INTERVIEW - 20th Anniversary of Socceroos 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 30: (INTERVIEW) Tony Popovic speaks about his confrontation with Richard Morales and says "Myself and Moralez obviously, faced off in the tunnel, but, yeah, it's just to competitors. Knowing what's on the line, definitely not pre-planned from my part. I don't know if it was from his, but, you know, we had an ongoing battle in Uruguay that, you know, went to the second game as well. And, yeah, maybe when I recall back four years earlier when we played Uruguay and, you know, I was injured for that game, but I was there and, when I look at how Uruguay tried to intimidate us and maybe that, we were younger group, maybe that hurt us in the qualifying in the second leg. Well, this time I thought in the first leg we showed a lot of maturity." on May 30, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. On November 16, 2005, Australia faced Uruguay at Stadium Australia in the second leg of their 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff. The match ended one all at extra time, sending the match to a penalty shootout. Australia won 4–2 on penalties, with John Aloisi scoring the decisive spot-kick to send the Socceroos to their first World Cup since 1974. It remains one of the most iconic moments in Australian sporting history, remembered for the heroics of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who saved two penalties, and John Aloisi who scored the winning penalty to send Australia through to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. (Footage by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)