2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL–OFC play-off) explained

2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
(CONMEBOLOFC play-off)
Event:2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
Team1:Uruguay
Team1association:
Team1score:1
Team2:Australia
Team2association:
Team2score:1
Details:(on aggregate; Australia won 4–2 on penalties)
Firstleg:First leg
Team1score1:1
Team2score1:0
Date1:12 November 2005
Stadium1:Estadio Centenario
City1:Montevideo
Referee1:Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)
Attendance1:55,000
Weather1:Clear
22°C[1]
Secondleg:Second leg
Team1score2:0
Team2score2:1
Date2:16 November 2005
Stadium2:Telstra Stadium
City2:Sydney
Referee2:Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)
Attendance2:82,698
Weather2:Mostly cloudy
17°C[2]

The 2006 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL–OFC qualification play-off was a two-legged home-and-away tie between the winners of the Oceania qualifying tournament, Australia, and the fifth-placed team from the South American qualifying tournament, Uruguay.

After winning the series, Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.[3] [4]

Match update

The games were played on 12 and 16 November 2005 in Montevideo and Sydney respectively. With the home team winning 1–0 in both matches, the aggregate score was tied 1–1, and, with no away goal advantage, the play-off was decided by a penalty shoot-out, which Australia won 4–2 in order to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since the 1974 tournament.[5] [6]

It was the second consecutive FIFA World Cup where the two sides had played each other for a place in the tournament. On the first occasion in 2001, Uruguay won 3–1 on aggregate. The draw for determining the order of the home and away legs was made at a FIFA congress on 10 September 2005.[7] Australia finally won a FIFA World Cup play-off after losing to Scotland (1986), Argentina (1994), Iran (1998) and the first playoff with Uruguay (2002).

In the second leg, there was heavy booing by Australian fans during Uruguay's national anthem, in response to the dirty tricks, spitting and punches thrown at the Australian team on their previous playoff meeting.[8]

Venues

Background

UruguayRoundAustralia
Team
1897235171834
18104429171234
188462319428
188462323028
186752328-525
Final standings
Team
54102131813
531196310
5302175129
5113310-74
5113224-224
510459-43
Final round
(OFC)
OpponentResult
1st leg (H)7–0
2nd leg (A)2–1

Match details

First leg

GK 1 Fabián Carini
DF 6 Diego López
DF 4 Paolo Montero (c)
DF 3
MF 8
MF 5 Pablo García
MF 15Diego Pérez
MF 21
MF 9 Álvaro Recoba
FW 17
FW 18Richard Morales
Substitutions:
GK 12Sebastián Viera
DF 2
MF 7 Marcelo Sosa
MF 20Martín Parodi
FW 10
FW 11Mario Regueiro
FW 13
Manager:
Jorge Fossati
GK 1 Mark Schwarzer
DF 5 Tony Vidmar
DF 2 Lucas Neill
DF 6 Tony Popovic
MF 7 Brett Emerton
MF 19Jason Culina
MF 3 Scott Chipperfield
MF 13
MF 10Harry Kewell
FW 14
FW 9 Mark Viduka (c)
Substitutions:
GK 18Željko Kalac
DF 12Ljubo Miličević
MF 4 Tim Cahill
MF 8 Josip Skoko
MF 20Luke Wilkshire
MF 23
FW 15
Manager:
Guus Hiddink
width=50% valign=topOFFICIALS width=50% valign=topMATCH RULES
----

Second leg

GK 1 Mark Schwarzer
DF 2 Lucas Neill
DF 6
DF 5
MF 23
MF 4 Tim Cahill
MF 3 Scott Chipperfield
MF 19
MF 7
MF 13Vince Grella
FW 9 Mark Viduka (c)
Substitutions:
GK 18Željko Kalac
DF 11Stan Lazaridis
DF 12Ljubo Miličević
MF 8
MF 10
FW 14Archie Thompson
FW 15
Manager:
Guus Hiddink
GK 1 Fabián Carini
DF 2 Diego Lugano
DF 4 Paolo Montero (c)
DF 6 Guillermo Rodríguez
DF 3
DF 11
MF 5
MF 7 Gustavo Varela
MF 8
MF 9
FW 18
Substitutions:
GK 12Sebastián Viera
DF 21Alejandro Lago
MF 14
MF 19Gonzalo de los Santos
FW 10Darío Silva
FW 13
FW 17
Manager:
Jorge Fossati
width=50% valign=topOFFICIALS
  • Assistant referees:
    • Víctoriano Giráldez Carrasco (Spain)
    • Pedro Medina Hernández (Spain)
  • Fourth official: Julián Rodríguez Santiago (Spain)
width=50% valign=topMATCH RULES
  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level:
  • 3 (of 7) substitutions permitted

Aftermath

Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany and were drawn into Group F with defending champions Brazil, Croatia and Japan. After beating Japan 3–1 in their opening match, Australia lost 2–0 to Brazil and in their final group match they drew 2–2 with Croatia, finishing second in the group on four points. In the Round of 16, Australia were defeated 1–0 by the eventual champions, Italy.

For Uruguay it was the third FIFA World Cup out of four since 1990 they failed to qualify. Jorge Fossati lost his job and rehired Óscar Tabárez who managed the team before (1988–1990), and Uruguay entered the Proceso era, breaking many records and have qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 2010.

In 2009, Australian Broadcasting Corporation ranked Australia's victory in 2005 as number one on their list of milestone sporting moments of the 2000s.[9] Melbourne paper the Herald Sun named Australia's victory in 2005 as one of 100 great moments in Australian sports history.[10]

A documentary titled November 16 was released in 2015 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the second leg. It featured interviews with Álvaro Recoba, Fabián Carini and members of the Australian squad.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History for Carrasco Intl. Airport, Uruguay. wunderground.com. 2005-11-12. 2013-05-01.
  2. Web site: History for Kingsford Smith Intl. Airport, Australia. wunderground.com. 2005-11-16. 2013-05-01.
  3. https://www.alairelibre.cl/noticias/deportes/brasil-2014/repechaje/australia-derribo-a-uruguay-y-clasifico-a-la-copa-del-mundo-2006/2005-11-16/070307.html "Australia derribó a Uruguay y clasificó a la Copa del Mundo 2006"
  4. https://www.infobae.com/2005/11/16/222733-uruguay-se-quedo-mundial/ "Uruguay se quedó sin Mundial"
  5. Web site: Flashback - Australia v Uruguay: 2005 FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Play-off. the-afc. Asian Football Confederation. 25 May 2023. 14 November 2017.
  6. Web site: History of the Australian Socceroos at the World Cup. Topend Sports. 25 May 2023.
  7. Web site: Intercontinental play-off schedule confirmed. FIFA. https://archive.today/20130122213655/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/news/newsid=13896.html#selection-503.0-506.0. 22 January 2013. 10 September 2005.
  8. News: Socceroos reveal dirty tricks inspired win. ABC News. 18 November 2005.
  9. Web site: ABC Grandstand Sport - A decade in sport: 10 milestone moments. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  10. News: 100 'proud to be Aussie' sports moments. Herald Sun. 24 January 2015.
  11. Web site: Socceroos documentary reminds us of how far we've come but there's still a long way to go. 22 November 2015.