Australia bounced back from their devastating 4-0 opening defeat to display the kind of spirit for which the team have become renowned down the years. It had been a testing week within Camp Socceroo following the humbling loss to Germany in Durban, with the team coming in for unprecedented criticism back home for the manner of their defeat as much as the scoreline.
Australia went into the match without their free-scoring talisman, Tim Cahill, due to suspension, but it was the Everton man's hitherto unheralded replacement, Brett Holman, who gave them the perfect start with an opener after just 11 minutes. Joy was to be short-lived, however, with the Socceroos suffering a seemingly mortal blow midway through the half when Harry Kewell, making his first start after returning from injury, was dismissed for a handball on the goalline, with Asamoah Gyan converting the resultant penalty.
However, while Ghana looked odds-on for three points at this stage, the Socceroos showed the same tenacity and fighting spirit that was their hallmark at Germany 2006, and very nearly snatched a win. "We showed great team spirit and I believe we were the better team even with ten men. We certainly created the better chances," midfielder Brett Emerton told FIFA.com.
source:http://www.fifa.com
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