29 February 2004 - Boro Does The Job

On 29 February 2004, two quick goals lifted Middlesbrough to their first major honor, beating Bolton in the League Cup final.

Founded in 1876, Boro had come close to a trophy a few years earlier, reaching both the FA Cup and League Cup finals in 1997, then returning to the League Cup final in 1998. In their first League Cup final, they led Leicester City 1-0 deep into extra time, but conceded a goal in the 118th minute to force a replay which Leicester won, 1-0.

Bolton, meanwhile, had won a slew of FA Cups (1923, 1926, 1929, 1958), but had reached the League Cup final only once before, losing 2-1 to Liverpool in 1995.

The teams met at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium, where many of the official 72,634 attendees missed the opening goal. In just the second minute, while they were still making their way to their seats, Boro midfielder Boudewijn Zenden fired a ball across the goal. It was met by his teammate, forward Joseph-Désiré Job (pictured, left), who turned it into the net to put Boro up 1-0.

Five minutes later, Zenden doubled the lead with a penalty kick after Bolton center back Emerson Thome fouled Job in the box. Even though Bolton pulled one back with a strike from Kevin Davies in the 21st minute, they could not get an equalizer past Middlesbrough keeper Marl Schwarzer and the match ended as a 1-2 Boro victory.

At the time, Job's goal was the quickest in League Cup history, but that record was later beaten by John Arne Riise, who netted for Liverpool in the first minute the next year.

16 November 2005 - That's What He Gets For Trying The Stutter-Step

On 16 November 2005, Australia advanced to the World Cup with a playoff win over Uruguay in a penalty shootout.

FIFA required the two-legged playoff to give a World Cup spot to the winner of the Oceania qualification tournament, Australia, or the fifth-place team from South America, Uruguay. The teams met in Montevideo on 12 November for the first leg, which the hosts won 1-0 with a 37th-minute goal from left back Darío Rodríguez. The rematch in Sydney four days later was oddly similar, as Socceroo midfielder Mark Bresciano found the back of the net in the 35th minute. It was the only goal of the match through regulation and extra time, so the 1-1 aggregate score set up the penalty shootout.

Australia were up 1-0 when Rodríguez attempted Uruguay's first kick. He tried a stutter-step approach to draw Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer off his line, but the keeper held firm, then guessed correctly and dove to his left to block the shot.

After two more shots each, Australia were leading 3-2, but captain Mark Viduka sent his attempt wide. Striker Marcelo Zalayeta then had a chance to draw Uruguay level, but again Schwarzer guessed correctly and palmed the ball away.

Striker John Aloisi then stepped up to the spot, knowing that a successful shot would send Australia to Germany. Uruguay keeper Fabián Carini dove to the correct side, but could not get a hand on the ball, as Aloisi buried it in the top corner.

It was Australia's second trip to the World Cup, and their first since 1974, but they made it count by advancing to the Round of 16 before their 1-0 elimination at the hands of eventual champions Italy.

15 August 1993 - Schwarzer Saves The Day

On 15 August 1993, goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made his first start for Australia in dramatic fashion, saving two penalties in a shootout to advance the Socceroos past Canada in a World Cup qualifier.



Playing his club ball at the time for the Marconi Stallions in Sydney, Schwarzer had come on as a substitute in the qualifier's first leg, a 2-1 Canadian win in Edmonton, when Australia's starting keeper, Robbie Zabica, was sent off for a foul in the 17th minute. For the second leg in Sydney, manager Eddie Thomson looked to the 20-year old Schwarzer for the start.



Australia looked the better side in the first half and were rewarded with a dynamic bicycle-kick goal from striker Frank Farina in the 44th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Canada equalized shortly after the break, but Australia's Mehmet Durakovic leveled the aggregate score at 3-3 with a high arcing header from just inside the box in the 76th minute.



In the penalty shootout, Australia went up 2-1 after Schwarzer saved a shot from striker Alex Bunbury, diving low to his right to swat the ball away. Australia went up 3-1 and then Schwarzer made his second save of the day. He guessed incorrectly and dove to his left, but still managed to get his right hand on the ball, which came straight down the middle. Farina scored on the next kick to give Australia the win in the shootout by the margin of 4-1.



Australia were eliminated by Argentina in the next playoff round. Schwartzer did not play in those matches, but returned in 1994 and has since made a total of 90 appearances for the Socceroos.