‘One per cent chance, 99 per cent faith’: Melbourne roars for the Socceroos

As the sun rose on Sunday morning, the crowd at Federation Square was already at capacity, and the atmosphere already in overdrive. Flares were smoking, fans were roaring, fans were waving.

But most palpable among the 15,000 Melburnians who flocked to the big screen to watch the Socceroos take on Argentina in the round of 16 was the feeling of hope.

Fans let off flares at Fed Square before kickoff.Credit:Chris Hopkins

But by the final whistle, that hope turned into heartbreak as Argentina defeated the Socceroos 2 – 1, putting an end to Australia’s campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

After Thursday’s unbelievable scenes from the 8,000 person crowd at Fed Square following the Socceroos win against Denmark, extra security and capped crowds were enforced at the venue.

Benjamin (left) and his dad Michael at Fed Square, ready to watch the Socceroos take on ArgentinaCredit:Carla Jaeger

Father and son Michael and Benjamin Gallus, arrived early to secure a good spot in front of the big screen.

It was Benjamin’s second time at Fed Square this World Cup; he also watched the Socceroos play Tunisia last Saturday night.

“There’s a lot more security [today], but it’s definitely not more tame,” Benjamin, 16, said.

A minority of the crowd caused chaos, ramming through the barricades 45 minutes after the venue reached capacity, causing minor injuries to two police officers.

Police were forced to use pepper spray on the group, and a 17-year-old from Mount Waverly was arrested for drunken behaviour.

“While it was pleasing to see the majority of the crowd responsibly supporting their team, a small number has been engaging an anti-social behaviour,” a spokesperson from Victoria Police said.

Soccer fans let off flares before watching Australia take on Argentina at Fed Square, Melbourne on Sunday.Credit:Chris Hopkins

Fireworks were set off in the crowd and numerous flares were thrown at the screen, causing damage to the stage area. A woman was treated at the scene for minor injuries due to crowding, while two teenagers were taken to the Alfred after sustaining minor burns from flares.

The rest of the crowd was raucous but well-behaved, and within the first few minutes of kick-off, the cheers were subdued as fans watched the big screen with eagle-eyed focus.

Julian Vigilietti, 21, was pulling an all-nighter. He had been out clubbing with his friends and cousins, but felt wide awake. “We’ve got a 1 per cent chance, and 99 per cent faith,” he said.

After Argentina scored for the second time, a handful of frustrated fans threw flares to cover the big screen, which were hosed down and met with booing from the crowd.

But the eerie silence that fell over Fed Square soon erupted into a sea of celebration, fireworks and flares when Craig Goodwin scored, covering the blue Melbourne sky in a sea of red smoke.

The Socceroos were back in the game, and so too was the crowd.

Victorian Tourism, Sports and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said the global telecast of this morning’s Socceroos match featured vision of a large crowd at Fed Square, creating a widely viewed advertisement for the state of Victoria.

Dimopoulos praised the energy and attitude of Socceroos supporters.

“We saw crowds and families gathering here from quarter-to-five in the morning, so well-behaved, coming together as a community to watch their national team,” he said.“The Socceroos did us so extraordinarily proud … They will have a hero’s welcome when they come back to Australia.”

Television ratings for the match are yet to be released.

Sunday’s match had the added intrigue of featuring perhaps the sport’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, who is seeking his first World Cup in what is likely to be his last appearance at the tournament, which is held every four years.

At AAMI Park, where 18,000 people sat in the stands to watch the match, the crowd was far more tame. Fans sang, danced, and gave a standing ovation for the Socceroos. The handful of flares that were lit at the stadium were quickly thrown into buckets of water and extinguished.

After the defeat, the crowd at Fed Square cheered and clapped, proud of the impressive efforts made by Graham Arnold’s men. The venue emptied soon after, but a handful of fans stuck around to clean up the mess left, a habit of Japanese supporters and teams that has been celebrated on social media.

Wenjie Lee was one of those fans, picking up water bottles, UDL cans and bits of glass into large garbage bags.

“We’ve had this public space given to us, and we just have to respect it after we finish using it,” he said.

With Paul Sakkal

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