out.
Playing Hurt and Feeling Regret
He explained, I woke up and couldn’t bend at all—my back locked up. He wasn’t sure if the trip from Munich caused it, but he knew he shouldn’t have played.
Despite his pain, he took pain-killers and pushed through. I wasn’t at my best, but playing in a World Cup is a rare chance, he said. I did what I had to.
Defending His Performance
Kalac thinks people blew his mistake out of proportion because it was against Croatia. It wasn’t as bad as folks made it sound, he said. I’ve seen worse goals.
He only found out he was starting the night before the match. I felt good mentally and physically until that morning, he said. The painkillers helped a bit, but I was still hurting.
A Lucky Break and World Cup Departure
Lucky for him, his mistake didn’t end Australia’s World Cup hopes. Harry Kewell scored in the 79th minute, helping the Socceroos move on to the knockout stage.
But the journey ended quickly. They lost to Italy in the Round of 16 after a controversial last-minute penalty. Kalac believes Australia deserved better.
We Could Have Gone Further
Looking back, Kalac thinks they could have gone much further. Italy played against Ukraine next, and I believe we could have beaten them, he said. We could have made it to the semi-finals.
He also pointed out that their strategy against Italy wasn’t great. They didn’t take advantage when Marco Materazzi got sent off. We kept attacking down Zambrotta’s side, but he’s super tough to handle. We should have gone after Fabio Grosso, who was easier to beat.
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be. If we had been smarter, we could have beaten Italy. But it wasn’t to be, Kalac said.
