2010 World Cup: Australia v Serbia full time report
Australia 2 Serbia 1
Australia beat Serbia in their final Group D match 2-1 tonight at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The Aussies scored through Tim Cahill and Brett Holman, but it wasn’t enough to go through to the last 16 of the World Cup, as Germany’s victory over Ghana at Soccer City in Johannesburg was enough to put both of them through at Australia’s expense. Serbia grabbed a late goal and only needed one more to advance, but couldn’t find it.
Mark Schwarzer will not be happy with Serbia’s goal, as he dropped the ball right into Marko Pantelić’s path allowing the Ajax striker to give his side hope.
Serbia began the match well, with Miloš Krasić showing why Premier League clubs are after his signature, as in the fifth minute a great run was accompanied with nice skills forcing a save from Australian keeper Mark Schwarzer.
On 12 minutes Serbia broke quickly from Australia’s corner. Nikola Zigić played in Krasić after his pass split the Australian defence, but when Krasić went around Schwarzer he diverted his shot horribly wide of the target for Serbia’s best chance of the first half.
Australia, having had a player sent off in each of their two games, were very cautious, leaving Joshua Kennedy up front on his own in a 4-4-1-1 system, with Tim Cahill trying to support him.
Serbia were the more potent force, with winger Milan Jovanović having most of the ball when they attacked.
Branislav Ivanović had a chance to put Serbia in front. You expect a centre-back to score from a corner, but he was beautifully picked out when he was somehow in a striker’s position. He controlled the ball brilliantly on his chest and struck the shot on the volley, only to see his shot saved by Schwarzer.
Australia’s first real chance came courtesy of Cahill. A cross from the left from Mark Bresciano saw Cahill win a header in typical fashion, but the Everton man couldn’t hit the target.
Zigić headed wide on 34 minutes when he got onto the end of Serbia captain Dejan Stanković’s cross.
Serbia began the second half intent on scoring a goal to give them a chance to qualify. Zigić up front had his best chance, as Jovanović found the big man after a run down the left. He took the ball on his chest, headed it over the closing defender but blazed the ball over the bar.
Surprisingly, Krasić was substituted after an hour’s play. He was Serbia’s bright spark in their attacks.
After that, Australia were the better side, with Bresciano twice testing Serbian keeper Vladimir Stojković.
Cahill broke the deadlock on 68 minutes. A deep cross from the right was headed in brilliantly. Cahill leaped tremendously to guide his header into the far corner.
Five minutes later, Holman doubled the Australian’s lead. He picked the ball up on the halfway line, turned, and ran unchallenged before cracking a great shot beyond Stojković’s reach.
A goal for Serbia jangled the nerves, with only one more goal needed to put Ghana out.
Kennedy had the chance to put the game out of Serbia’s reach, but he screwed his shot wide.
Serbia piled men forward in attack, with a goal ruled out rightly for offside, and then Pantelić missing a sitter when he was offside. That was the chance for them to go through to the last 16.
Both Serbia and Australia didn’t make it. Australia gave it a fight, while Serbia rallied late on in the match.
Germany and Ghana advanced from Group D. Germany will play England while Ghana will play USA.
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