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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You are listening to episode 271 of the Howie Games Part B featuring Harry Kuehl. Remember, you can watch every match of the FIFA World Cup live and free with SBS and SBS On Demand and see more of Harry. Win-win. On we go, Tommy. The Socceroos. I just want to ask you about a few games, but with some brief answers. But before I do that, briefly, pulling on the Socceroos shirt...
What does it mean to Harry Kuehl? You did it as a 17-year-old on debut. What does being a soccerer mean to you?
It means everything. Well, it means first and foremost, you're absolutely killing it for your club. That's the truth. Because if you're not playing well for your club, then you're not even going to get the chance to put that greeting or jersey on. So again... Putting it on meaning you're in a good place.
So that's the main thing when I looked at putting on that green and gold jersey is that, well, I'm doing well for my club because that's the only reason I'm getting picked for my national team because we did have a strong team.
So some of the games I want to ask you about, everyone talks about the disaster of the MCG. But the week prior to that, November 1997, the Azadi Stadium in Tehran was Tehran, Iran won, Australia won. Kewl scores. But the crowd, Harry, was reported. I went back. The crowd was reported at 128,000 people.
100,000 fans already, I should think. to urge on the Iranians in this very, very vital game. It has been 20 years since Iran has lost a football match in this stadium.
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Chapter 2: What does pulling on the Socceroos shirt mean to Harry Kewell?
Incredible it was.
Tell me about the night and the silence when you scored. It was extraordinary.
It's a chance here for Kuehl. A goal for Australia. A brilliant start for the Socceroos. And it's Harry Kuehl, the 19-year-old, who has opened the scoring... And the silence that 130,000 people can make is quite stunning here. As equally as stunning as the finish by Harry Kuehl.
So again, walking out, it was like walking into the Coliseum, but 10 times bigger, like 10 times bigger. Like you could see, like you couldn't really see at the top. And I remember going in there and warming up. And let's just say the pitch wasn't the greatest as well. So we were warming up and obviously I was debuting. And again, it didn't fear me. I enjoy that.
I'm not one of these that needs to have a big stadium because I always believe a top professional can play in front of a million people but can also play with one man watching. So for me, I did not worry about the fans and all that, but it's nice to actually see. And they were chanting and obviously cheering on Iran. But ā going back in there, walking out.
And I remember standing for the national anthems and all I could remember seeing was one Australian flag, just waving around. It was very, I was like, man, I thought I'm brave. Look at you. But again, I thought we controlled the game. I thought we controlled the game all over. I think there was a little bit of nerves because we hadn't done it previously in other campaigns, but taking the lead,
was something that I felt we had in us. It's just that we kind of slipped at the end. But I always remember walking off at halftime and I can remember seeing someone throw something from the top. And that's how big the stadium was. It hit someone in the front, right?
Yeah.
And then I was like, that's how big it was. And obviously that stadium is still there today. And there's a couple of teams like Estagal and that play out of. And it's just, it's an amazing stadium. It's an incredible stadium. And I'm just thankful I had the opportunity to play there.
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Chapter 3: What memorable moments does Harry recall from his debut match?
Supporting quickly is Lazaridis. Vidmar on his own. Touchdown! Australia have a goal to the good here at the MCG.
Just listen to the roar. Australia's 2-0 up. We don't need to go back over it. They score late. As you walk off the MCG that day, what's your emotion? There's an obvious emotion, but how is Harry Kuehl feeling walking off? You listen to Les Murray and Johnny Warren. Johnny Warren's nearly in tears as to what's gone on. How's Harry Kuehl feeling?
Heartbreak for Australian soccer. They have been beaten here at the MCG by the away goals rule, the cruelest of fates for the Socceroos, the saddest of moments.
How is Harry Kuehl feeling walking off? You listen to Les Murray and Johnny Warren. Johnny Warren's nearly in tears as to what's gone on. How's Harry Kuehl feeling?
I was young, right? And I was disappointed because the one thing that I really, really would have loved to have done was to walk into a World Cup fully fit. Right? 06, struggling. 010, struggling. Always carrying something. Whereas 98 and 2002, if would have made it, I would have walked in there fully fit. And a fully fit Harry Kuehl at a World Cup, wow, that would have been interesting.
Yeah.
So me looking at me walking off that pitch, yes, I was devastated. Yes, I was gutted. But me thinking, okay, I'm going to have plenty of other opportunities. Right? And if I could ā If I could really go back in time, obviously that would change. Because I'd sit there and tell my whole team, hey, liven up. This opportunity doesn't come around. It comes around every four years.
We missed, I felt... a great opportunity. And I think 98 would have been a great start for us as a nation to start really competing at the World Cup because we had young ā we had older players, but we had a younger generation coming through. And I get the 2002 one.
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Chapter 4: How did Harry Kewell feel after scoring his famous goal against Croatia?
That was probably ā I know we talk about 2006, our generation, our strong generation, but 2002, we were young, hungry. So these opportunities, I think ā I felt we slipped because it would have been great, obviously, starting and playing at these World Cups. So walking off, I remember, yes, disappointed, going, wow, how did we lose that? Well, we didn't even really lose.
