Redemption day for Totti

The Australians 8212; the hardest men in sport 8212; crying like babies in the centre circle.

Kaiserslautern, which lives and breathes football, had it all. The match was keenly contested and, if there had to be one winner, it would be the team that took its chances. Italy got one, took it and go on to Hamburg where they will meet the winners of today8217;s other match, between Switzerland and Ukraine.

Australia go home, their heads held high; their dream is over, but they now live with the reality of being seen with respect as contenders, not guests gate crashing the party.

The World Cup won8217;t miss them that much but it will miss the Australian fans who can outdrink the best of the English, Dutch and Germans 8212; maybe all put together 8212; without losing it.

Their team entered the match with a two-fold gameplan: Play a physical game to throw Italy off balance, and stretch the game as long as possible to utilise their fitness advantage. With Viduka alone up front, scoring goals was not an immediate priority. In any case they were missing Brett Emerton, their playmaker suspended for this match. Yet they worked hard at keeping Italy out, with Cahill asserting himself in midfield, a tackle here, a through ball there, even a one-on-one with Gattuso. They were aided by a combination of Mark Schwarzer8217;s legs, his hands and, despite Pirlo8217;s sparkle, Italy8217;s continuing stumbles in front of goal.

After a barren first half, the match seemed to turn in the 50th minute when Marco Materazzi was sent off for apparently bringing down Bresciano. This, one sensed, could be Australia8217;s moment as Italy would have to confront the ghost of 2002. At the very least, Australia8217;s physical fitness would give them an advantage.

They duly stepped up their game. Cahill, still steering the Oz ship, headed just over from six yards out. Then Bresciano fired one in that dipped and curled tantalisingly but sailed over. The Aussie chants 8212; 8220;Australia8221; sung to the old Spoeedy Gonzales refrain 8212; got louder. They even brought out that old WSC chant. 8220;Come on Aussie Come on8221;.

At the centre of it all was their inspirational coach Guus Hiddink, who had taken over the job only 11 months ago and revamped a flagging side. Four years ago, as the South Korea coach, he had masterminded Italy8217;s exit from the World Cup. Today, he was on the verge of a repeat. A contest such as this, tight and tense, needs one man with nerves of steel and ice in his veins. Step up, Francesco Totti.

The last time he was on a stage like this, it was at Euro 2004, Italy were playing Denmark. Totti was the supreme deity of Italian football, but especially in his native Rome, where he is hailed as the last of the emperors and where he has remained despite blank-cheque offers from the more fashionable northern clubs in Milan and Turin.

His contribution in that match was to spit in an opponent8217;s face, three times, and get a three-match ban. Italy8217;s hero went to zero faster than you could say arrivederci and had been waiting ever since for a shot at redemption.That chance came today, when he was sent on with 15 minutes to do his magic. His presence lifted the team and a through-ball from heaven to Iaquinta almost put them ahead.

Yet it all seemed to be going to waste; the match was headed for extra time where Australia8217;s one-man advantage would surely tell. Until Fabio Grosso, weaving his way through the Australian area, sought out the legs of Lucas Neill and, like a man who has found his salvation, collapsed over them.

This may sound familiar: Italian betting scandal, team lurching through the tournament, suddenly finding itself in the quarters. Stranger things have happened in sport.