Australia vs. Uruguay: A World Cup Playoff with a Rojillo Flavor

In November 2005, the city of Sydney, Australia, witnessed one of the most iconic moments in Australian football history: the Socceroos’ return to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years after defeating Uruguay in a playoff for a spot at the 2006 tournament in Germany. Curiously, that series was followed closely in Pamplona. Though the national teams involved came from lands far from Navarre, four players with Osasuna ties battled to represent their countries in that decisive matchup.

On Australia’s side was John Aloisi, who just months earlier had scored Osasuna’s first-ever goal in a Copa del Rey final. That night, he became a national hero when he buried the decisive penalty kick that sent Australia to the World Cup.

“It’s rare to be remembered for one special moment in your career—and I’m remembered for two,” Aloisi said. “When I go back to Navarra, people stop me to talk about my goal in the Copa del Rey final against Betis, which is special to me. And in Australia, it’s been almost 20 years now—people still stop me, not every day, but often, to talk about that game and that penalty against Uruguay. They tell me where they were: some were in the stadium, others in a bar, at home, or even in another country, and they all want to talk about that moment.”

On Uruguay’s side were two players who had already made their mark in Pamplona—and one who was just beginning to. Pablo García and Richard “Chengue” Morales, along with Aloisi, were part of some of Osasuna’s most memorable years, while Marcelo Sosa would later help the club reach the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

The matchup was not new. Just four years earlier, the same two nations had met in a playoff for a spot at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. On that occasion, Uruguay overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to win 3-0 in Montevideo, with Morales scoring twice—a series that also had strong Osasuna connections.

One might think Australia approached the rematch with a sense of revenge, but for the Socceroos it was above all an opportunity to return to the World Cup.

“Revenge? No. It was more about qualifying,” Aloisi recalled. “It’s usually easier when you face a team you know well. We knew Uruguay from 2001—not just the team, but the country and the atmosphere at the Centenario. We didn’t see it as revenge, but as an opportunity.”

The first leg

The series reunited three former Osasuna teammates, though Aloisi knew what was at stake.

“Yes, it was very special, but on the pitch there are no friends when you’re playing to reach a World Cup,” he said. “After the game, sure—friends forever. But on the pitch, it’s a war. Pablo always used to say, ‘Football is a war,’ and those matches were just that. It was very special to face two Osasuna teammates for a place at the World Cup.”

The first leg, played at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario, ended with a 1-0 win for Uruguay thanks to a 37th-minute goal by Darío Rodríguez. Morales and García started, while Aloisi came on in the 80th minute for Mark Viduka. Marcelo Sosa did not play.

The result didn’t discourage Australia, who were confident about turning things around at home.

“After the first game, we felt good heading back to Australia. It’s always easier for us at home,” Aloisi said. “There were 83,000 people in the stadium—80,000 Australians and 3,000 Uruguayans. The crowd was on our side. The weather helped too. So 1-0 wasn’t a bad result.”

The second leg

The mission was simple: overturn the deficit and return to the World Cup after 32 years. Aloisi knew it would be a big night for Australian football.

The second leg took place at what was then called Telstra Stadium (now Accor Stadium) in Sydney, before 82,698 fans. In the 35th minute, Mark Bresciano scored to level the aggregate score and send the tie to a penalty shootout. García and Morales started again and played all 120 minutes, while Sosa came on in the 81st. Aloisi replaced Bresciano in the 96th.

“The day before, Guus Hiddink had already picked the starting eleven and was practicing substitutions in training,” Aloisi recalled. “I knew I’d come on but didn’t know when. I was ready. I saw a clip recently where Guus is giving me instructions for about 30 seconds—but I don’t remember a single word. I was just thinking about getting on the field. Before the match, I called my brother and told him I’d score the goal to take us to the World Cup.”

With the score tied 1-1 on aggregate, the playoff went to penalties. Aloisi didn’t hesitate to step up.

“The assistant coach asked who wanted to take one. I put my hand up. He said I’d be first, and I said, ‘No, I want to be fifth.’ Then I stepped aside to focus. The day before, I’d practiced five penalties into that same goal, so I felt confident. If I’d done it five times already, I could do it once more.”

Australia’s takers were Harry Kewell, Lucas Neill, Tony Vidmar, Mark Viduka, and finally Aloisi. The first three scored, Viduka missed. For Uruguay, Darío Rodríguez, Gustavo Varela, Fabián Estoyanoff, and Marcelo Zalayeta took theirs—Rodríguez and Zalayeta both had their shots saved by Mark Schwarzer. The stage was set for Aloisi.

“When Schwarzer saved Zalayeta’s penalty, it took all the pressure off,” he said. “It wasn’t about scoring to keep the shootout going anymore—it was to go to the World Cup.”

Aloisi began the long walk from midfield to the penalty spot.

“That walk feels long. You never really practice it, and if you’re not confident, your legs feel like jelly. But that day, I was confident. The walk was easy.”

He placed the ball, stepped up, and fired into the right corner, past goalkeeper Fabián Carini. Australia was going to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

“For a split second, you don’t know if it’s gone in,” Aloisi said. “You see it go in, but it doesn’t hit the net. The crowd doesn’t react right away. You start running, not sure if it’s a goal, until you hear the roar—and then you know.”

He had already planned the celebration.

“The day before, I asked the team manager where my family would be sitting,” Aloisi said. “He asked why, and I told him, ‘Because when I score the winning goal, I’ll celebrate with them.’ That’s why you see me running like crazy toward them.”

After the euphoria, Aloisi sought out his Uruguayan friends.

“I saw Chengue crying and went over to swap shirts and give him a hug,” he said.

Coming full circle

Fate had one more twist in store: Aloisi’s first game after that historic night came against Osasuna, as a Deportivo Alavés player, at El Sadar.

“Fate is strange,” he said. “I remember scoring, but Osasuna won 3-2. It was odd because Osasuna was such an important club for me—they made me feel at home. I’m Australian, but I have friends there, teammates who are like brothers. Scoring in that stadium and hearing the crowd chant your name—that’s special. I think Osasuna fans know that every time I played for them, I gave my best.”

Despite the distance between Navarre, Uruguay and Australia, that 2005 playoff remains a vivid memory for Osasuna fans—a tie that brought together players who left a lasting mark in Pamplona and took part in one of the most unforgettable World Cup playoffs of this century.