Socceroos smash Tahiti 9-0 - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Socceroos smash Tahiti 9-0

By Sam Lienert 31/05/2004 10:19:25 PM Comments (0)

Second-half substitute Mile Sterjovski scored the first three goals of his international career, including one while lying on his back, as Australia waltzed to a record 9-0 win over Tahiti in their OFC Nations Cup match at Adelaide's Hindmarsh Stadium.

Tim Cahill also scored the first two goals of his Socceroos career as Australia surpassed its 5-0 win over Tahiti in Sydney in 1997 as its biggest ever victory over the soccer minnow, to take Australia to the outright top of the table in the tournament.

Australia made five changes to the starting XI that beat New Zealand 1-0 in its first game on Saturday night, with Cahill one of those to come into the side, for just his second match for Australia.

He was the first scorer of the night, in the 14th minute, his first goal for Australia coming from a simple header at the left post, after a good cross from the right side from Stan Lazaridis.

With Tahiti content to let the game be played in Australia's attacking half, and make only occasional half-hearted moves forward, it was only a question of how long it took the home side to build a commanding lead.

Josip Skoko scored the goal of the night in the 43rd minute, when he dummied around an opponent, then belted home a curling low left-footer from the top of the penalty box.

An own goal to Tahiti's Vincent Simon in first half injury time made it 3-0 at half-time and ensured the Socceroos were on the way to handing the visitors a drubbing.

Cahill scored his second from another simple header two minutes into the second half, before Sterjovski scored the first three goals of his career in the space of 23 minutes.

Sterjovski's second goal was a crisp, well-executed volley from a Tony Vidmar cross, but his first and third goals were both somewhat comical.

The first, in the 51st minute, came after he completely miskicked his first attempt from inside the penalty box, but had enough time and space to have another shot, a symbol of how little pressure the Socceroos were under by this stage, and he was successful with the second attempt.

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