I feel as probably most do, tremendously happy at winning, but the question...like a little rat gnawing at my vitals persists.....is it enough?
If the first leg had of been in Montevideo instead of Melbourne, would we be happy to come back with only a 0-1 deficit?
I guess we can worry more about that over the next few days, but for the moment let's concentrate on the positive!
Sitting in the Narellan Vale stand, I thought the following....
1 Definite penalty.....no doubt about it.
My view of the players....
Schwarzer...usual steady, totally professional and unspectacular self.....
Muscat....fine performance, nerves of steel
Vidmar....Played (once again) above my expectations, and deserves much credit.
Lazarides...I thought he struggled a bit, and both Forza Jnr and I thought he would get pulled....we even thought it might happen before half time, as his 'penetrating' runs, just weren't penetrating.
Murphy...another strong performance, but will have to view the video to see if my original view that he should have headed instead of attempting a bicycle kick in the second half was correct..
Moore....Brilliant, fantastic, superb, add your own superlative here...I'd even call him 'Alan Hunter'..if you know what I mean...for me the man of the match...yes, even outshining Harry.
Emerton - struggled in the first half, a bit like Stan, but a much improved second half performance from him.
Skoko..a bit subdued, but worked tirelessly
Okon....sorry, didn't think he had a particularly good game last night....gave the ball away a bit too much for me, and appeared at times to be actually in *front* of the ball when we were attacking, when he is at his best running with it and spraying it about...
Viduka......Was quieter again, than we would all have hoped for, but he IS playing in a position on the park that does not allow for a great deal of space etc...He is one player who could very well do the job in the return leg
Kewell..Superb again, Over the past few years I have even said.."if he doesn't want to play for the Socceroos in *this* game tell him to piss off..he can't expect to pick his games"
I now unreservedly apologise for those remarks. He is of such calibre and class (obviously learned when he was at Marconi) that he can pick his games, the seat on the plane he wants, what he wants for breakfast and anything else he chooses...
He had absolutely no right whatsoever to get that ball across he did, but he did.
Agostino....He too, had absolutely no right to get his header - from where he was and under the challenge that he was experiencing -to get his header on target, but his header that hit the woodwork lifted spirits at a critical time, when self doubt may have been about to settle in...superb run for the penalty.
No doubt people saw individual performances differently...good.
Finally, great to see the media today dominated by fitba..even if most of them don't really have a clue what they are talking/writing about....
All in all, brilliant...but next Monday morning will be a very, very nervous time!