Ten Years On: James Troisi dissects THAT goal from 2015 Asian Cup final
Socceroo #511 James Troisi analyses his iconic extra-time winner in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup final against Korea Republic to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the match played in Sydney's Stadium Australia.
The then 26-year-old forward announced himself to the world with two crucial goals during Australia's home Asian Cup.
Read on to see what he had to say about many memorable moments from the tournament, including the iconic winner that secured the Socceroos' first major trophy.
National Team Introduction
I came into my first camp real young. I had left Australia when I was 15, went overseas, unnoticed by the Olyroos and Joeys. At Newcastle United, I started training with the first team and Craig Moore said to me, 'can I put your name forward [for Socceroos selection]?', and I went straight into the national team camp from there.
When Ange [Postecoglou] started [as Socceroos head coach], I was at Melbourne Victory for a period after being on loan at Atalanta. Ange wasn't at Victory for long, but I managed to score a couple of goals to send him off. So he knew a bit about me and my character and what I could bring.
Opening Game vs Kuwait
AAMI Park was my home ground, so I was pretty pumped. I was doing quite well in Belgium as well, so pretty confident, pretty fit, in really good nick and the stadium was packed.
We copped a sloppy goal, which was a good wake-up call that this isn't going to come easy and it doesn't matter who we're playing. For it to then finish 4-1 was a good start to the tournament, also for me to get my goal and help the team out.
I was in the box, and I was waiting for [Mathew Leckie] to pass it to me, but he was trying to get his shot off. The ball scrambled and I jumped on it straight away and snuck my toe in, and put it in the back of the net. There was a lot of pressure on us going into this, because it's on home soil, we hadn't won before and you know the magnitude of every game you're playing.
We felt the aura around the tournament, you're in the bus, you're in the hotels, it's full of Aussies, and as you progress the magnitude increases and increases.
'James Troisi applies the finishing touch'
Playing Korea Republic in the final when you had lost to them a week before was a little bit daunting. Obviously a fantastic side, fit, strong, and played very good football. Son [Heung-min] scored the equalising goal late on, which was deflating at the time. [In extra-time] we knew we had to score to win the game. But there was not a thought in any of our minds that we were going to lose that game. We couldn't. It's home soil, we're not losing this.
I remember the whistle blew, and we're all in the huddle. We looked over to their camp, and they were all lying on the floor, getting massages, stretching their calves from cramp. So we knew, this was our time.
A couple of us were waiting in the box. Tommy's got the ball out wide and we're waiting for him to cross it. He did try to cross it, but it deflected. Being stuck in a scramble with a couple of boys in the corner made what he pulled off amazing.
Tommy's trying to creep as close as he can to the box and then go to square it across the goal. The keeper parries it to me to finish. It was that same instinct when I scored in the first game as well. Similar to where Leckie had the ball, trying to cross or shoot, and I poked my toe in and scored.
I still get goosebumps watching it. I didn't know how to act or what to do, but still to this day, 10 years down the track, I still get goosebumps.
Why did I do that [celebration]? Before games, being an attacking player, you plan those celebrations. But on a scale of this magnitude, you don't really know how to react. The pure excitement and roar of the crowd knowing that we'd likely win the Asian Cup, all the emotions came out of me.
You can see it, I’m running past the cameraman, everyone's screaming and shouting, the whole bench there. That is what you don't see as it's all happening, everyone's running and jumping in the crowd, screaming, shouting. All that raw emotion comes out, it's just fantastic. The Socceroos have always had a tight bond, but especially in competitions like this, there's just nothing quite like it.
Where does the 2015 Asian Cup achievement rank?
I've been fortunate to have some big achievements, but I definitely think it sits at the top.
There's nothing like playing for your country, and to do that on home soil is massive. It's the first and only time to this day that Australia [men's national team] have ever won silverware. You see Bresh [Mark Bresciano] there, Craig Moore. Bresh was an icon of Australian football, and to see the smile on his face looking at us celebrate was amazing.
The generations of footballers we've produced, that Golden Generation in particular, were never lucky enough to win silverware. That group of boys under Ange [Postecoglou], we managed to achieve something that's never been replicated to this day. Hopefully, in the near future, that does happen, but that's something that, I'll tell my kids, and then my kids will tell their kids.
The magnitude of winning a competition like that is huge and, hopefully, over time it continues to grow. We want to continue to be one of the best, if not the best, in Asia.