Australia 2-1 Victory Over Serbia Vaults Socceroos To Third, Eliminates Both Teams

Tim Cahill and Brett Holman goals gave Australia a 2-0 second half lead and momentary hope of catching Ghana for second place in the group. However, a Marko Pantelic goal pulled Serbia within one, where the match would end, Australia’s 2-1 win pulling them into third place, but both teams eliminated from the World Cup.

Serbia had the better of play in the first half but failed to get goals through Nicola Zigic and Milos Krasic, but Australian opportunism saw the Serbs susceptible to quick Australia strikes in the second half. Tim Cahill scored a headed goal against the run-of-play in the 69th minute, followed quickly there after by a Brett Holman goal that saw the midfielder run twenty yards with the ball without being closed-out, eventually beating Vladimir Stojkovic from 25 yards.

Serbia is one goal away from advancing to the knockout stage after Marko Pantelic, collecting a rebound coughed-up by Mark Schwarzer, brought Serbia to within one in the 83rd minute against Australia, making the score 2-1, Socceroos.

Pantelic’s finish from eight yards out means another Serbia goal, getting them a draw, would put them through Group D above Ghana, Serbia going above the other four point team on goals scored.

Australia is now within two goals of advancing out of Group D, if results hold, after Brett Holman’s 24-yard strike beat Vladimir Stojkovic to the Serbian goalkeeper’s right post to make it 2-0 Australia in the 73rd minute.

Holman picked up the ball in the center circle and was never closed down before releasing his shot. The ball skipped along the ground and past Stojkovic for the goal, putting Serbia on the brink of elimination.

Tim Cahill has put Australia up 1-0 over Serbia, and while the Socceroos are still three goals away from tying Ghana in the goal difference tiebreaker, a potential finish of four points would be a spectacular turn-around for a country that lost their opening match 4-0.

Cahill headed home a Scott Chipperfield cross from 8 yards out, beating Vladimir Stojkovic to the goalkeeper’s right post to open scoring.

Both Serbia, third place in Group D, and Australia, fourth, are 45 minutes from elimination after a 0-0 first half.

Serbia looked the more dangerous side and nearly got goals from Nicola Zigic and Milos Krasic, but unable to break through the Socceroos defense, the Serbs are set to finish on four points, if results hold.

Australia can also get through if Ghana draws, but it’s a more complicated scenario that still involves the Socceroos beating the Serbs. And given Australia has yet to register a win in the tournament, Pim Verbeek and the men of Oz need to concentrate on their own business first.

Serbia, Going Forward: The Serbs have been sputtering going forward in this World Cup, unable to generate anything meaningful in their loss to Ghana and only scoring against Germany once up a man. However, in comparing those two results you see the key to Serbia’s attack, as evidenced on the goal they generated against Germany.