Cahill's strike rate up there with world's best
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:59 pm
October 20, 2009 02:30pm
THE Socceroos will head to next year's World Cup boasting an attacking weapon more potent than many of world's top strikers - midfielder Tim Cahill.
Cahill's phenomenal scoring rate for his country now outshines a host of football's biggest names including Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Everton midfielder's match-winning goal against Oman in Melbourne last week was his 19th in 36 games for the Socceroos, illustrating just how vital he has become to Australia's success in recent years.
Of the teams already qualified for South Africa 2010, only a handful boast star attackers with a better international strike rate than Cahill's return of .53 goals per game for his country.
Only Brazil's Luis Fabiano (.76), Ivory Coast and Chelsea hitman Didier Drogba (.68), North Korea's Chong Tese (.61) and Swiss ace Alexander Frei (.57) - all strikers - have a better return for their national teams than the prolific Everton midfielder.
With questions still lingering over Australia's capability in attack, Cahill is again likely to shoulder plenty of the scoring pressure in South Africa.
But given his record for scoring crucial goals in the past, it's unlikely to weigh on him too heavily.
None were more important than his two off the bench at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when he scored Australia's first goal at the tournament and then another in an historic, come-from-behind 3-1 win over Japan.
But he's since proved time and time again for both club and country that performance was no fluke, with crucial goals on two occasions against Oman, another double against Japan, as well as braces against Qatar and Republic of Ireland.
With his 30th birthday looming in December, South Africa is almost certainly Cahill's last World Cup appearance, and could provide the platform for him to leave a legacy as one of Australia's greatest-ever players.
Some, like former Socceroos coach Rale Rasic, already rate him as this country's greatest-ever footballer, something that humbled Cahill on his recent visit to Australia.
"Of course, it is a massive compliment," Cahill said.
"Whenever I play for Australia and for Everton I always try to play to the highest level and am always finding ways to try to make myself better.
"It gets harder every game and every year because people expect more from you.
"They expect that winning goal or something different. By the same token, a massive compliment like that keeps me grounded as well."
THE Socceroos will head to next year's World Cup boasting an attacking weapon more potent than many of world's top strikers - midfielder Tim Cahill.
Cahill's phenomenal scoring rate for his country now outshines a host of football's biggest names including Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Everton midfielder's match-winning goal against Oman in Melbourne last week was his 19th in 36 games for the Socceroos, illustrating just how vital he has become to Australia's success in recent years.
Of the teams already qualified for South Africa 2010, only a handful boast star attackers with a better international strike rate than Cahill's return of .53 goals per game for his country.
Only Brazil's Luis Fabiano (.76), Ivory Coast and Chelsea hitman Didier Drogba (.68), North Korea's Chong Tese (.61) and Swiss ace Alexander Frei (.57) - all strikers - have a better return for their national teams than the prolific Everton midfielder.
With questions still lingering over Australia's capability in attack, Cahill is again likely to shoulder plenty of the scoring pressure in South Africa.
But given his record for scoring crucial goals in the past, it's unlikely to weigh on him too heavily.
None were more important than his two off the bench at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when he scored Australia's first goal at the tournament and then another in an historic, come-from-behind 3-1 win over Japan.
But he's since proved time and time again for both club and country that performance was no fluke, with crucial goals on two occasions against Oman, another double against Japan, as well as braces against Qatar and Republic of Ireland.
With his 30th birthday looming in December, South Africa is almost certainly Cahill's last World Cup appearance, and could provide the platform for him to leave a legacy as one of Australia's greatest-ever players.
Some, like former Socceroos coach Rale Rasic, already rate him as this country's greatest-ever footballer, something that humbled Cahill on his recent visit to Australia.
"Of course, it is a massive compliment," Cahill said.
"Whenever I play for Australia and for Everton I always try to play to the highest level and am always finding ways to try to make myself better.
"It gets harder every game and every year because people expect more from you.
"They expect that winning goal or something different. By the same token, a massive compliment like that keeps me grounded as well."