We lost on the away goal. But in my mind, like I said, because I was young, I was thinking, well, great. I've got other opportunities for it.
and feeling that we came so close that, okay, we'll make the next one, you know, it's something that I would have went back and just, I don't know, just maybe if you had a voice bigger and better, you could just go back and say, hey, we would have put that little bit more into it.
You talk about 0-2, 1-0 in Melbourne, Musket scores.
Oh, Kevin Musket, a Melbourne boy, focused... Concentrating.
Scoring. We read for two consecutive cycles about the vibe in Montevideo, in Uruguay, playing the Uruguayans. You've played in hotbeds all around the world. What was it like getting off the plane, the hotel, everything? Was it as intense as it's been written up?
Not for me. I loved it. I loved that intensity. Yeah. I mean, I think they even felt when I went out there on the pitch, like, give it to me. Come on, give me all you've got. And I actually felt, again, I played well. You know, I enjoyed the game and I just felt ā Maybe the occasion got to maybe five or six of the players, and I think that's too many to carry in a playoff match.
They tried everything. Don't get me wrong. They tried everything to intimidate us, to be able to put us under pressure. The fans were fantastic. I mean, you don't want to play in a stadium where fans are so polite and, oh, hello, you know, this, that. You want to be playing in an aggressive stadium, you know, but you need to stand up to it. You need to take responsibility.
I just felt in that game there, again, we had the team. I feel we had the team to progress. We just, you know, we just didn't turn up.
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Chapter 5: What emotions did Harry experience walking off the MCG after the match?
You're getting the ice baths. You're getting massages. You're getting looked after. You're getting everything done. You've got the best hotels. You've got everything. Like I said, you're living the life. It's the best life, playing in the best tournament. Why wouldn't you want to be there?
Can I indulge you with ā and I talked about leaving the Sydney Football Stadium ā This must be great when people come up to you. So tour with Croatia so we progress and kill scores. I was working for Channel 10, right, for a travel and lifestyle show. So I was in Queenstown in New Zealand watching that game at 2 o'clock in the morning by myself.
And when you scored, I must have made that much noise. 30 seconds later, true story, mate, my hotel phone rings and it's reception asking me if there's an issue because the rooms next door think there's a concern in my room because I'm losing my mind.
That is celebrating at its best.
Towards Kennedy.
Might drop for Kuehl. Harry Kuehl has done it. Australia's golden boy has come up with a golden goal and we're back tied at 2-2. Oh, and you can't say Australia haven't deserved it. It just had to be Harry.
But moments that you have brought to the country, I hope you understand what that means to... Fans of sport in general, that was ā mate, I went back and watched it again yesterday, that goal.
You know what, Howard? Again, thank you because I think it's nice when you sit down with someone and they talk you through it as well. Yeah. Because you do forget when people do remind you, like I said, even I get goosebumps now, not because of the goal but what it means to people because ā
I know I scored the goal, but I scored that goal for Australia, you know, and we were all there scoring that goal. And that's what representing your country is, is that for the ones that missed out, for the ones that are trying to get into that squad, for the ones that try everything to play or to come and watch, we're all there in one corner,
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Chapter 6: How did Harry Kewell cope with injuries during his career?
And I used to loveā¦ When I scored, I used to love running around the crowd and seeing the expressions of fans. Whether it was for home or away, you would see their expressions and they're the best. I even say now, look, I'm sitting at home and I laugh when I see a goal and you're seeing fans just go nuts. And I just think it's brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
Pass it up the chain to Mr Infantino, isn't it? He might be able to sort it out for us. Two more questions for you and then you need to get into the broadcast. When you retire, when you play your last game of football and you're here playing the A-League... Harry, you're a retired footballer now.
When will it sink in? Oh, probably never, you know, because, look, I love the sport and, like I said, you know, I was born to do this. And, look, it's going to take a while, but, look, I'm going to enjoy this night, enjoy the moment with my boys and, you know, we'll see what happens.
The day after what you know is your last game, Is it a relief? Is it excitement? Is it daunting about what's ahead when you've been doing this since you were six years old? How did you feel about retirement from professional football, mate?
I felt relieved. Not because I didn't want to, like I know I could still play the game and that was the hardest thing is because I know up here I could still easily play. My body was good. Everything was like looking was good. The problem was my body couldn't do it. It was breaking down every couple of weeks.
And I was just, unfortunately, I was just that player where, because I pushed my body to the limit every single time, ever since I was young, it just kept on, unfortunately, breaking down. And in my last year at Melbourne Heart, who is now obviously Melbourne City, I just had one too many injuries. And I was spending more time on the bench, on the table, than on the field.
And I just went, what am I doing? You know, what am I doing now? I had no other plan after that because my life is football and as a man, I could only do one thing at one time. I can't really concentrate on anything else. So I didn't know what else to do. And then after a couple of months, I thought, you know what? Let me go see if I like coaching. Let me go see it.
And I remember going to do my badges. And I remember the one instance where I had to take my first session and it was defending corners. All right. Lo and behold, I had to defend her. And I remember the assessor looked at me and laughed when he gave it to me. He goes, you're defending. I said, okay, great. So I went away. I planned my session.
And I remember doing it and organizing and putting people in. And I talk about when I played, I used to have like a flame in my body. And the flame was always there. But when I really turned on, you know, that blue naked flame that was there, that was when I'd be playing and I'd love it. That flame came back to me when I coached. And I just went, oh, my God.
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