Hiddink hails Aussie heroes

Australia coach Guus Hiddink described his team as ’lion-hearts’ after they twice came from a goal down to draw 2-2 with Croatia and qualify for the second round of the World Cup.

The Australians, appearing in only their second World Cup finals and their first for 32 years, will meet Italy next Monday in Kaiserslautern after a drama-filled draw with Croatia which saw three players sent off by English referee Graham Poll.

But, just as they did in qualifying when they beat Uruguay in a penalty shoot-out, the Socceroos did it the hard way with Harry Kewell the hero with a 79th-minute equaliser.

The Australians had been behind as early as the second minute when Darijo Srna curled home a magnificent free-kick, after Socceroos’ captain Mark Viduka had fouled Croatian captain Niko Kovac on the edge of the area.

It was Croatia’s first goal at this World Cup but the Australians equalised for the first time through a Craig Moore penalty on 38 minutes after Poll spotted a blatant handball by big defender Stjepan Tomas inside the box.

But all the Socceroos’ hard work to get back on level terms was undone when back-up keeper Zeljko Kalac – a shock choice in goal ahead of regular custodian Mark Schwarzer – let in a soft 57th-minute goal from Kovac, a long-range shot which Kalac allowed to sneak under his body.

Yet the Socceroos still got the draw they needed, which Hiddink said afterwards was tribute to the players’ huge fighting spirit.

“This team has a lion heart,” a proud Hiddink said. “It just continues to fight to the end, no matter what. “They never give up, no matter what happens and that is crucial.

“You also have to have a plan of how you want to play at international level because heart will only get you a certain amount of the way but it certainly helps.”

Hiddink, who has previously led his native Holland and South Korea to the semi-finals of the past two World Cups, described the scenes in the Australian dressing room after qualifying for the second round in such dramatic circumstances as “very emotional“.

“A lot of the players have not had much experience at international level and a lot of them have not had much success at club level either,” he said, explaining just why this result meant so much to the Australian players.

“The game was very hectic with a lot of errors but it didn’t matter if you were an Australian fan, a Croatian fan or neutral – it was very exciting.”

However, for Poll it probably represents the end of his World Cup.

Having rejected a couple of clear Australian penalty claims and also not been informed by his assistant that Kewell was marginally offside when he fired home the crucial goal, Poll was already having a bad night when he brandished a yellow card in Josip Simunic’s face for a foul on Kewell.

The Melbourne-born centre-half should have been accompanying previously dismissed team-mate Dario Simic and Aussie defender Brett Emerton into the changing rooms as Simunic had already been shown one yellow card, a fact not lost on Mark Viduka.

“I was sure it was his second,” said Viduka. “I asked Graham how many cards had Simunic received. Graham said only one. It looks like he got it wrong.”

Poll did get it wrong – badly wrong by allowing Simunic to remain on the pitch, only realising his error after the final whistle when he produced a third yellow card and promptly dismissed the defender.

However, Viduka insists the Premiership’s top official should not be driven out of the tournament for that blunder alone.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” he said. “Graham Poll is a top quality referee. I will not say anything against him.”