Dudek’s dance in the penalty shootout of the 2005 Champions League final, the one that made Benítez’s Liverpool European champion, is a small thing compared to what happened this Monday in the intercontinental playoff for a place in Qatar 2022 between Peru and Australia.
As the insipid ninety minutes and extra time came to an end in the infernal Qatari summer heat, Oceanic coach Graham Arnold decided to remove his starting goalkeeper, Matthew Ryan from Real Sociedad, and bring in veteran Sydney goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne. FC, a man unknown to the general public who has never competed outside of Australian rules football.
The penalty shootout began and, from the first moment, Redmayne became the protagonist of the key moment of the tie.
Gosford’s, at each pitch from Peru, danced madly on the goal line, jumped wildly, with the aim of disconcerting the South American pitchers. And he got it.
Influenced or not by his movements, Luis Advíncula sent his penalty to the post to equalize the shootout. And already in the sudden death, Redmayne saved Valera’s decisive penalty to send his team to Group D of the World Cup along with Denmark, Tunisia and the current champion, France (with whom they debuted in the tournament on November 22). Peruvian disappointment, Australian hubbub, which has already found a new hero.
